Whether you’ve owned a business for a week or for 20 years, the bottom line remains the same: you need clients to grow and you need to grow in order to survive. The internet and its vast reach has opened the door to getting your brand out there easier than ever before.

I would like to go ahead and make seven recommendations to grow your business. All seven suggestions are actions you can start implementing as soon as you finish reading this. Without further ado, onto the list.

1. Advertise Online

Effective advertisements are no longer exclusive to companies with deep pockets. Thanks to search engines and social media, advertising has never been easier or less expensive. Search engines like Google can take some getting used to when it comes to keywords searches and capitalizing on your exposure. However, social media platforms like Facebook are fairly straight forward and a good place to start.

If search engines seem a bit daunting, don’t feel discouraged. There are several tools that can help you, both free and paid. For free keyword help I would turn to SEO Book and if you can afford paid assitance, then I would recommend Moz and their tools.

Of course, if you don’t have time for going from one tool to the next over the course of a day, there are alternatives. You can find a platform that centralizes ads for social media and search engines in one place. It all depends on your budget and the priorities set in place for your business. 

2. Zero In On Your Ideal Consumer

Almost any online medium you are using for sponsored ads will give you the chance to target your audience. This is very effective and useful, especially for small business owners. With limited funds you can make sure that your ads will be finding people, not only in the right location, but also in the right state of mind and tax bracket.

For instance, if you are running a sporting goods store you would likely want to target your audience based on the appropriate age and their interest. For example, you would target teenagers and then select interests such as hockey, football, high school athletics, swimming etc. The more interests you can put down that apply to your target audience, the higher your return will be on each penny you spend on online advertising.

3. Current for Currency

In a world where things are developing faster and faster at near breakneck speed, it is imperative for any small business owner to stay current. This means making a conscious effort to stay in touch with the latest fads and trends. An example that is happening right now would be Pokemon Go, the augmented reality game that has taken the world by storm.

A game played on the phone, typically outside, has gotten business owners offering promotions, setting lures (follow the link to find out what a lure is, I don’t want to waste your time explaining the game) and sending letters to Niantic to have their storefronts become integral parts of the game.

You might want to check out another game that’s just around the corner and is bound to generate a buzz, ultimately resulting in profit for those who get on board early.

4. Make Friends Who Are Like You

This one is a less technical piece of advice and more of a general type of advice for generating referrals quickly and efficiently. Making friends with other entrepreneurs and businesses in your area is a rather simple and natural practice. 

Also commonly known as networking, we recommend a genuine and simple approach to the initiative, and know from experience that if you are kind to those around you, they are likely to return the favor. You never know which businessman will be your biggest client in the future, or whether the person you speak to from the shop across the road will introduce you to a big shot investor. Life works in mysterious ways, so always be the best version of yourself and be open to it!

Furthermore, if you haven’t already, take the time to get to know the entrepreneurs in your area that offer complementary services and products for promotional purposes. If you sell pizza, find a business near you that sells ice-cream. If you are a plumber, get to know an electrician near you. You can then run cross-promotions, such as: “For every 2 pies of pizza, get a voucher for a free ice cream cone at Leo’s Gelateria”. The possibilities are endless. This is especially effective for online presence, as you will be able to help direct your current clients to your friends and vice-versa, creating awareness for each other.

5. Become a Wealth Of Information

What do Quora, forums, Reddit and social media have in common? These are all places where people (including a portion of your consumer base) congregate online to share information and ask questions. There is certainly not a more surefire way to turn someone onto your services than by having already helped that person with your expertise.

If you are a contractor and you see someone asks about quick ways to repair a fence, then by all means, answer them! You are already (hopefully) more knowledgeable and experienced, so go ahead and put it to good use. Give some free advice here and there, letting them know where to find you for bigger projects, and find you they will.

Try to go on forums where you will find your potential consumers 2 to 3 times a week.

6. Get Active on Facebook  

Building on the last point, get into Facebook groups. They are a wealth of two way information. In Facebook groups that pertain to your market, you will usually find questions that need answering, reviews of your competitors, moods of your consumer, their interests and things that could make their experience better when buying your product or using your service.

Two rules to keep in mind when participating in Facebook groups: A) Be nice and polite. Always. No matter what. B) Answer when you think you have useful knowledge, but don’t be a lurker. Try to contribute as best you can. If you find you're not able to contribute to the Facebook group then you might just be in the wrong group.

7. Social Media Omnipresence

You don’t have to be on every social media platform out there, but whichever ones you choose to be on, you have to have an active presence on all of them at all times. Before you embark on the social media journey, identify which social media platforms best suit your needs. Instagram for instance, has amazing exposure for fashion, fitness, design and almost anything with emphasizing aesthetic appeal. Whereas accountants might not find Instagram as rewarding, LinkedIn can be of monumental assistance.

Also don’t forget that there are some crucial mistakes to be avoided when developing a social media presence.

Once you have your 3 or 4 social media platforms picked out, be sure to be active on all of them. Again, this task might seem daunting but there are solutions out there that centralize all of your social media management into one dashboard.

There you have it. Seven ways to gain more clients starting today. Get out there and start getting some clients, let me know how it works for you.

Good luck!