Attracting New Customers

Building customer loyalty is the one surefire method of success in the business world, but before this can even begin, local businesses must attract new customers. The methods of doing this can vary by industry, but as it turns out, there are a few tips to attracting new customers that work regardless of the industry.

Form Host-Beneficiary Relationships

A host-beneficiary relationship occurs when a smaller business builds a relationship with a more established company with similarly targeted demographics. The smaller business can then provide something of value for the larger company to give away as a “gift.”

Of course, this gift is something along the lines of “Get a free pizza with your first order” or “Purchase a used car and we’ll give you free floormats.” It gets people in the doors, and once they’re in, half the battle is over.

Sponsor Something in the Community

All marketing is local for small and medium sized businesses, and one of the best ways to attract attention is to sponsor a community organization or charity. Getting the business name on a banner, television commercial, large organization’s Facebook page or an event’s program will get it noticed. And since consumers love socially responsible companies, they might just be walking through the door the next day.

Use “Outdated” Tactics that Aren’t Outdated

With social media and video marketing being so successful, many people think older forms of promotion are obsolete. This isn’t true in every case. Nearly three-quarters of Millennials, for instance, prefer receiving marketing messages via email. Direct mailers, television commercials and ads in local papers are also still effective in many instances.

There are a million and one methods for attracting new customers. The aforementioned are just some of the most overlooked. When it comes down to it, though, local businesses should be using every marketing strategy at their disposal as long as they’re effective.