To create a successful company, you must market your products and services effectively and creatively. We’ve come up with 5 things you should start investing in as a business owner if you expect to see growth in your company and in number of clients.

1. Create a “buyer persona”

A buyer persona is a semi-fictional representation of your ideal customer based on market research and data about your current customers. This should be your first step in creating a marketing plan or building a website. Basing your content on a buyer persona is critical, otherwise you don’t have a target audience. Without a target audience, you are taking a shot in the dark and hoping that you might reach someone who needs your product or service. By creating a buyer persona and deciding who your ideal customer is, you can base your content on what you know this type of customer wants and needs and lower your marketing costs.

2. Find people who have an immediate need today

In order to find customers who are ready and willing to use your product or service, you need to capture them before or right at the moment they need you. This is the whole concept of inbound marketing. As a consumer, you’re not going to sit around at home waiting for something to come in the mail from a nearby nail salon if you’re in need of a manicure. You’re likely going to go online and search for the service you’re seeking, which is where inbound marketing comes into play. By serving content and capturing people’s information exactly when they’re looking for your product or service, you are much more likely to turn them into customers.

3. Figure out where your best customers come from

While it may seem like it’s good enough to have a lot of great leads, the truth is leads don’t necessarily translate into customers. You may think “Well, leads mean people are looking at my website and my business is getting noticed.” It’s true that people are viewing your website, but if those leads are not turning into customers then they really are not all that useful. To measure success, you need to look at how many people became a lead as well as how many people became a customer. With both of those statistics you can measure your results and see where your best customers are coming from.

4. Find out what your best marketing strategy is and stick with it 

Inbound marketing is a very measurable strategy.  It is easy to see who clicks on what, what leads people to visit your website, where they go once on your website, and generally what they are interested in gaining from your service. However, if other types of marketing are more successful and profitable for your business, maybe it’s best to stick with what works for you now until you can improve on other strategies. Whether it is direct mail, cold calling, etc., whatever gives you the best ROI or highest conversion rate is what you should concentrate on. Keep in mind though that with inbound marketing, your potential customers are finding you because they have an immediate need for your product or service, and therefore more likely to commit to your service or product.

5. Make sure you’re blogging regularly and with the right keywords

Businesses without blogs are at a clear disadvantage when it comes to marketing, especially inbound marketing. With every blog you write, you draw attention to your business and website, gaining new leads and potentially new customers. Not only is blogging in general important, but using keywords, especially the right keywords, is what sets blogs that get thousands of views and blogs that get a handful of views apart.

Still have questions about how to land more customers?  Let us help!  Contact us or visit our blog for additional tips and advice.