As someone who runs a consulting business, you know that you need clients to keep your business running. However, getting clients is never as straightforward as it seems, especially if you’re new to the business or don’t have enough experience.
Since there is so much competition on the market and everyone is fighting to prove that their services are superior, it’s easy to get lost in the mix if your marketing efforts aren’t extraordinary. To that end, it can be difficult to figure out exactly what marketing efforts will prove to be the most fruitful.
But don’t worry, there’s a way for you to make a splash in the consulting world, land clients, and do all of it with ease and precision. In the blog post, we’ve compiled a number of tried and tested strategies that show you exactly how to do it. Let’s take a look!
1. Decide On Your Online Target Audience
Marketing is all about reaching the right people. If you’re focusing your promotional efforts on individuals and groups who have no interest in your services, you’re never going to get any luck no matter how good your efforts are.
So, before you dive into any of the other strategies, think about who your target audience is and where it is located. Here are a few questions to answer to figure it out:
- What age bracket is your audience in?
- Where are they located geographically?
- What types of businesses do these people own?
- What typical problems do they face?
- What social media platform are they most frequently available on?
Once you’ve answered these questions, you’ll have a much better idea of how to market your consulting services. Note down your answers and create an ideal customer profile, then make your marketing plan with that ideal customer in mind.
2. Get Client Testimonials
The best way to get potential clients to see you as a reliable and trustworthy business is to have your existing clients vouch for you. These are people who have worked with you and know what you’re like, so naturally, they can speak to your abilities as a consultant. Moreover, people are more likely to trust the word of a client over yours.
So, after a client has worked with you, ask them to send in a testimonial if they liked your services. You can even offer them an incentive for leaving a review (whether positive or negative), such as a free consultation or a discount the next time they come to you.
You can streamline this process by sending a thank you email once your business is complete, and adding a Google form to it that people can fill. Also, ask them to provide their picture.
Then, add the photo and testimonial on a social media or website graphic and post it online. Make sure the graphic has your brand colors. You can check out PosterMyWall’s Instagram post templates to find a graphic you like. Simply customize it, add your details, and post it directly to social media.
3. Offer A Free Consultation
People love free stuff, so this is a great way to build intrigue about your services and encourage people to give you a shot. It’s also a good way to get clients who may be on the fence about signing up with you.
Advertise your free consultation as often as possible. The more you can get the word out about it, the more people are likely to sign up. Two platforms to keep in mind for this are LinkedIn and Instagram. LinkedIn has a lot of professional networks that you can promote a free consultation in, while Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms in the world and therefore will have a huge chunk of your target audience.
If you want to create enticing graphics to promote your free consultation, check out PosterMyWall’s poster maker, which allows you to create a stunning digital poster in minutes.
4. Start A Blog
An online blog will help you establish yourself as a leader in your industry. It will be an opportunity for you to share your opinions, give tips, and advertise your services. You’re more likely to get exposure through a dedicated consultancy blog because you’ll be providing valuable content to your audience.
You can start writing think pieces and advice articles online, or get one of your colleagues or employees to do the same. Use sites like WordPress to build your blog easily. Do your research and figure out what people want to hear, and make sure to focus on SEO optimization so that your posts show up in Google search results.
Final Thoughts
Getting clients should be your main goal when you start a consultancy business. And the best way to get more clients is to promote your services online. Once you’ve narrowed down your audience, focus all your energy on aggressively marketing to that audience. Once you’ve figured out a marketing plan that works, stick with it and you’ll see your clientbase skyrocket in no time.
