A business needs a lot of things, but most importantly, it needs customers. If you’ve got no one to sell to or no one’s lives to improve, then you don’t have a viable business. But knowing how to find customers can be tricky, especially if you’ve never done it before. Doing keyword research and understanding your target demographic before you begin marketing is an important part of the process. Once you know where they are and how to speak to them, finding customers becomes a painless process.
Know who your product is for.
Your product could be for anyone, but marketing to everyone might not get you to anyone. You will need to understand the specific target demographic you think will be interested in your product or service. Something like “men between 18 and 25” is a good place to start, but you’ll need more to go on. What about that particular age group makes you think they’re likely to become customers? What do they have in common? Focus on what unites them.
What usefulness or information gap can you fill?
Before you’re even open business you’re likely to already have competitors. So who are they? What are their offerings? Who are they catering to—and not catering to? This information is your in! Do what your competitors are not doing. Figure out what makes your product different from theirs; your value comes from that difference.
Figure out how to get customers to be regulars.
You want a person to buy and enjoy your product, but it’s obviously better if they do it more than once. So how do you make sure that customers become repeat buyers? Think about what your audience wants. Encourage browsing with events, giveaways, or coupons. Offer a buy-one-get-one-free card with every donut you sell. Everything you do should encourage customers to come on back.
Because this process can often be complicated, Entrepreneur breaks it down further by listing questions a new business should ask as they set out on their journey to find new customers: What is the most efficient way to find real customers? How can I make a basic product attractive enough that customers will agree to try it? How can I deliver the best product and experience to customers?
Asking yourself these questions is a great way to get started asking yourself the harder questions and tackling the future challenges that await you.
