How to Attract More Customers to Your Business
How do you get more customers? What’s the best way to attract new clients? This blog offers off-the-beaten-path customer acquisition strategies, from forging creative partnerships to gamifying the buying experience. Discover how to surprise and delight your audience, establish your brand as a local authority, and leverage the power of user-generated content.
Attracting new customers can feel like scaling Mount Everest. While social media marketing and digital advertising are foundational elements of any successful marketing strategy, in today's competitive landscape, they're just the starting point. To truly stand out from the constant bombardment of marketing messages, businesses need to embrace a broader range of creative customer acquisition strategies.
This blog is your guide to unlocking the potential of creative customer acquisition strategies. We'll delve into unconventional ideas that will surprise and delight your target audience, transforming them into loyal brand advocates.
Partnering Up for Growth as Collaboration is King
Strategic partnerships with non-competing businesses can be a powerful tool to expand your reach and attract new customers. Imagine a local yoga studio collaborating with a healthy juice bar to host a joint wellness event. This co-marketing effort allows each business to tap into the other's customer base, fostering brand awareness and attracting new clientele. But the possibilities for collaboration extend far beyond co-hosted events.
Identify Potential Partners
Complementary Businesses
Look for businesses that offer products or services that complement yours, but don't directly compete. For example, a bakery could partner with a local coffee shop to offer bundled breakfast promotions.
Shared Target Audience
Identify businesses that cater to a similar demographic as yours. Partnering with a fitness centre could be a win-win for a sports apparel store.
Non-Profit Organisations
Partnering with a local charity allows you to give back to the community while gaining exposure to a new audience. Consider hosting a charity event or offering a portion of your proceeds to a worthy cause.
Shared values
Align with businesses that share your brand values and commitment to quality. This ensures a cohesive experience for your combined customer base. A sustainable clothing brand could collaborate with an eco-friendly cleaning product company for a joint promotion.
Craft a Mutually Beneficial Agreement
Define Goals & Responsibilities
Clearly outline the objectives of the partnership and ensure both parties understand their responsibilities in achieving those goals.
Marketing & Promotion
Develop a co-marketing strategy that leverages each other's marketing channels, including social media, email marketing, and in-store promotions.
Metrics & Tracking
Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to track the success of the partnership and ensure both parties are benefiting.
Examples in Action
Local florist partners with a wedding venue
Offer a joint package that includes floral arrangements and venue rental for a discounted price.
Pet store partners with a dog walking service
Offer a discount on dog walking services for customers who purchase pet food from the store.
Law firm partners with a legal tech company
Co-host a webinar on the latest legal technologies impacting a specific industry.
By following these steps and drawing inspiration from these examples, you can leverage the power of strategic partnerships to unlock new growth opportunities for your business.
Make Getting Your Product/Service Fun with Gamification
People are wired to respond to challenges and rewards. Gamification leverages this by incorporating game mechanics into your marketing strategy to incentivise customer actions, boost engagement, and ultimately drive sales. Here's how to get started.
Identify Gamification Goals
Desired behaviour
What specific actions do you want to encourage? Examples: Making repeat purchases, referring friends, leaving reviews, following on social media.
Target audience
Who are you trying to motivate with gamification? Tailor your approach to their preferences and interests.
Implement Engaging Mechanics
Points and Badges
Award points for completing actions and offer badges as milestones or achievements. A fitness app could award points for completed workouts and badges for reaching fitness goals.
Leaderboards
Create friendly competition with leaderboards showcasing top performers. A language learning app could display a leaderboard for users who complete the most daily lessons.
Challenges and Quests
Design time-bound challenges related to product use. A photography app could host a weekly photo contest with different themes.
Unlockable Features or Rewards
Motivate users with exclusive content or discounts by unlocking them as they progress through the gamified experience. A streaming service could unlock bonus content for users who reach specific viewing milestones.
Real-World Examples
Starbucks Rewards
Customers earn stars for purchases, unlocking free drinks and other rewards at higher tiers.
Duolingo's Daily Streak
Users earn points and maintain a streak for completing daily language lessons.
Nike Run Club Challenges
The Nike Run Club app offers virtual running challenges that motivate users to train together and compete for badges.
