I often get asked about how I find clients. My philosophy is simple:
Go to where your ideal clients are and be helpful
Following this philosophy means I never have to do any cold outreach to get clients. Everyone I work with comes to me. This is great because it means more of my time can be spent on working with clients and delivering value instead of finding clients in the first place. Not to mention, cold outreach isn’t very fun!
So, how have I put this philosophy into practice? Here are a few of the channels I use to get clients. I’ll just add that this is what works for ME and the services I offer. You’ll notice I don’t do a lot of social media. This isn’t because I don't think social media works as a marketing channel, it’s just it’s not what’s best for MY business.
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Google (Paid and Organic)
Google was the first marketing channel I really focussed on when I started my business many years ago. I thought to myself, where would my ideal clients go if they’re looking for an expert to help them with Asana or Pipedrive? The answer… Google.
When a user types a search into Google, they’re literally telling the search engine what they’re looking for or what they want help with. By optimising my website to rank higher for specific terms and by bidding on keyboards and showing ads for specific search terms, I can advertise my service directly to people who are actively looking for an expert to work with.
I love this kind of ‘pull marketing’ as it’s less disruptive than ‘push marketing’ where you’re interrupting someone’s video or browsing. I find it converts much better compared to other forms of paid advertising.
YouTube
After Google, YouTube is the second biggest search engine in the world. For services like mine, where I’m helping businesses to use tools like Asana and Pipedrive, posting videos on YouTube is a great way of getting in front of your target customers.
My thought process here was this – If someone signs up to Asana or Pipedrive, what would they do or where would they go to learn more about the tool? The answer… YouTube.
By sharing videos on YouTube, I can get in front of users who are new to or already signed up to Asana or Pipedrive. By being useful and delivering value via video, I can build credibility and position myself as an authority in the space.
The user gets a tonne of free value but then if they need additional support or want work with us 1:1, they can click a link in the video description to connect with me and learn more about my consulting options. And when they book a call to learn more, they already know a bit about who I am and are further along in the buying journey so they’re more likely to pay for support.
Another added benefit of making videos for YouTube is I get a bit of ad revenue from the ads that run before or alongside my videos. This covers my Google Ads expense (mentioned above) and a few other expenses.
Other content
The purpose of this blog and my podcast is again, to be helpful. Even though the content isn't always directly related to Asana, Pipedrive or even my other products, the blog helps me to share useful ideas and nurture relationships.
A lot of customers who buy my products or who work with us in a consulting capacity have been on my email list for years quietly enjoying the content I've been putting out before they become a paying client. This just goes to show the value in being consistent with producing content, providing value and taking a long-term view towards marketing.
Directories and forums
The services I provide support on all have directories that list the experts you can connect with to get help. So if you go to Asana’s website and view the list of affiliated experts, you’ll find my name.
Getting placement here is a no brainer. Again, it all comes back to where your ideal client goes to get help and being useful.
I try and dip into the Asana and Pipedrive forums on a regular basis so I can answer people’s questions and be useful. Just like the YouTube videos, this demonstrates credibility so that when someone inquires to work with me, they’re confident in my abilities.
Repeat business and referrals
And finally, we have repeat business and referrals.
When you work with a client and do a good job, they often come back to you when they need more help in the future. Naturally, the longer you’re in business, the more clients you’ve worked with and the more repeat business you get. A bit like a snowball rolling downhill.
Happy clients are also a great source of new business if they can refer people in their network to work with you. Referrals are always great as the leads are coming to you with a stamp of approval from the referring party making the sale a little easier.
This just goes to show the importance of doing a good job and going above and beyond. Even if all my other marketing channels went away, my network of happy customers could probably sustain me for quite a while.
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So, that’s what works for me. What do you do to get clients? Are you more into social media? I’d love to hear what’s working for you in the comments below!