If you’re just starting a new business, you may not have even started thinking about a customer acquisition strategy. Or maybe you have a plan (or a semblance of a plan) but it hasn’t been panning out for you.
That’s okay. It’s totally normal. As the famous tech entrepreneur Steve Blank says “no plan survives first contact with customers.”
Everyone fails on their first try, but what sets apart the successes from the failure is the ability to bounce back. That process, more likely than not, requires a retooling of your customer acquisition strategy. In this article, we’ll go through 5 tips on how to do just that.
1. Redefine Your Customer Base
When you started out, you probably had some idea about what your ideal client looked like. You may have had some general demographic statistics: they’re male, between the ages of 18-40, they make between x amount and y amount a year, they have interests in such-and-such areas.
This is a good jumping off point, but it’s probably either (a) too vague, or (b) incorrect because since opening your operation, a different group of people have been expressing interest in your product.
Luckily you get to choose who you want to market to, you just have to make sure your product appeals to them, and that your marketing targets them. So start redefining your customer base by creating your ideal customer profile, and get specific.
2. Make S.M.A.R.T. Goals
Here, SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely. Your goals in regards to creating your customer acquisition strategy should be all of these.
Be really diligent when setting your goals. Saying you want to increase your web traffic by 10% in the next quarter is a lot more actionable and achievable than saying “I want my burger joint to be as popular as McDonald’s by next year.” It’s not going to happen. Blowing smoke up your ass helps no one.
3. Define Your Tactics and Stick To Them
Once you’ve got your goals defined, you have to decide upon the marketing tactics you want to use to acquire your customers. There are a ton of methods out there, but pick one (or a few) that works for you.
Whether it’s creating sending out a newsletter to potential customers, or content marketing, or cold-calling or SEO strategy, just make sure you stick to it. A lot of people, when they start out, do a little bit of everything but it’s not a unified effort so it goes nowhere. Marketing strategies take time, be patient.
4. Optimize Your Methods
This one is simple. Once you’ve decided upon your tactics, make sure that you have a plan in place. If you want to write blogs to increase your web traffic, make a schedule. Decide the when and where and who of posting them.
Don’t fly by the seat of your pants. Make an actual game plan.
5. Track Your Progress
Lastly, make sure you have a way to measure your success. If your S.M.A.R.T goal was to increase your sales by 20%, make sure you have the tools in place to actually track that metric. All of this will have been for naught if you can’t determine if your strategy is working or not.
Now That You’ve Got A Solid Customer Acquisition Strategy…
You can move on to other aspects of your business. If you need more assistance formalizing your marketing strategy or furthering your brand development, check the services we offer or read our blog for more helpful tips and tricks.