Sephora Beauty Insider
This loyalty program offers points, tiers, and exclusive birthday gifts, gamifying the shopping experience.
Incorporating these practical steps can turn the process of using your product or service into an engaging and rewarding game. This not only increases user satisfaction but also drives long-term customer loyalty and brand advocacy. Remember, the key is to identify your goals, choose relevant mechanics, and create a fun and memorable experience that appeals to your target audience.
Become a Local Authority and Use The Power of Community Engagement
People trust recommendations from experts they know and feel connected to. By establishing yourself as a local authority and actively engaging with your community, you can build trust, brand loyalty, and ultimately attract new customers. Here are some actionable steps to get you started, along with inspiring examples.
Building Your Local Authority
Content Marketing
Become a valuable resource by regularly creating informative and engaging content relevant to your industry. This could include blog posts, social media content, infographics, or even local video guides. A local plumber could share DIY maintenance tips, answer common plumbing questions, or create video tutorials on basic repairs.
Free Workshops and Webinars
Host free workshops or webinars showcasing your expertise on topics that interest your target audience. This establishes you as a thought leader and allows potential customers to experience your knowledge firsthand. A local financial advisor could offer workshops on budgeting, saving for retirement, or navigating the home-buying process.
Public Speaking
Seek opportunities to speak at local events, industry conferences, or even community meetings. This allows you to share your expertise with a wider audience and position yourself as a trusted authority. A local fitness instructor could lead exercise classes at community centres or offer talks on healthy living at senior centres.
Get Quoted in Local Media
Become a source for local news outlets by offering insights on industry trends or commenting on relevant local issues. This increases your visibility and positions you as an expert in the community. A local landscaper could provide gardening tips for seasonal changes or offer advice on drought-resistant landscaping to local news publications.
Examples in Action
Local bike shop
Sponsors a community cycling event, offers free bike safety workshops for children, and partners with a local charity to donate refurbished bikes.
Accounting firm
Provides free tax preparation assistance to low-income families, presents educational seminars on small business bookkeeping, and gets quoted in a local news article on tax law changes.
Landscaping company
Volunteers time to beautify a local park, partners with a community garden project offering plant selection advice, and shares organic gardening tips through social media.
Cultivating your local authority status and leveraging the power of community engagement to attract new customers, build brand loyalty, and becoming an integral part of the local landscape is going to keep you front of mind in your locale. Remember, the key is to be authentic, helpful, and consistently provide value to the community you serve.
The Unexpected Surprise & Delight that Creates Raving Fans
Exceeding customer expectations goes a long way in creating a memorable experience and fostering positive word-of- mouth marketing. By surprising and delighting your customers, you create memorable experiences that foster positive word-of-mouth marketing and turn them into loyal brand advocates. Here are some practical steps and inspiring examples to get you started:
Go Beyond the Expected
Personalise the Experience
Take the time to personalise the customer experience whenever possible. Address customers by name, remember their preferences, and offer recommendations based on their past purchases. A local bookstore could recommend books based on a customer's past purchases and include a personalised bookmark with their name on it.
The Power of Small Gestures
Small gestures can leave a lasting impression. Include handwritten thank-you notes in customer orders, offer birthday discounts or promotions, or leave a small, unexpected gift with their purchase. An online clothing retailer could include a handwritten note thanking the customer for their purchase and offering styling tips, or send a free sample of a new product with their order.
Upgrade Occasionally
Surprise customers with occasional free upgrades. This could be a free size change on a clothing order, an expedited shipping option at no extra cost, or a complimentary product sample. A coffee shop could offer a free size upgrade on a customer's favourite beverage for their birthday.
Examples in Action
Subscription box company
Includes handwritten notes with encouraging messages in each box, creating a personal connection with customers.
Eyewear retailer
Offers free eye exams and donates a portion of proceeds to vision charities, demonstrating social responsibility and exceeding customer expectations on service.
Restaurant chain
Recognises loyal customers on their birthday with a free dessert and a personalised greeting from the staff.
Software company
Hosts free webinars featuring industry experts, providing valuable learning opportunities for customers.
