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Generating new business can feel daunting. After all, new customers don’t just grow on trees. (But wouldn’t that be nice?)

The truth is, your business isn’t the only business in the market, no matter how niche your offerings are. You need to leverage your marketing strategy to identify the right leads, attract your audience’s attention and convert them into paying customers.

Here are three marketing tips that will help you do just that:

1. Define and target your ideal customer.

Too many small business owners neglect to develop and target their core audience appropriately. There’s a myth that the broader you funnel, the higher your conversion rate will be.

Some small business owners fear that narrowing their target audience will exclude potential customers and harm their revenue, but the opposite is true. The more accurately you define your target audience, the more relevant your marketing campaigns will be – and the more you’ll attract people who are actually interested in your product or service.

Luckily, platforms like Google and Facebook offer tools to help you target your ads and invite you to customize content and creative for different audiences. For instance, a real estate agent in Ohio might have two different ads: one for people with kids who live in Cleveland and another for retired people living in Columbus.

2. Create an affiliate program.

Affiliate marketing has been around for years, and for good reason. It’s an effective tool when it comes to casting a broad (but still targeted) net for new customers.

Affiliate partners promote your business for you by using your affiliate links in blog posts or ads on their websites. You only pay when a potential customer clicks through to your site or makes a purchase, depending on the terms you establish for your program.

Affiliate marketing is only effective when you work with partners who have a following that overlaps significantly with your target market. If you’re an auto dealership, you wouldn’t run a campaign on a blog for cyclists, for example. 

3. Partner with complementary businesses.

Two businesses together can generate more revenue than one. When you team up with other small businesses, you can share leads and marketing ideas that drive sales for both of you. Picking a business with an overlapping target audience is ideal – chances are, a customer who’s interested in a manicure may also be interested in laser hair removal.

When you work together, the possibilities for boosting new customers are endless. Whether you offer your customers a discount coupon for your partner business or promote a bundled package that includes services from both of your offerings – you’ll be well on your way to driving new business to each other.

 

 

Expanding your customer base is possible.

Attracting new leads and converting them to paying customers is a worthwhile effort for your business. By defining your audience, and then following through with customized ads, affiliate programming and partnerships with other small businesses, you’re sure to broaden your customer base. Now get out there and put these practices to good use!