The basics of running a business, big or small start with one fundamental goal: gaining customers. Without customers, there’s no revenue and without revenue, there’s no business. Attracting customers is about making a lasting impression. The competition is fierce and loyalty is delicate. One bad experience and just like that, they can abandon a brand they’ve been loyal to for years!
We saw a retail brand ban thousands of customers over high return rates last year, a move that saw them receive harsh backlash and complaints from some very upset customers! Learn more about this and customer lifetime value in our article, Customer Lifetime Value for Retail Success, a must-read for retailers looking to grow their customers.
So, how can you attract more customers and keep them coming back? Here’s our breakdown of key strategies you can implement for your SME.
Define Your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)
Before you try to gain more customers, you must know exactly who you are trying to reach and impress. By clearly defining your target market, you can reach the right people at the right time. Start by asking yourself the following questions:
- Who benefits the most from your product or service?
- Are your customers B2B, B2C, or both?
- What industries do they belong to?
- What are their key demographics (age, location, job role, company size,)?
- What specific challenges or pain points does your brand help solve?
Got who and what sorted? Great. Now you need to know where to find them. Are they surfing social media like Instagram, LinkedIn, or TikTok? Or are they event attendees, or readers of specific blogs? All of these questions direct your marketing strategy so that you can create content that will feel like it was made just for them.
How a CRM Platform Ensures You Truly Understand Your Customers
You might have your ideal customer down to a T, but how can you be so sure without any proof? Defining your target audience is one thing but imagine having the data to back up your assumptions. Stop guessing and start knowing… if I was a magician right now I would be pulling it out of a hat instead of a white rabbit… it may not be as cute but we are of course, talking about a different kind of magic, a CRM platform! The single source of truth and a 360-degree view of all the answers you need for your marketing strategy.
Instead of relying on those gut feelings, you get real-time actionable intel on who your customers are, what they want, and where they have come from! Understanding all of this on a deeper level means you and your business decisions can always be one step ahead.
Gain More Customers with Discounts and Promotions
Growing your small business customer base requires a mix of smart marketing, building strong customer relationships (personally, not via AI) and strategic outreach.You’ve defined your ideal customer profile (ICP), check. You’ve shaped your marketing strategy, check. Now it’s time to put it all together into action by offering value and building trust.
We all love a good deal. The first thing we recommend is something to give your customers a reason to choose your business such as an incentive. Attract new customers by offering introductory discounts or fun promotions. You might even add free samples, or exclusive bundles to really build that relationship.
Secondly, let’s dive into the concept of “true loyalty through emotional connections.” A CRM platform is key to making this process seamless (trust us, our clients use one every day). It enables you to track customer behaviour, preferences, and interactions. Incentives are great, but it is the emotional bond you create with your customers that sparks loyalty that lasts! Focus on delivering personalised experiences and living by the values of your customers to build a stronger, deeper bond.
Emotional loyalty – driven by these connections rather than just rewards – has increased by 26% from 2021, and it’s only expected to grow further.
Network & Collaborate to Expand Your Customer Base
There’s no better way to raise brand awareness than by meeting new people, telling them who you are, and explaining what you do. It’s a clever way to establish your brand and (depending on where you are and how small you are), position yourself as an active member of your community.
Let’s talk about an excellent sales and marketing strategy called cross-promotion. For example, if your brand is a coffee shop, why not team up with a bakery to offer special deals to each other’s customers? Use your CRM platform to cross-promote through joint email campaigns and combined promotions. This way, you can tap into their customer base and introduce yourself to new customers.
If you are a teeny tiny local business with a small budget, there are other ways you can attract new customers such as community involvement. Sponsor or get involved in the local events – show you care and watch the positive word of mouth happen (something money can’t buy!)
Gain More Customers by Enhancing Your Online Presence
The number of times we have been targeted with an advert on our social media feed and fallen down that rabbit hole of the ad that magically appeared. We see it, we click, we investigate and next thing you know, we know all about the business. Your potential customers are doing the same. If your business isn’t showing up online you are losing customers to competitors. So, share your content and talk to your followers and you’ll see how you can build credibility on your social media platforms.
What about your website? It should be easy to look around and be mobile responsive especially as 60% of searches happen from a mobile which isn’t that surprising – we are all glued to our phones!
And with all of that, integrating a CRM platform can fine-tune your marketing strategy and boost your conversion rate. From tracking customer interactions to capturing the leads from your website and social media (so no potential customers slip through the cracks!) Not only that, you get more valuable insights into what’s working (and what’s not) to help your brands’ journey on increasing their customer base and keeping them sweet!
Grow Your Business with WeDoCRM
Attracting more customers isn’t just about getting noticed – it’s about creating lasting connections that keep them coming back. From defining your ideal audience and leveraging smart marketing strategies to using a CRM platform for deeper insights, every step you take should be intentional and customer-focused.
If you want to develop your business and build solid, long-term relationships with your customers, at WeDoCRM we can guide you. We’ve worked with amazing companies such as MoneySuperMarket, Volvo, Oxford Summer Courses, and many more to enable them to bring in new customers and keep their existing ones. Let‘s get connected and see what‘s lacking from your strategy – schedule a call with us today.
