There are many tactics you can use to get new clients. And yet, businesses are still tripping over themselves to bring in new business. Through the analysis of countless clients and business owners, it has been found that businesses tend to make these 5 common mistakes when attracting their target audience. Let’s take a look at them now, shall we?

Mistake #1: Sending out spammy messages soliciting new business

We’ve all seen that “Unsolicited Bulk Email” for services that are obviously spam. Do these types of emails ever work? Typically not in a positive way.

Easy access to email marketing tools has made “outreach” emails more and more common. However, most businesses don’t use this technology strategically. Instead of warming up the relationship with the recipient, they go for the kill right away, alienating their prospects in return. 

These types of spammy solicitation emails are more likely to create frustration and anger (not to mention a bad reputation for your business), rather than produce many new clients.

How to fix it: Using outreach emails and social media messaging tools is a great way to prospect new clients. However, it’s important to approach people in a natural and conversational manner. Think of it kind of like dating. An initial message shouldn’t be an offer of marriage… instead, it should start up a conversation. Some of the most successful outreach messages simply ask if the recipient is experiencing a particular problem and then obtain permission to share a potential solution.  

Mistake #2: Don’t have a website that is mobile-friendly

An outdated and unprofessional-looking website is the first thing most people see when they come across a business for the first time. Nowadays, most people are turning to their phones to search for businesses – and if your website is an absolute mess on mobile then you may just be losing clients/prospects with every new visitor!

On top of that, many potential clients will visit websites before contacting a business or making a deal. If they don’t think your site is well organized, easy to navigate, or professional-looking, they’re more likely to skip over you in favor of one of your competitors who looks like they might appear more professional.

How to fix it: Take a look at all the websites that are popular with your target audience and see if you can apply some similar design concepts to your own website. If you don’t have the ability to create the mobile version yourself, hire a professional web designer or developer to get your website looking good on all devices. If your site is still outdated then you should make it mobile-friendly.

Mistake #3: Not having a dedicated marketing budget for your business

A lot of small businesses are turning to social media and online advertising in order to attract new clients, but without a solid marketing plan or consistent budget in place – they can’t get very far. You need a budget so that you can pay for advertisements, marketing material, designing a new website, and so on.

Ultimately, the whole point of your marketing plan is to bring in new clients- whether it’s by word of mouth or through paying for advertisements. You need to be able to pay for these advertisements as well as keep up with any social media accounts that you create and try to keep updated on a regular basis.

How to fix it: Start with a small budget and work your way up from there as you learn what type of marketing is working for your business and which ones aren’t. Be careful not to overspend or you could lose a lot of money fast – but at the same time, don’t be afraid to spend a little bit extra in order to get exposure for your business.

Mistake #4: Using social media the wrong way

Many companies use social media sites like Twitter or Facebook, but don’t leverage their marketing power very effectively. Instead, they focus their posting content around branding, entertaining, educational, or other “value-based” content designed to not appear salesy.

The problem is, prospective clients who encounter this kind of social media content are less likely to take any action, and may, in fact, patronize a competitor who is more overt in their marketing.

How to fix it: Consider using a range of social media content that intersperses occasional promotional messaging alongside less salesy content. A good rule of thumb is to dedicate 1 out of every 5 posts to a promotional message.

Mistake #5: You don’t respond quickly enough to leads and inquiries.

When you get new business, you may get caught up in other things that are more immediate. But if a lead or inquiry is left unanswered for too long, it can be lost forever.

How to fix it: Learn how to separate the urgent from the important by setting up systems so that when you receive a lead or an inquiry, it goes into your system and is answered by a specific time.

There are many different tactics you can utilize in order to attract new clients, but the best way to do so is by actually listening to your current clients. If they’re happy with their experience then they’ll tell their business partners, for example, you would recommend a great consultant or therapist to your friends and family.

Whether it’s not providing enough value on social media or asking for referrals before earning them as your prospectus, these are sure-fire ways of driving off potential clients- so make sure that you’re avoiding all five of these pitfalls!

If you would like more information about how to implement these strategies right away what you just read about, schedule a no-obligation strategy call with us here.