Attracting your ideal client through digital marketing
By Karine Touloumjian.
“Digital marketing” is a term we use for marketing products and services using technologies. Digital marketing is a great way to expose your career service to a vast audience and convert leads into customers. You control your digital brand image and, therefore, you can market your brand successfully and attract your ideal clients.
Create a website for your service
Start by creating a website to represent your brand effectively. It is estimated that we only have around eight seconds to make a first impression with a new visitor; this first impression will make your client want to discover more about your brand or leave your website.
Your website should be resourceful, credible, welcoming, and user-friendly. Make it a reflection of who you are and what you do. Highlight your brand’s value and demonstrate what you can bring to the table. What are your strengths and what makes you successful in your career?
Use your company name as a domain name for your site, making it easy to find through search engines and through the social media channels you use (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter etc.). When visitors reach your site, ask them to like and share your page and to stay in touch with you!
Identify your ideal client
The best way to grow a business is to focus on attracting your ideal client. Your ideal clients are the individuals who need your services, understand their value, and are willing to pay for them. It is important that you go through the exercise of identifying who you are looking for as a customer. If your target audience is everyone, you will end up helping no one.
With your target audience in mind, identify those places where clients are likely to be found (online forums, mail, websites, associations, networking events, etc.) and then create messages to reach them. Reaching clients is simple, but quite effective: create and share content on the platforms where your target audience is likely to “hang out.”
Market effectively
According to Melinda Emerson, known as SmallBizLady, “Your marketing approach will be determined by your niche target customer.” Here are some marketing tools she suggests to reach your target customer.
- Develop a great website
- Content marketing / blogging
- Email marketing
- Pay per click ads
- Direct mail
- Vehicle wrap
- Flyers / billboards
Become a problem solver
Everyone makes purchases and chooses to spend their money on certain things. If your product or service has real value and is the answer to solving a problem, there is someone out there who will want to buy it. Your audience is looking for someone who understands their problem and can help them get out of it. Demonstrate your thorough knowledge and expertise to attract your followers. How can you help your audience? What results have your services provided? You need to communicate this to them and show that your services will solve their issue faster and cheaper than if they were to do it alone. By clearly stating this to your audience on your website and on social media, you will attract the clients searching for your expertise.
Create valuable content for your target audience
The content that you share with your online following is an effective tool to increase your online visibility and attract new clients. The valuable information you give demonstrates your expertise, and creates trust and a deeper connection with your reader. This relationship with your audience will make them think of you when they are in need of someone with your specific expertise. When you start to create content that connects with your audience it will, in time, convert into sales. Whichever way you chose to communicate with your audience (podcasts, newsletter, videos, blog, etc.), make it purposeful and engaging.
Don’t focus on selling
Focusing on selling drives clients away rather than attracting them, particularly on social media sites. People buy from those who they know, like, and trust. Provide value, interesting content, and additional information to your customers without them having to make a purchase. Serving your clients builds relationship and that is a long term approach. Be generous and open with your knowledge and this will generate loyal customers who promote your services to others and become your business’ advocates.
Here’s a quote that sums up this idea well: If you work just for the money, you’ll never make it, but if you love what you’re doing and you always put the customer first, success will always be yours.” Ray Kroc (founder of McDonald’s)