Marketing your business is a task that should never have an end date. You should always have a steady stream of prospects inquiring about your services, opting into your email list, or purchasing your products. When you stop having that steady flow, it’s time to re-evaluate your marketing efforts.
Your sales funnel is simply the path your prospects take from the first introduction to your products and services toward your highest price service, normally 1:1 coaching. The offers you make along this funnel path are completely up to you and they normally follow a gradual price increase.
Here are some ways to consistently attract clients into your funnel, no matter what time of year:
1. Be consistent with your marketing. Take advantage of real-life networking events and sponsorship opportunities. Post daily on social media. Interact with prospects on your page, your personal profile, or within common groups. Use scheduling options or third-party schedulers like SocialBee to post on holidays or while you’re on vacation. Consistency is what will gain you name recognition.
2. Keep your offers relevant and up to date. When was the last time you changed your opt-in freebie? When was the last time you created a new product? Keeping up to date with what your target audience needs and wants shows your dedication to helping them, which will gain you a loyal following. Even updating a current offer with new information goes a long way to earning loyalty.
3. Don’t be afraid to tell your audience what you offer. Don’t assume people know what you do. Your most loyal fans will know because they have followed you but even they may forget the title of your signature course unless you tell them. You have a “for-profit” business so don’t be afraid to sell. Not only on social media but with your email lists, too.
4. Consider running an introductory special or one-time coupon. Introductory specials work well for membership groups, such as a 7-day trial for $1, but use these offers sparingly. If you run discounted specials too often, your followers will simply wait until the next sale before buying. Consider using a coupon discount as a reward for a limited audience, such as webinar listeners, or as a gift to podcast listeners when you’re interviewed on someone’s podcast. Always remember to have an end date for any specials of this type.
5. Contact current clients and customers. Did you know that the chances of selling to a current customer range from 60-70% whereas selling to a cold contact is 5-20% (Marketing Metrics)? These warm contacts are already in your funnel but maybe they need a little push to that next level, a push that might come from a friendly, personal phone call or email from you. Even if they say they’re not interested at this time, maybe they know someone else who needs your services right now. Don’t be afraid to ask for those referrals.
Lastly, be creative when it comes to your marketing efforts. Show your personal side, engage in conversation online, encourage email subscribers to send you questions, record some live video to your social media feeds, send a personalized card in the mail; you’re only limited by your own creativity.
If you are struggling to attract clients, be sure to have a marketing plan in place. Check out my Cash Calendar: Your 12 Month Marketing + Profit Plan to help get yourself organized! This workbook is the perfect tool to strategically map out your marketing and profit plan for the next 12 months so you'll never have to wonder which product or service to promote next!
Tracey Lee Davis, founder of ZingPop Social Media, turns busy small business owners into online marketing rockstars! A social media expert and Certified Solution Provider for Constant Contact, she coaches entrepreneurs in how to grow their business using social media and provides total management for their email marketing campaigns. Tracey Lee is also a featured speaker for associations and business groups. She is Alignable's 2021 Local Business Person of the Year for San Jose, a Certified Content Marketing Strategist, and the Co-Owner and Vice President of the Women’s Networking Alliance. She also really, really loves cheese.