It’s a fact – marketing to your existing clients is cheaper than trying to reach out to new ones.
I’ve heard it said several times over the last few months at business events and it’s something I always include to clients when I’m working on their marketing strategy with them.
How often do you contact your existing clients?
I meet plenty of new clients who aren’t engaging with their existing clients and I always recommend they start, because it’s one of the cheapest and most effective ways to market your business – they already know about you and your products/services.
They might tell their friends and family about you too if they’re reminded of you every now and then – especially if there’s a little something in it for them.
It’s best to speak to your clients regularly – not leave it months and then you suddenly pop up in their inbox or through their letter box!
Most of your competitors won’t be doing it, so you’ll stand out from the crowd – and might even take some of their business!
If your company has many products / services, it may be that your existing client base only knows about the one they bought from you. They might not know what else you do that might interest them and people would usually rather buy something from somewhere trusted than find a new supplier.
A regular email can be a great place to start. It can:
Remind them of you
Tell them again about the product/service they bought from you – they might need it again
Let them know about all of your products/services – they might not know you have more for them!
Encourage them to let their friends/family know – word of mouth is very powerful
Allow you to reward people who bring you new clients (discount / freebie)
Help you get ahead of sales – let them know about your Christmas/Valentine’s/Mother’s Day offers nice and early.
You can also ask them for feedback – you may find out something important to enable you to improve for your existing and future customers.
Popping something in the post can also pack a big punch – because let’s face it, we don’t get much in the post any more do we?!
If you’ve got a small client base, get in touch by phone – make it personal. If you’ve got a larger one, send something out but make it as personal as you can.
Get in touch if I can help at all with your marketing strategy or you need some fresh ideas.