By drawing inspiration from theses steps and examples, you can create a culture of surprise and delight within your business. These unexpected moments of joy will leave a lasting impression on your customers, transforming them into loyal brand advocates who rave about your business to their friends and family.
Remember, the most impactful gestures are often the simplest ones, delivered with genuine care and attention to detail.
Leveraging the Power of User-Generated Content
Customer testimonials and reviews are powerful tools for influencing purchasing decisions. User-generated content (UGC) – photos, videos, and stories created by your customers – is a goldmine for building trust, authenticity, and brand loyalty. Here's how to tap into this powerful resource.
Create Compelling Campaigns
Hashtag Contests
Launch social media contests centred around a specific hashtag. Encourage customers to share photos or videos using your product/service creatively. A clothing company could run a contest for the "best summer outfit" using their hashtag.
Product Reviews & Testimonials
Incentivise customers to leave reviews on your website, social media pages, or third-party review platforms. Offer discounts or loyalty points for detailed and helpful reviews.
Customer Story Spotlights
Feature customer stories and experiences on your website or social media. This could be in the form of blog posts, video interviews, or customer testimonials.
User-Generated Galleries
Create dedicated galleries on your website or social media showcasing UGC. This could be a gallery of the best contest entries, customer creations using your product, or customer testimonials in video format.
Inspiring Examples
GoPro
GoPro is famous for leveraging user-generated action videos to showcase the capabilities of their cameras. They have a thriving community that shares their adventures using the #GoPro hashtag.
Airbnb
Airbnb features user-generated photos and reviews prominently on their website. This allows potential travellers to see real homes and experiences through the eyes of guests.
Dollar Shave Club
Dollar Shave Club utilised humorous customer testimonials in their early marketing campaigns, creating a buzz and building brand recognition through UGC.
Fenty Beauty
Fenty Beauty encourages customers to share makeup looks featuring their products on social media. This showcases the versatility of their products and builds a diverse community of brand advocates.
When you can harness the power of user-generated content to build trust, authenticity, and a loyal community around your brand, you encourage participation, and showcase the value you place on your customer experiences.
Building Trust, Transparency & Authenticity in a World of Hype
Consumers crave genuine connections with brands. Transparency and authenticity are crucial in today's marketing landscape. They see through inauthenticity and respond positively to transparency and a human touch. Transparency and authenticity are now essential ingredients for building trust and attracting loyal customers. Here's how you can weave these elements into your marketing strategy.
Transparency in Action
Be Upfront About Pricing and Policies
Clearly outline your pricing structure, fees, and return policies. Avoid hidden costs or surprise charges. A subscription box service could showcase all potential variations in pricing based on subscription length or product tiers.
Own Your Mistakes
Nobody's perfect. If you make a mistake, acknowledge it promptly, apologise sincerely, and offer a clear solution to rectify the situation. A clothing retailer might publicly address a quality control issue with a specific clothing line and outline their steps to ensure it doesn't happen again.
Transparency in Sourcing & Manufacturing
If you can, share details about your sourcing practices and manufacturing processes. This allows customers to understand your commitment to ethical labour practices and quality materials. A clothing brand could highlight its use of organic cotton or fair-trade practices in its supply chain.
Humanise Your Brand Voice
Infuse your marketing materials with a human touch. Avoid overly formal or generic language. A B2B software company could create blog posts written by their engineers or customer service representatives, showcasing the expertise and personalities behind the product.
Examples in Action
Patagonia
The outdoor apparel company is known for its commitment to environmental activism and social responsibility. They integrate these values into their marketing materials and actively support environmental causes, building trust with customers who share their values.
Dove
The beauty brand has built a successful campaign around body positivity and self-esteem. Their marketing materials feature real women of all shapes and sizes, promoting a message of inclusivity and authenticity that resonates with their audience.
Ben & Jerry's
The ice cream company is known for its quirky sense of humour and social activism. They use their platform to advocate for social justice issues and engage with heir audience in a playful and authentic way.
Warby Parker
The online glasses retailer showcases the human side of their business by featuring customer stories and highlighting their commitment to affordable eyecare.
