Even if you have a kick-ass product, service or market innovation you’ll need to know how to acquire new customers. You can spend all the time in the world crafting a great idea and perfecting your production plan, but all future growth boils down to your ability to find and retain new customers.
A simple theory, but it can be tough in reality to find new opportunities in today’s saturated marketplace. But that’s where we come in, with this article that will outline the best ways to acquire new customers in 2021.
Offer discounts, deals and promotions
Consumers are always looking for value and deals so lure them into your business by offering introductory promotions or specials like buy-one-get-one-free, free gift wrapping on multiple purchases or free shipping on orders over a certain amount.
Bargains like these can attract new customers who have been considering doing business with your company but need an incentive to actually change their buying habits.
Then you can track what they’ve bought and which offers were favoured so you can better target them with future marketing messages that will cement their loyalty going forward.
A great example of this is in iGaming, where online casinos offer no deposit bonus codes for new players who sign up to the website. These players get to use a bonus without making a cash deposit and in turn, the casino gets a new customer.
In retail, you often see deals like buy three t-shirts for £90, which is a good example of upselling. Customers could buy one t-shirt for £40 but get three for the cheaper price of £30 each, which is enticing if they are interested in multiple designs or buying gifts for others.
Content marketing
‘Content is king’ was a famous essay title from Bill Gates and it still rings true for gaining new customers. Once you’ve published content like blog posts, ebooks, guides or videos you can use various mediums to promote it, such as email, social media, websites, and other businesses.
Consistently publishing content and refreshing your older content keeps your brand relevant and shows prospects you’re actively engaged with your industry – vital in an age of false advertising, fake news and declining customer trust.
Update your website and SEO
Online search offers a huge opportunity for you to find new customers in 2021, which means your website needs to be bringing people in. Ranking high in SERPs (search engine results pages) for highly-targeted keywords could make instant conversions.
Review your SEO (search engine optimisation) tactics and techniques (including making your site mobile-friendly) to ensure potential customers can find you.
Site design also makes a big difference, with too many graphics slowing down your site’s load speed being a huge turnoff for browsers. If you don’t have the in-house expertise hire a website design company and/or SEO expert for help.
Ask for referrals
Use your existing customers to bring in new customers with a referral program. Deliveroo provides its users with the option to hand friends and family members £10 of credit split across four orders when they sign up.
It could be a physical gift, a monetary reward or credit, but as long as it’s valuable to them your customers are likely to pass on referrals for you. Whatever you choose, be sure to specify all the terms upfront.
Networking
One of those old but gold methods for bringing in new customers, networking can help you raise your brand’s awareness. Join your trade association, local chamber of commerce and other economic organisations.
You never know who you might get talking to at a networking fair or market and how they might help advance your business or bring in more customers.