What is at the core of every successful business? Sure, the right team and equipment are important. BUT, what does it all mean without having customers to prove that what you have is in fact the right combination?
In case you haven’t already figured out, the centre of everything and key to success is your customers. They are the ones investing in your business and helping you grow. Without them , you wouldn’t be able to generate revenue or pay your staff.
Finding Customers
Now, finding the people willing to invest in your brand may be fairly straight forward. For example, if you sell yoga pants, you will target gyms and other sporting related institutions. These rather obvious sources are often already on your database, and while you need to continue interacting with them, you need to find ways of reaching new people to expand your database.
So, continuing with our yoga pants example, you would need to widen your metaphorical net and think about other people that may wear yoga pants. Perhaps stay at home moms are avid hikers. Once you have identified this, you will need to set out to reach them wherever this may be. This is an ongoing process that seeks to take this re-evaluation exercise a step further every time.
Our 5 Tips For Expanding Your Customer Database
Everything already mentioned should have those creative juices flowing in an attempt to find new ways of reaching new customers. To help you get started, here are our top tips for making it happen.
- Think big
This process involves looking at the bigger picture and not simple focusing on the obvious targets. We recommend using a mind map to plot out this process and help you to develop a plan of action.
- Don’t be afraid to ask
Market research exists for a reason, and if you are truly stumped, why not ask the world about it? Pose the question of who uses it and why to determine the next steps.
- It’s all about research
While you may know the old faithful target audience quite well, the odds are that the people you’re looking to target in your expanded net may not be as familiar. Do your research to find out what they respond to as well as what has already been done.
- Update your strategy
When it comes to marketing, your strategy should not be set in stone. Instead, it should be flexible and adaptable. If something isn’t working, change it. There’s no reason for your brand to suffer through a poorly performing campaign.
- Brand awareness is key
Above all, you need to continuously share your brand with the world. Share your story and shout your message – you never know who might see it.
Bonus tip: Real experiences are more relatable. In the age of influencers, customers are looking to hear the truth about the brand from a reliable source. Customer reviews , user generated content and influencer partnerships are all a great way to do this.
As you can see, our list is not a bunch of standalone points but rather a series of actions that can be used to expand your database and as a result your reach too.