By embracing transparency, showcasing your authentic brand voice, and fostering genuine connections with your customers, you can build trust and stand out in a world saturated with hype. At the end of the day, people connect with brands that feel human, relatable, and committed to their values. So, let your brand's true colours shine through and watch your customer base flourish.
Thinking Outside the Box - Experimentation is Key
The most successful marketing campaigns often defy expectations. They surprise audiences, break through the noise, and leave a lasting impression. But how do you achieve such groundbreaking results? The answer lies in experimentation.
Embrace Calculated Risks
Start Small, Scale Up
Test new ideas on a smaller scale before committing full resources. This allows you to analyse results and refine your approach before a larger rollout. A restaurant chain could introduce a new menu item at a single location before offering it nationwide.
A/B Testing
Split your audience and test two variations of your marketing message, landing page design, or email subject line. Analyse data to see which version performs better and optimise your campaigns for maximum impact. An e-commerce store could A/B test two different product images on their website to see which one drives more clicks.
Embrace New Technologies
Stay up-to-date on emerging marketing technologies like augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), or interactive chatbots. Explore how these technologies can enhance your marketing efforts and create unique customer experiences. A furniture company could develop an AR app that allows users to virtually place furniture in their homes before purchasing.
Learn from Every Experiment - Success and Failure
Develop a Culture of Feedback
Encourage team members to share ideas and openly discuss successes and failures. This fosters creativity and allows you to learn from every experiment. Hold regular brainstorming sessions where team members can present new marketing concepts and receive constructive feedback.
Track and Analyse Results
Set clear goals for your experiments and track relevant metrics. Analyse the data to identify what worked, what didn't, and why. Use marketing analytics tools to track website traffic, conversion rates, and engagement metrics after implementing a new campaign.
Fail Fast, Adapt, and Iterate
Don't be afraid of failure. View it as a learning opportunity and an opportunity to refine your approach. Adapt your strategy based on your findings and continue iterating until you achieve optimal results. If a new social media strategy doesn't yield the desired results, analyse the data to understand why and adjust your content or audience targeting for future campaigns.
Examples of Successful Experimentation
Netflix
The streaming giant is renowned for its A/B testing practices, from optimising video thumbnails to personalising recommendations. This continuous experimentation allows them to personalise the user experience and keep viewers engaged.
Slack
The communication platform embraced a lighthearted and humorous marketing approach on social media, which resonated with their target audience and helped establish brand recognition.
Warby Parker
This online eyewear company disrupted the traditional retail model by offering affordable eyeglasses online with a try-before-you-buy option. Their innovative approach challenged industry norms and revolutionised the eyewear market.
Spotify's Personalised Playlists
Spotify's personalised playlists like "Discover Weekly" and "Release Radar" utilise data and algorithms to deliver highly relevant music recommendations, keeping users engaged and coming back for more.
Red Bull
Red Bull is known for its outlandish and often unconventional marketing stunts. From sponsoring extreme sports events to creating a stratospheric jump, they push boundaries and generate massive buzz.
Fostering a culture of experimentation can unlock the potential of unconventional ideas and create marketing campaigns that break through the noise and achieve remarkable results. The most innovative companies are those willing to push boundaries and explore the uncharted territories of marketing. So, don't be afraid to experiment, and have fun with it!
Unleashing the Power of Creative Customer Acquisition
By incorporating these creative strategies into your marketing mix, you can break free from the monotony of run-of-the-mill marketing tactics. Surprise and delight your audience, establish yourself as a trusted authority, and leverage the power of user-generated content to build a community of loyal brand advocates. Be sure that customer acquisition is an ongoing process. Experiment, refine your approach based on data and customer feedback, and never stop striving to provide exceptional value to your target audience.
Let's Partner to Fuel Your Customer Acquisition
At Adavanti, we specialise in helping businesses craft and execute winning marketing strategies tailored to their unique needs and goals. We're a team of talented marketing experts who believe in the power of creativity and unconventional thinking.
Book a Free Consultation Call Today!
Let's discuss your specific challenges and explore how we can help you develop a customer acquisition strategy that fuels your business growth. We're confident that together, we can unlock the potential of your brand and attract a wave of new customers who are not only interested in what you offer, but who are also raving fans.
