Attract More Clients: 111 Ways to Get in Front of More Eyeballs!

I once read an article from the Direct Marketing Association that said at any given time, you could expect that only about 3% of your target market is actively looking to buy the type of product or service you offer. THREE PERCENT! So if the other 97% is not looking for you… you have to go out and look for them! And while you’re at it, you might as well go looking for that 3%, too, so that you find them before they find your competitor. (By the way, the idea that there’s “no competition” if you just stay true to your authentic self if ludicrous. But I’ll address that in another post.) People can’t buy from you if they don’t know about you. It’s the first and most important tenet in the expression, “people buy from people they know, like and trust.” When it’s spelled out this way, it all sounds pretty obvious. But I never cease to be amazed by the business owners I meet who complain that they don’t have enough clients and yet are simultaneously unwilling to take action or try something new. I’ve literally had people say things to me such as, “I don’t like to go around saying what I do. I prefer to wait until I know if that person is a good fit for my business and then I let them know that I’m a coach/consultant/trainer/therapist/etc.” My response to these types of cop-outs is always the same: “So how’s that workin’ for ya?” (You’ll have to excuse my brashness today. If you can’t tell, this is one topic that really gets me fired up! ) The thing is, whether you have a professional services business or you sell information products or some combination of both, one of the critical ingredients to growing and SUSTAINING your business is to get your business/services/products/etc. in front of as many eyeballs as possible. That means getting in front of many more than the few hundred or even a few thousand people who subscribe to your your e-zine list, like your Facebook fan page, follow your tweets or happen to stumble across your website. To truly be successful and grow your small business, your end-to-end marketing system must include actively extending your reach to your target market on a continual basis. How do you know which small business marketing and client attraction methods are best? Take into account a combination of things, such as: What strategies will help you reach the most of the right people with the least amount of time and energy? Which strategies do you most enjoy and, thus, are most likely to stick with? And what is your time frame and budget? A big part of this is also simple trial and error. But don’t give up on a tactic after just one attempt. There’s a learning curve involved, and marketing requires frequency. There’s truly no limit to the creative ways you can get your “offer” in front of more people and attract more clients. To get you started thinking broader, I’ve put together a list of 111 ways you can get your small business out in front of more eyeballs. If you offer a service or product that can improve people’s lives, then you’re doing a disservice to the world by not letting more people know about it. All I ask is that you take one small step every week to expand your reach. Live Events 1. Go to networking events 2. Attend professional conferences and seminars 3. Get paid to speak 4. Speak for free 5. Exhibit at trade shows, expos and fairs 6. Host a trade show hospitality suite 7. Sponsor events (charity, sporting, professional, community, etc.) 8. Host your own networking event 9. Invite target clients to an “open house” at your place of business 10. Hold a grand opening/re-opening of your business 11. Participate in charity or community events 12. Reserve a hospitality suite at sporting venues 13. Invite target clients to a wine tasting 14. Conduct a free or low-cost workshop in your community Print and Direct Mail Materials 15. Create and distribute a catalog of your products 16. Develop a marketing brochure highlighting your services 17. Mail out a sales letter (send by FedEx or UPS to clients you really want to land) 18. Write a book 19. Send out postcards 20. Giveaway bookmarks, sticky notes, notebooks, etc. 21. Buy an ad in the local phone book (but be sure to get the online listing too) 22. Submit your business to local business directories 23. Place ads in local newsletters (i.e. community, church bulletins, etc.) 24. Hand out at least 10 business cards a week to people you meet 25. Send out yearly calendars with your branding 26. Wear logoed apparel (i.e. t-shirts, hats, sweatshirts, etc.) 27. Carry a re-usable bag with your business logo when you go shopping 28. Put your brand prominently on all of your product packaging Media Publicity & Advertising 29. Invest in magazine and newspaper advertising 30. Buy radio and TV spots in your local market 31. Send letters to the editor of your local paper 32. Write opinion editorials (OpEds) related to your area of expertise 33. Submit byline articles (i.e. articles written by you) to trade magazines 34. Give radio and TV interviews 35. Be an expert source for magazine or newspaper reporters 36. Record podcasts and post them on iTunes 37. Give internet and satellite radio interviews 38. Distribute press releases 39. Hold a press conference (if you have something really BIG to announce) 40. Author a recurring column in a local business publication 41. Go on a media tour (be sure to hire a PR pro to help you) 42. Request an editorial board meeting with influential publications in your industry 43. Film your own “infomercial” and post it online 44. Join speakers’ bureaus 45. Get listed in expert directories (like Profnet) Online Promotions 46. Have multiple websites, each dedicated to a specific product, service or target market 47. Publish an e-zine or e-newsletter 48. Buy ads in other people’s e-zines 49. Submit articles to other people’s e-zines 50. Conduct cross promotions (like co-registration) with other e-zines 51. Publish a blog 52. Comment on other people’s blogs 53. Contribute guest articles to blogs 54. Submit your blog to blog directories 55. Get your blog listed on other people’s blog rolls 56. Sponsor banner ads on other people’s websites and blogs 57. Promote your business in your e-mail signature line 58. Set up an affiliate program 59. Invest in pay-per-click advertising on sites like Google, Yahoo! and Bing 60. Publish a free e-book, special report or e-course 61. Host free audio seminars, podcasts or webcasts 62. Post videos showcasing your expertise 63. Submit articles to article databases 64. Send out video e-mails 65. Set up a free Google profile page 66. Submit your website to search engine listings 67. Craft online sales letters and squeeze pages Social Media 68. Establish a Facebook personal profile 69. Start a Facebook “fan page” or “group” 70. Purchase Facebook pay-per-click advertising 71. Participate in Facebook conversations 72. Create your own YouTube channel and post frequent videos 73. Create a LinkedIn profile 74. Form your own LinkedIn group 75. Set up a Twitter account with a custom background 76. Post your favorite links to online “bookmarking” sites 77. Create a members-only online network (i.e. Savor the Success) 78. Participate in online forum discussions 79. Hold a special promotion through sites like Groupon and LivingSocial.com Outdoor Advertising 80. Buy billboard space 81. Have your vehicle decaled 82. Put magnets or stickers on your car 83. Invest in “yard” signs 84. Hang outdoor logoed banners 85. Pass out flyers 86. Purchase signage on the sides of buses 87. Advertise on taxi tops 88. Invest in airport terminal signage 89. Buy bus, train and subway station ads 90. Post announcements on community bulletin boards at coffee shops, etc. 91. Sponsor signage at sporting venues 92. Sponsor your local little league team’s uniforms 93. Hire those crazy guys twirling signs to stand near closest intersection 94. Pay a guy (or gal) to wear a costume and hand out coupons 95. Go all out with a “guerilla” marketing campaign Special Promotions 96. Put “QR” codes linked to your website on your marketing materials 97. Have a custom iPhone App developed 98. Hold a sale or offer a special discount 99. Give out “refer a friend” coupons 100. Hold a contest 101. Offer a special edition or limited edition product 102. Give a “gift with purchase” 103. Host a celebrity appearance and offer a photo opp 104. Give away free samples 105. Invite the local radio station to broadcast from your place of business 106. Hold a live demonstration (think Home Depot paint department) 107. Offer an autograph signing from a local celeb 108. Give away chachkas/chotskies (i.e. pens, key chains, mugs, magnets, etc.) 109. Sponsor an “experience” marketing event (i.e. rock climbing, “money” chambers, etc.) 110. Run a referral program contest – whoever refers the most people wins a prize 111. Create a loyalty programs (i.e. point programs)