Tag: Facebook Groups

15 Effective Ways to Get More Clients (And Keep Them Coming)

 Running your own business can be stressful, but actually getting clients to keep your business afloat? That can be one of the most difficult and anxiety-inducing struggles for a business owner. In today’s post, I’m sharing 15 in-depth strategies that will — hands down — help you get more clients for your service-based business. Want to be booked months in advance? Here are my favorite ways to do it:

1. ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE IN FACEBOOK GROUPS.

A lot of people have been throwing around the idea that “Facebook for business is dead.” Since Facebook pages now have a very small organic reach (like, 3% — yikes!), it’s easy to assume that the whole platform is useless. Facebook pages may be going through that angsty teenager phase, but as a whole? Facebook can be a killer way to find clients and build your business.

Here’s how: Join Facebook groups where your ideal client might be hangin’ out. For example, if you’re a graphic designer, you might want to join groups geared at bloggers or small business owners, as these are people who would need your services. Then, rather than being spammy or self-promoting, be outrageously helpful when people ask questions in the group. That is literally all there is to it! The other group members will take note of your expertise and will check out your profile (which should hopefully be linked to your business’s Facebook page and website). 

2. CREATE BLOG CONTENT THAT IS WRITTEN WITH YOUR IDEAL CLIENT IN MIND.

One of the best, non-Spammy ways to get clients is to write blog posts that your ideal clients would want to read. Are you a personal stylist? Share tips with the most flattering styles for each body type. Are you a copywriter? Write a post about how to create an awesome “About” page. Are you a web designer? Share advice about how to use WordPress. This will not only reel them in to your site, but will also give you a chance to show the immense knowledge you have in your field.

It’s like selling without selling! You get to show off your skills without forcing anything on your readers. Ideally, you should have a link or graphic somewhere on your blog, directing people to your services page.

3. PERFECT YOUR CURRENT CLIENT PROCESS TO RECEIVE MORE REFERRALS.

Take a moment and literally map out (on paper) what your client process will look like. Try to be very specific and streamline your process so that everything flows. Perfecting your process and making everything as smooth as possible for your clients will increase the chances that your clients will refer their friends or peers to you. If they loved working with you, they’ll be quick to share your expertise with everyone they know.

Here’s an example of a client workflow:

Initial emails >> Phone consult (sometimes) >> Contract >> Deposit Invoice >> Questionnaire >> Proofs (Rounds 1, 2, 3) >> Final Invoice >> Installation >> Phone call instructions (if needed) >> Thank you email

It may also help to share this process with your clients to keep them in the loop. The less confused and frazzled your clients feel, the more likely they are to recommend you. Another tip – this process can be automated with nifty web apps like Infusionsoft.

4. ANSWER QUESTIONS ON TWITTER.

Many people take to Twitter looking for advice and recommendations from their peers. In this tip, you’ll be searching for those people and helping them out.

Try searching for things like:

#(keyword)help

Hiring a (keyword)

(keyword) recommendations

It’s very simple, but can be an incredibly effective way to find people who need what you’re selling right now. If they’re asking a question? Answer it! If they’re looking for someone to hire? Be sincere, let them know you can help, and give them a link to your portfolio. Easy peasy, friends!

5. WORK WITH CLIENTS WHO HAVE A LARGE, ENGAGED AUDIENCE.

Instead of waiting for a big-name client, why not approach one yourself? To seal the deal, you could offer your services at a steep discount or even for free. Many people with large followings may be eager to receive free or discounted services in exchange for social media promotion or your link on their blog. It doesn’t hurt to try and can have a huge impact on your business if you approach the right person. Just make sure that if you take this route, you’re getting enough out of the collaboration.

6. BUILD AN ACTIVE SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE. 

Social media builds trust and expands your reach. In my experience, I’ve received many clients by sharing my design work on Pinterest and Instagram. They key here is to also be a normal human being — not a salesperson. Sprinkle your business into your usual posts, sharing behind the scenes snippets whenever you can. Your clients want to do business with real people and providing your life, coupled with your business, will grow a special kind of trust that will encourage them to work with you.

Plus, social media also builds hype and excitement, especially when you include other people. For example, if you’re sharing a photo from a recent wedding you shot, then tag the couple and talk about the experience of shooting their wedding. This primes your followers and gets them thinking, “I want her to shoot MY wedding, too!”

7. FOLLOW UP WITH POTENTIAL CLIENTS THAT NEVER PURCHASED.

You probably have some emails from clients who initially inquired about your services and then never emailed you back. Follow up with them and shoot them an email. Try something like:

Hey (name)!

I just wanted to check in with you to see if you were able to check out my packages or had any questions. I’d be happy to help. Would you like to set up a quick phone call some time this week? Thanks so much (name)! Have a great day.

