How to Find Your Clients Online

By Sharon • September 14th, 2009

One of the great things about the Internet is that there are hundreds of millions of people online and your target group is bound to be in that huge online audience.

The work of a savvy small business owner is to use the Internet in the most (cost) efficient way possible to locate that all important target market.

One of the best ways to reach your target market and start building up your client/customer list is to both raise your profile in key communities and connect effectively with your prospect list using Internet marketing techniques like email marketing (see #5 below).

Here are five current and effective ways of finding clients online:

#1

Use Google to find the most popular blogs and discussion groups for your business or sector. After familiarizing yourself with those sites respond in constructive ways to appropriate blog posts and get involved as a contributing and supportive member in discussion groups. Note: the list of blogs/websites that appear on the first page of your Google search of your keywords will likely identify some of the most popular and/or credible authorities for your sector.

#2

Identify teleseminars and conferences put on by respected event producers in your sector and approach these producers about becoming a speaker and/or sponsor at these events.

#3

Determine the size of your advertising budget and identify any affordable advertising opportunities on blogs or other websites reaching a significant segment of your target market. Advertising can take the form of a $15/ month button on a home page of a blog to a podcast sponsorship costing several hundred dollars. Obviously how much is charged depends on the popularity (audience size ) or reputation of that website.. You don’t necessarily have to advertise with the most popular blogger/publisher, but you do want to consider sites where you know your target market can be found in significant numbers.

#4

Use social media, including tools like “Twitter” and “LinkedIn“, to reach a growing audience of just about everyone. You can use the Twitter search function to isolate those businesses and users who are interested in your product or service. Once you check out their profile and their website (when you’ve got time) then you should decide to “follow” them (or not). That “follow” will put their twitter feed in your timeline and if this person represents part of your target market you’ll really want them to follow you as well. All your followers will get your tweet in their feeds. That’s why part of your goal on Twitter is to build up a follower list of strong, potential customers/clients/peers.

LinkedIn is a great networking tool that is more structured than twitter. It’s considered a very professional and well respected tool that allows you to really highlight your experience and background.

#5

Make strategic use of your autoresponder (I use aweber). An autoresponder is an automated service for sending out emails to your list after a user fills out one of your subscriber forms or signs up for something you are promoting. Don’t flood inboxes with email (spam) but communicate regularly with your list of prospective clients/customers. If you establish yourself as a timely resource and helpful expert, by sharing timely tips and information in your emails, you’ll be more likely to succeed in selling your products and services to this group of individuals who have “chosen” to communicate with you.

There are books and conferences dedicated to finding clients. The five suggestions listed above are just some of the more common strategies used by small business owners succeeding online. What other strategies would you suggest or add to this list?