As a small business owner, you're probably on the lookout for equitable marketing opportunities. After all, you want to get your name out there to drum up success. Of course, as important as marketing is, it can be tricky and pricey. To save on time and budget, utilize the resources you already have, including your current clients. Loyal customers are vocal ones who can recommend your company to others. With that in mind, here are some tips for making use of your client network:
Provide Marketing Materials
Offer your customers printed marketing materials they can pass out to others who are interested. For instance, if your company is renovating a home, give the owners yard signs that feature your business's name and contact info. That way, when people pass on the street or visit, they'll know who is responsible for the beautiful work.
Business cards and magnets are other inexpensive products your customers can keep on hand.
Encourage Reviews
When researching companies in any industry, potential customers often rely on and trust the experience of others. As such, having reviews about your company is imperative to the success of your marketing strategy. You can, of course, post reviews on your website, but also encourage clients to write about you on popular third-party sites, like Yelp. Accounts written there tend to come across as more credible – people will think reviews on your website are limited to only the best.
Whether customers had a phenomenal experience working with you or wish a few things had gone differently, reviews provide people new to your company with insight. Even negative reviews lend some credibility to your business – you're going to make mistakes, and showing that you changed your behavior based on feedback is huge for customer satisfaction.
Consider asking clients to review by posting links to third-party sites on your social media or adding a note in your flyers.
Stay in Touch
If your customers are going to recommend you to their friends or come back for more, they need to remember you're around. That's why staying in touch is so important. Fortunately, there are tons of ways to do this. For starters, invite current clients to follow your business on social media or sign up for email newsletters. In both cases, these actions ensure your customers see your online content on a regular basis and are aware of new products and services.
Additionally, you can mail postcards with coupons, product updates or sales announcements. Such correspondence incentivizes clients to return and ensures your company is at the forefront of their minds.