July – August, 2019 Volume 16 — Issue 90
If your small business can’t seem to find, recruit and retain a constant stream of customers and clients, is it your own fault? It might just be. What steps have you taken to become more visible and easy to find? Without putting forth effort to attract good – no, not good – ideal customers, odds are they won’t be making any effort to find you.
Please tell me you are not one of the many small business owners who still doesn’t have a website. You don’t think you need one, or that they are expensive, right? You think you can count on free social media to make customers happen for you. Hopefully you do not rely on ‘directory’ sites like Manta or Merchant Circle to put your name out there. Take that step to claim that free site, complete the profile and add your phone number, website URL and email address Otherwise your name and address is all that will show up.
Being Visible and Easy to Find Isn’t Easy
I hope you don’t you still think Facebook will be the free social media platform that provides salvation for your small business needs. That ship sailed long ago. It amazes me how many small business owners set up accounts on Facebook or LinkedIn several years ago. But, they haven’t used them to attract and engage with prospective customers.
Just being on a social media platform or two isn’t going to bring in customers. You need to connect with and engage new contacts. You need to be where they are and interact, getting to know them. But, not acting like some sleazy used car salesman in cheap plaid suits of yesteryear. You are building relationships, ideally getting people to like and trust you. Customers need to trust you before they will do business with you.
No nice, smiling professional head shot uploaded yet? Profile has no compelling information about you and why anyone should hire you. Not actively engaging with those who for some unknown reason connected to you yet? Do you see any hint of why customers aren’t coming your way?
Yet, you may wonder why customers aren’t beating down the door, or your phone isn’t ringing off the hook ( or your pocket). Maybe your email Inbox is only full of SPAM. You know the kind, messages starting of with: “My dearest friend…send me your bank account number.” and signing off as your ‘new best friend in Nigeria”. Clearly you are not making your firm visible and easy to find by potential customers who want to do business.
Become More Visible and Easy to Find
Social media marketing, when done well can still attract people to you. It can definitely help you become more visible and easier to find. If you participate where your ideal customers are, you are more likely to meet new clients. Post a killer profile detailing what experiences and skills you have to offer. This helps potential customers learn about you and become interested. Email marketing can be a great marketing tool as well. But, not if you only send out an email once or twice a year. And definitely not if they only hear from you when cash flow is dragging and you are desperate for immediate new customers.
Attracting Ideal Customers Is Not for Crisis Mode
Business is slow. Cash flow has come to a screeching halt. Vendors need paid. You need to make rent and pay utilities. What can you do to improve your critical situation? The truth of the matter is, marketing needs to be done all the time, not just when desperation sets in. At that point it’s too late to make any major changes for quick improvements in our situation.
Many of us have become complacent, thinking everything is now done online out in Cyberspace. Not true. Real social skills we all used to possess have been taken over by advances in technology. We let ourselves believe that everything can be done through a computer monitor or cell phone via the Internet. Yes, a lot can be done that way, but it’s time we get back out into the world and meet people face to face. Smile, shake hands and get to know one another. Your smile, your voice and just listening to someone goes a lot further than a smiley-face emoji in a text message.
Sit down over a cup of coffee or glass of wine. Do an assessment of how visible and easy to find you and your small business are. If you don’t like what you find, something needs to change, right now. Time to start rethinking your strategy for bringing in new customers. It’s time for making a marketing plan that addresses targeted campaigns to get the attention of ideal customers for your products or services. If the thought of doing this is totally overwhelming, it’s time to reach out for help. Maybe it’s just not your ‘thing’. That’s OK. There are those of us who can help. What’s your next step?
