What is Customer Acquisition?
Customer acquisition is attracting and converting potential customers into paying customers for a business. It is one of the most important aspects of business growth and sustainability, as it ensures that companies bring in new revenue streams and expand their market reach consistently. Effective customer acquisition strategies are important for startups, small businesses, and even established enterprises. This blog explores customer acquisition and nine proven strategies to acquire customers.
6 Strategies to Acquire Customers
1. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
SEO optimises a website to rank higher on search engines like Google for relevant keywords. It helps businesses increase their organic visibility and reach potential customers actively searching for products or services they offer.
How it works:
Keyword Research: Identify the words or phrases potential customers use to search for similar products.
- On-page Optimization: Make great content using these keywords and ensure website pages are structured so the search engine crawler can easily go through them.
- Backlink Building: Obtain backlinks from the authorities’ sites to improve your website’s domain authority.
For example, if an athleisure-focused fashion brand exists, optimising for “comfortable activewear” or “affordable gym clothes” might help find a customer looking online for that very thing.
2. Content Marketing
Content marketing involves creating valuable, relevant content to attract and engage a target audience. It includes various forms such as blogs, videos, infographics, and eBooks.
How it works:
- Target Pain Points: Address your audience’s challenges or questions by creating content that provides solutions.
- Quality Content: Create blog posts, videos, or guides that are informative, educational, or entertaining.
- Distribute Across Channels: Share content on social media, newsletters, and websites to increase visibility.
Example: A skincare brand could write a blog post on “How to Choose the Right Moisturizer for Your Skin Type,” which drives traffic from search engines and educates potential customers on product benefits.
3. Social Media Marketing
Using different platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok to connect with your audience, developing and promoting the content, and communicating with potential buyers falls under social media marketing.
How it works?
- Content Creation Engage: Place engaging content -product images behind the scenes – customer testimonials.
- Leveraging paid ads targeting based on different parameters like interest, locations, and activities of the specific age groups.
- Influencer Partnerships: Partner with influencers to reach their followers with your products.
Example: A D2C activewear brand can partner with fitness influencers on Instagram to show off their products, thus creating brand awareness and acquiring customers.
4. Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising
In PPC advertising, businesses pay for ads displayed on search engines or social media. The business only pays when a user clicks on the ad.
How it works:
- Target Keywords: Identify keywords with high conversion potential and bid on them for search ads.
- Target Demographics: Use platforms like Google Ads or Facebook Ads to reach specific customer segments based on interests, age, or behaviour.
- Optimise for Conversion: Monitor the ads and adjust them to improve ROI.
Example: A personal care brand running Google Ads targeting keywords like “organic skincare products” can reach people actively searching for products that align with their offering.
5. Email Marketing
Email marketing sends targeted emails to nurture relationships with potential and existing customers, keeping them engaged and encouraging conversions.
How it works:
- Segment Your Audience: Tailor email campaigns to specific customer segments based on behaviour or preferences.
- Personalised Content: Craft personalised messages to engage leads and move them through the sales funnel.
- Track Engagement: Monitor open rates, click-through rates, and conversion metrics to optimise campaigns.
Example: A SaaS company sending a personalised email with a 14-day free trial to subscribers who have shown interest in their platform but haven’t signed up yet.
6. Free Trials and Freemium Models
Free trials or freemium versions can offer potential customers the experience of your product or service without financial commitment, thus increasing the chances of conversion.
How it works:
- Free Trials: Full access to your product for a limited time (e.g., 30 days).
- Freemium: Basic version of your product with an option to upgrade and access premium features.
- Follow-up Strategies: Send follow-ups through emails or in-app notifications, prompting users to shift to paid versions after the expiration of the trial period.
For instance, an HR assessment software company offering 30 days free of charge and attracting businesses interested in better hiring solutions.