The StartUp Blog at PartnerUp

There are several factors that make a business successful. But which is most important is still up for debate. Some say it’s profit. Others think it’s longevity. Few even think it’s just being able to tell your friends and family that you’re the boss, but that’s lame. If you ask me, I think it’s people—customers that is.

Customers are the foundation, without them you have no where to go but down. They are the reason businesses don’t go under and the reason they start in the first place. It’s easy to see why we need them. What’s not so easy is getting them. To gain new customers small business owners have to consider fresher ways of reaching potential customers. Online networking and blogging are innovative ways to garner new business. But small business owners also shouldn’t abandon the time-tested classics, like direct mail or public relations. The following seven tools are a blend of the old and the new, and if applied to your small business marketing efforts, should help in building your customer base.

1. Online Networking

Making connections with other small business owners is a great way to build your customer base. One efficient way to make those connections is through online social networking sites. PartnerUp’s “Ask a Question” feature and the PartnerUp forums are just two examples of how online networking can help you initiate relationships with other entrepreneurs and business owners. If you’ve built a strong relationship and have introduced your products and services, these new connections are likely to seek you out when they need you.

2. Blogging

Everybody’s doing it. Or at least they should be. Blogging is one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways for small businesses to get their names out there. Blogging software is also easy to use. Small business owners don’t have the time to learn HTML or the money to hire a Web developer, so blogging is a more efficient way for them to create a Web presence. By sharing your knowledge of a given subject matter and providing helpful tips and useful content on your blog, you’re going to quickly attract the interest of potential customers.

3. Utilizing your Web site

A great way to gain new customers is to use your Web site to sell your products or services. It sounds like common sense, but many businesses don’t. And those that do don’t always do it effectively. Make sure that your Web site is easy for customers to understand, search for and purchase products and services on. It must be user-friendly and have a clean and easy-to-read layout. If it does, you can watch your sales grow. If it doesn’t, you may as well provide customers with a link to your competitor’s Web sites.

4. Advertising Online

Online advertising provides you with targeting options that are unsurpassed by any other form of advertising. Because you can target your ads by demographics, geographic locations or keywords, your ads are more likely to reach the people who are most likely to be interested in your product or service. Online advertising is also more affordable and easy to track. It’s flat out cheaper to post ads on the Web than in print form. You also get to track which ads are actually bringing in new customers.

5. Public Relations

Don’t ever underestimate the power of positive buzz. If you can find a way to get people talking about you, positively that is, you’re well on your way to garnering new customers. And public relations is the way to do it. Sometimes financial constraints can make it difficult for small businesses to actively pursue the media. So if you can afford to work with a public relations firm, do it. But if you’re like most small business owners who can’t, then you need to find a way to do some of the work yourself. At the very least, reach out to journalists and explain who you are and what you do. If something new and exciting happens, don’t be afraid to write up a brief press release and send it their way. Be sure that the information you’re giving them is newsworthy, though. If you let them know every time you reach some new goal, you’ll most likely be blacklisted.

6. Direct Mailing

Direct mail is a classic form of marketing, and may I just say, a classic never dies. When Internet marketing came, however, many people turned their backs on direct mail as an outdated way of reaching out to new customers. But seasoned veterans in the marketing industry still hail it as an effective medium, as long as it’s done right. Before sending out your mailings, make sure you have a good list, one that is likely to include many potential customers. You’ll also want to prompt your mail recipients to take action by giving them offers that are hard to refuse or telling them what’s in it for them, not just listing off your features.

7. Buying Sales Leads

Purchasing lists of sales leads is a great way to make sure that you’re effectively targeting your marketing efforts. With your list in hand, you can now prime your potential customers with a piece of direct mail. Once you’ve done that, follow up with some cold calling. Though cold calling is not the most glamorous tool for growing your customer base, it is certainly an inexpensive way to reach out to would-be customers. After you’ve cold called your list, send out another piece of direct mail. This allows you to remain engaged with the customer, while not feeling intrusive about calling them again.

Individually, each of these tools is a great way to acquire customers. But good marketing shouldn’t be a one-and-done operation. Integrate them into a larger campaign. The more attempts you make to reach out to potential customers, the better. But remember, these are just the tools that are going to draw customers to you. It’s up to you to earn their business.