Word of mouth: target audience profiling!
In the offline world, the customer comes to you by acquaintance, because you are in his area or in his own city, he comes to you by chance because he is passing through, or he comes to you on someone’s recommendation.
Clearly, then, this is the easiest way to acquire new customers with minimal effort and relying a bit on chance and smile luck.
In the online world, however, it is difficult to succeed in recreating similar dynamics. For this very reason, first of all you need to define the characteristics of your ideal customer, the so-called buyer personas.
The question you will have to ask yourself is, therefore, who do you want to sell to and why specifically to him/her.
Once you have identified him or her, you will be ready to proceed with the next tips to put in place to find new customers online.
Be sure, however, not to fall into the “MORE IS BETTER” fallacy; in fact, a smaller, perfectly aligned audience may prove more valuable than a large, broad one.
The power of sponsorships to find customers online
If you like to win easy and have finances you can invest in online advertising campaigns, you can opt for sponsorships on social media or search engines such as Google.
The world of social media has become, by now, famous to everyone: in Italy, for example, 58 percent of the population has at least one social account that they use assiduously every day. This simple figure makes you realize the enormous potential that sponsorship on such platforms could have.
The starting point, however, is always the same…having a profiled target audience both for targeted and effective sponsorship, but also for being able to outline your personal social communication strategy.
There are so many social networks to choose from and invest in: Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Tik Tok, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Crucially, be clear about the difference in target audiences for each of these social media and be aware of your budget and how to use it. In fact, a good Social Ads strategy, will allow you not to waste resources and time in reaching your target audience.
Google is the most widely used search engine in the world, it needs no introduction, and because of this, having your website-therefore your business-found among the first search results can help you in your efforts to acquire new customers.
Google Ads is among the best performing advertising platforms in terms of results.
Through Google Ads can independently create an advertising campaign, set goals, controlling at any time the performance of your ad and the cost faced.
Google Ads basically runs on the basic principle of an auction.
Some campaigns have a cost per CPC, (Cost Per Click): for each click received on the ad, a portion of the previously defined budget will be scaled.
Other campaigns, however, have a cost per CPM, (Cost Per Thousand Impressions). In this case, the ad is launched on third-party sites and the budget will be affected each time the thousand impressions are recorded.
5 keywords for finding new customers online
1.VISIBILITY
We will never get tired of repeating it: being present and active on the platforms that best suit your business or professional persona is crucial to being noticed and, later, chosen.
LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, Tiktok, creating a personal brand on at least one of these platforms will allow you to make your mark in the web world.
Strategic and targeted communication to your target audience will, then, be the icing on the cake to stand out from the thousands and thousands of contenders.
It will be equally important to own a website, an added value that should never be lacking. (For useful advice on this or just to get an idea, see our article in which we explain why it is important to own a website and how much it costs to create a website from scratch tailored to you.)
The website will allow you to be able to work with SEO, which stands for Search Engine Optimization or search engine optimization.
SEO we cannot fail to mention when it comes to finding new customers.
We know, it’s not an easy thing to do on your own, but with a little bit of research and study of search engines, you might have small satisfactions. If you then want to achieve greater, lasting and constantly growing results then you definitely need to seek the help of an SEO consultant.
Through the use of keywords and valuable content, you can increase your chances of being found on the Web.
A website that performs well, is fast, has an attractive design and is “easy” to be navigated is the basis of SEO.
NB: If your website does not possess these characteristics, we recommend that you do not waste your time and turn to professionals in the field.
- AUTHORITY
It will take time to be able to build it, but if you can, you will have achieved the intent for which you are reading this article.
Create content that makes you visible and increases the value of your business or personal brand. Create and, therefore, share useful content that has some specific weight, information that can capture the attention of someone who, at that moment, has a problem that you can solve or who is looking for something that you can give them.
Do it better than anyone else. Using positive reviews from former clients is a good way to get your name out there to people who don’t know anything about you.
Share them on your social platforms and website.
Another practical tip is to turn one of your projects into a detailed Business Case that you can share on social media or on your website. This simple step will be a great way to make your professionalism known directly in the field, as well as create authority. (As you see all tornacool)
- PROFESSIONALISM
Be professional starting with the little things such as, for example, creating a professional email followed by a digital signature and fields related to your role, your contacts, website links and your social pages.
They may seem like trivialities, but already the simple signature field within the email says a lot about who you are and your attention to detail.
- NETWORKING
Having a good network of acquaintances around you will always prove very useful.
So attend trade shows, initiatives and events in your industry, make acquaintances, exchange contacts and be there so you can meet like-minded professional personalities.
All this do it in the online world as well: interact with your peers to make yourself known and acquire potential clients. Give chances to the old, but still valuable word of mouth.
Spread the word among your contacts, friends and why not, family members. Chances are high that already, simply, there is someone in your circle of acquaintances who is interested in your services or products.
- PROACTIVITY
Never stand still, don’t wait: if customers don’t come on their own, go after them.
For example, you could do this by joining Facebook communities, digital places on which you can advertise for free or where you can find questions from users looking for something you can give them.
We have already discussed the potential of Facebook groups as a marketing tool to increase sales.
Another tip is to occupy your spare time by “studying” your direct competitors, the so-called competitors. How do they communicate, to whom do they do it, and where do they do it?
But be careful not to fall into the error of copying, take a cue, but rework, differentiate yourself!
Let’s do the sums!
You’ve reached the end and that’s no small feat, starting with the tips we’ve given you, you can get your search for new customers online started.
It will be difficult, it will require effort, but your business deserves it and will constantly need it.
Remember: define your buyer personas, establish a communication style and believe in yourself and your project.
At this point all we can do is wish you good luck in the wonderful world of finding new customers online.