If you’re feeling bold and really want to improve your business, you may even want to email the people who never followed through and ask them why they decided not to purchase from you. This is vulnerable and revealing, but can be one of the most useful and effective things you do to improve your business. Try something like:

Hey (name),

Thank you so much for considering my services recently. Even though we weren’t able to work together, I’m glad we were able to connect! As a new business owner, I’m eager to find ways that I can improve my business and enhance the experience for my future clients. If you’re up for it, I’d love to hear why you decided not to book my services. I know this might be an odd question, but I really do appreciate any feedback you can share. 🙂

8. FOLLOW UP WITH PAST CLIENTS TO SEE IF THEY NEED ANY ADDITIONAL HELP.

Do you ever follow up with your past clients to see if they need any extra assistance? Do it! Just shoot them an email to see how things are going and ask if they need any extra help. Oftentimes, they will, but will need that nudge to move you to the top of their to-do list.

Similarly, you might have recently discovered something that you think will surely help your clients. Perhaps it’s a new favorite plugin or an e-book you just wrote that you know they’d love. Send your past client an email letting them know about it. It won’t feel salesy if it’s genuine and they can tell that you’re just looking out for them.

9. TRY FACEBOOK ADS.

Facebook ads can be a very effective way to reach your target audience and clients for a small amount of money compared to other forms of advertising. Facebook also allows you to create sophisticated audiences to show your ad to. This means that you get to pick everything from their location and gender to which pages they “like” on Facebook and what their interests are. With the right ad, it can be a very effective way to generate new, potential clients. In fact, Facebook ads have been an absolute gamechanger for my business.

10. BUILD YOUR EMAIL LIST AND STAY IN TOUCH WITH YOUR SUBSCRIBERS. 

Building an email list is one of the best things you can do for your business. I’ll save you the spiel since I wrote all about why they’re awesome right here, but if you’re a business owner, I highly recommend creating an email list. Growing a list allows you to stay in touch with your subscribers in a way that nothing else can. Not everyone will check your social media account or website everyday, but it’s very likely they will check their email, meaning you can “talk” to your potential clients and subscribers just about any time you’d like. This is great for sharing limited-time offerings and promoting your business.

Your email list and newsletter is also a great way to keep your business in the forefront of people’s minds. If you pop up in their inbox each week with helpful tips and advice, they’ll remember you the next time they need to hire someone who does what you do.

11. GUEST BLOG ON OTHER SITES. 

Guest blogging allows you to share your expertise with someone else’s audience, which will hopefully bring more visitors to your site and interested in your services. Find a blogger with an audience that would be interested in your services and send them an email to see if they’d allow you to guest post.

By the way, you don’t need to treat your guest post like an ad. Just be authentic, overly helpful, and write with your ideal audience in mind. Your post should link back to your site and, ideally, will include an author bio that mentions your services. I am a believer in the idea that if someone likes what you have to say, they’ll hire you. You don’t need to overly sell yourself. A gentle nudge will do. 🙂

12. ADD ETSY LISTINGS FOR YOUR SERVICES. 

When I worked as a designer back in the day, I listed my services on Etsy, which is also what I used to invoice my clients. Now, I use and prefer invoicing software like Freshbooks, but if you’re just getting started in a service-based business, Etsy can be a great way to attract new clients. Etsy is a huge online marketplace full of potential clients who might be searching for your services. Talk about free marketing!

13. PUMP UP YOUR SEO. 

It surprises me to this day that many of my past clients found me through Google. I mean, there are plenty of designers in the world — how did Google lead them to me?! You might think that it would be difficult to get clients from search engines for the same reason I did, but if you work hard on your Search Engine Optimization (SEO), then it’s definitely possible! Decide on a few keywords that describe your business (get specific),  and pump up that SEO. It has incredible potential to bring you a steady stream of clients who are ready to hire you.

14. FOCUS YOUR BUSINESS ON A SPECIFIC AUDIENCE. 

It’s hard to grow anything when you’re marketing yourself at the entire world. You’ll grow your business faster and be able to charge more for your services if you specialize in a certain area or niche. For example, if you’re a graphic designer, perhaps you are THEE graphic designer for handmade businesses. Or if you’re an attorney, you could market yourself as THEE attorney for creative entrepreneurs.

Focusing on a specific audience builds trust. When people see that you specialize in THEM, then they’re more likely to trust that you know what you’re doing and will understand their needs.

15. HOST A WEBINAR.

Lastly, webinars can be an incredible way to grab new clients. A webinar is a live, streaming video “workshop” where you either teach or share advice about something (related to your business or product) and can do a Q+A with the attendees. Webinars tend to have comparatively high conversion rates because they give you the chance to connect with your audience, answer their questions, and share your immense knowledge on a particular subject.

I am so, so confident that if you choose even just three of these strategies, you will get more clients in a matter of days or weeks. Instead of trying to tackle everything on this list at once, try picking 3-5 that especially resonate with you and your business and try them out. You can always come back to the others in the future. I hope this helped!

