“How do I book more clients?”
No matter what industry you’re in, your business needs to book more clients to grow, pay the bills, and allow you to do what you love to do. It takes a lot to run a business in general, but finding clients and booking them can be a massive task all on its own.
That’s why we’ve put together this handy guide with tips to help you book more clients.
Define your ideal client (or clients)
Finding clients is kind of like dating. You have to know who you’re looking for before you start looking. Defining your ideal client or clients will narrow down your search and save you from being overwhelmed. Get started with the following four questions:
Who are they?
Demographics are key here. Age, gender, income, location, and job are a few examples. What they search for online and what they read, listen to, or watch are a few more. We’ll get to where your clients “hang out” in a bit.
What is their problem?
This is not as sassy as it sounds when reading it, we promise. What we mean is: what problem is your client trying to solve and how does your product or service solve that problem?
What is most important to them?
Does your ideal client value quality, cost, excellent customer service, a great deal, or something else most? What’s the top factor that will make them choose you over a competitor?
What’s their buying strategy?
Is your ideal client buying online or in-store? During holiday sales or during the off-season? Do they find one brand and stick to it, or do they choose different brands based on reviews and recommendations?
Ta da! Once you answer these questions, you have the makings of your ideal client. Now that you know who to look for, it’s time to figure out where to look.
Determine where they “hang out”
Where’s the money, honey? If knowing the answer was that easy, you’d be there already. (We would, too.) You have to do the research to find out where the money is; i.e., where your ideal clients are hanging out. And yes, that means where they’re hanging out both online and in person.
Online hangouts might include Facebook groups, social media channels, or online platforms. Ask yourself questions like:
- Are my ideal clients going to Yelp or Google Maps to scan user reviews before hiring a business?
- Are they posting for-hire ads on places like Reddit or Craigslist?
- Are my ideal clients networking on LinkedIn or in Facebook groups?
- Are they discovering their new favorite brands on Twitter or Instagram?
Be present and engaging, and show up consistently on these sites. When you get a lot of engagement on one site, it may be an online hotspot for your ideal client.
The same goes for in-person hangouts, too! How do your ideal clients network face-to-face? Maybe it’s through Meetup groups, industry events, expos, or conferences. Try a little of everything and see where you find success.
Build an attractive visual brand
Maybe we’re biased, but this is our favorite part of the process: building a great visual brand that will attract your ideal clients. Remember, your brand is more than just a logo. It represents the experience your ideal client has with your business. It separates you from your competitors. It tells your story: your company’s mission, values, and personality. To attract your ideal clients, you have to make sure your brand resonates with them.
Of course, this can be tricky. You don’t want to cater so much to your ideal clients that your visual brand ends up looking fake. That’s why we’re keeping this section short with some simple tips: know your brand inside and out. And then, stay true to what makes your brand unique.
If you choose visuals that are all over the place, or if you change your visual elements too often, your brand won’t be recognizable and unique. (Psst…Styled Stock Society can help you stay consistent with stock photo collections and graphic templates.) Remain genuine, and the clients you want will come to you, as long as you’re doing the work to make them notice your brand.
Master your messaging
Messaging, or brand voice, is an important part of your overall brand experience. You likely already have your brand voice nailed if you’ve DIYed your brand. Great! Use your brand voice, your knowledge of who your ideal client is, and where they hang out to draw them in.
Let’s say you’re a graphic designer and you notice you attract more ideal clients when you talk to them in-person. What’s your messaging strategy? Having well-designed business cards is a good place to start; not only can you show off your design skills, but you leave a potential client with something tangible to remember you by.
Or maybe you’re a personal stylist who gets a lot of website traffic through Instagram posts. How might you entice your ideal client to hire you? Share some style tips in your Instagram captions or separate blog posts that readers will find useful. After you’ve proved your expertise and given them value, direct them to your services page. Use your messaging to give them a little extra nudge towards hiring you.
Provide an excellent client experience
Once you have your ideal client on the hook, leave them with an excellent and memorable client experience. When you do that, they’re more likely to remain loyal to your brand and they’ll recommend you to other ideal clients.
A few tips for providing an excellent client experience:
- Create a customer journey map. Plot out how your client interacts with your brand from beginning to end. From first learning about your brand to engaging with it to point of sale, mapping out this journey will help you figure out where your brand is killin’ it and where you could improve.
- Be open to feedback. Get an idea of how you’re already doing with customers so you can improve your experience in the future. Quick email surveys are a great way to get feedback from your clients.
- Ask customers what they want. While feedback is reactive, this is more of a proactive approach. What features or services do your customers want? You don’t have to implement everyone’s suggestions, but if you notice patterns start to crop up, they’re worth looking into.
Remember that your ideal client can easily switch to a competitor if their needs aren’t being met. Wow them with an excellent experience right away and they’re more likely to stick with your brand.
Plus, when you ask them about their experience and for feedback, you can turn that into testimonials. Sprinkle them on your website, your sales pages, your social… wherever. Social proof is one of the best ways to convert new clients, so make sure you’re collecting it!
Book more clients with Styled Stock Society
With the strategic tips we shared above, you’ll soon be able to book more clients. Of course, if you need help mastering your presence or building an attractive brand, head to Styled Stock Society! Your Styled Stock Society membership gives you access to gorgeous, consistently styled stock photos, customizable templates, eye-catching graphics, and so much more.