5 Unexpected Ways to Get Clients

 When you’re first starting out in your business, it can feel like there are a million roadblocks in front of you, especially the biggie: getting clients who pay. How do you land that first (or second, or third) client?

Before we delve into some surprising ways you can snag new clients, make sure you’re crystal-clear about who exactly you want to work with. How do you find them? Where do they hang out? If you want to use your time and efforts productively (and I know you do!) you won’t want to be guessing on these things. 

Once you can answer those questions, it’s time to take action and start finding clients for your business.

1. Reach out to family, friends, former work contacts, and everyone else in your personal network.

I know, I know — it’s cliche but true. Friends and family are an oft-overlooked source of new business, so don’t ignore this gold mine! Hop on social media, craft a personal email, or set up a few coffee dates with friends and acquaintances. 

Go into these coffee dates with a strategy. First, let them know about the business you’ve created and the types of services you offer. Then, ask them directly if they know anyone who could benefit from working with you.This is the key though: you MUST know exactly who you serve. If you’ve tried this method of finding clients before and it didn’t work, you may not have been as clear as you could have been on who you want to work with.

Here’s an example. Rather than telling someone, “I plan weddings,” be waymore specific, because otherwise, how will you stand apart from every other wedding planner they know? Instead, “I plan weddings for active military couples,” is much more specific and memorable. The person you’re talking to will remember and refer couples your way.

Don’t just tell others in your space — tell your friends and family, too! They can be some of your biggest supporters and offer a foot in the door to new opportunities. They genuinely want to see you succeed. They’ll appreciate knowing that they’ve had an impact on the growth of your newbie business… so let them into your inner circle!

2. Ask your current clients for a referral.

Got clients already? Perfect! Even if they’re not paying clients, ask them if they know of anyone else in their industry who might be looking for your services. Social psychology research has shown that one of the best ways to enhance someone’s positive feelings toward you is to ask them for a favor.

There’s just something about the act of helping you that makes them feel deeply invested in your future. Your very best clients love working with you and will go the extra mile — you just need to ask.

3. Book a speaking engagement.

Speaking is a fantastic way to get visible and position yourself as an expert and authority in your field. Take a look at local events happening in your area and find ways to insert yourself. And if you can’t find an event that’s a good fit, host your own! There are small businesses willing to share their retail space with another small business owner, especially if it brings new traffic to their store.

Hosting your own event doesn’t have to be intimidating. It can be a small, casual gathering or a more formal affair. Choose a topic that you’re familiar with and that will help your audience (i.e., potential future clients!) and get yourself out there. Nothing says “expert” quite like hosting your own workshop or presentation — and it’s an effective way to seriously elevate your brand.

Make sure you let people know how to contact you once the workshop is over and watch those leads roll in. 

4. Provide plenty of value to your potential future clients.

Social media, especially Facebook groups, is a great way to connect to people searching for services, even if they aren’t ready to pull the trigger on hiring help. The best part is that you’re able to instantly check in on what’s being discussed and the exact problems your audience is facing.

If someone submits a question in a Facebook group, comments on a blog, or starts a discussion on Instagram, help that person out and answer their question. That’s providing value to someone who’s not officially your customer yet! Bonus: you also build trust and credibility with your audience.

Taking the “give, give, get” approach is a good business (and life) habit that will cement your reputation as a valuable contributor. Even if the original poster isn’t ready for your services, someone else may be interested in that same topic later and stumble upon the conversation months down the line. Don’t you want your response to be the most helpful one in the replies, so they come to you for more? 

Hot tip: Do a keyword search within the Facebook group to find questions you can answer. If you’re a graphic designer, for example, search that keyword within the group and you’ll find all the members posting their questions about graphic design. Jump in and answer the original poster’s questions and be helpful (not salesy!). Eventually, members will start to see you as an authority in your field and as a go-to person for the service you’re providing. 

5. Cultivate relationships with other service providers in your field.

Forming relationships with business owners who offer similar or adjacent services is a great way to create a sense of community where you can bounce ideas off of each other, share stories and tips, and ask for general advice.

“But wait, aren’t these people my competition?”

You might be surprised at how much these connections will benefit both of you! There are times when we’re overbooked, and other times when some potential clients just aren’t a great fit. We’re able to refer these leads to our competition, and these leads nearly always remember that gesture of kindness. Our competition turns into collaborators, and the lead turns into a referral source, even though they didn’t end up working with us. It’s a win-win!

Know who you want to work with and start searching

Once you narrow down who you serve with your business, you can start searching for potential clients. And sometimes, the simplest ways of reaching out for new clients are the most effective!

Take advantage of your personal network and any current clients you’ve worked with. Put yourself out there on social media and in other opportunities like speaking engagements. Most importantly, add value wherever you go so you’ll be remembered for the right reasons. Before you know it, you’ll be raising your prices due to demand!