One of the most common frustrations I hear among both new and established organizers, is that they struggle growing their business and attract more clients. The answer will vary depending on your ideal client, niche, and a number of other factors. But here I’ll lay out several of the commonly used methods to attract new clients and grow your business.
Build a Sense of Community
If you were to focus your efforts on one single strategy, this would be the one I’d suggest – building a sense of community. By building a sense of community around yourself and your brand, you take out the need to always be selling (which many of us feel uncomfortable doing). You offer true value to potential clients and as a result, you increase your exposure and are more likely to build connections and a client base. There are countless ways to do this, but my favorite is through social media, primarily Facebook. If you plan to use Facebook to implement this strategy, then consider creating a private group connected to your business page. This group can be focused on organizing, an organizing challenge, or focus on something more specific tied to your niche (such as organizing with ADHD, organizing with kids, etc). Within your group, you’ll just want to focus on offering value, suggestions, and fostering engagement. Groups tend to get more engagement than business pages due to the Facebook algorithm. You don’t want the focus on the group to be selling your services. You want to mention your services and projects you’ve worked on, but more as a helpful expert. By providing this type of value, members of your group will be more likely to go to you for their organizing needs and recommend you to others. You want to be careful though, not to stretch yourself too thin. If you’re not offering virtual organizing, then you’ll want to try and keep your group focused on your local area; which can be difficult. You don’t want to wind up with a large group that requires a lot of upkeep, and it not actually translate into clients.
A way you can offer value outside of your own group, is by engaging within other groups. For example, if you focus on working with mothers, join your local moms group on FB. When you see someone post about an organizing issue they have, offer helpful advice. You want to be careful not to break any group rules or overly promote yourself. The goal is to offer value, be helpful, and leave a positive impression. That Mom might not need your services, but you never know who else in the group may.
Build an Email List
If you don’t already have an email list, I’d strongly suggest starting one. An email list can offer you a direct link to potential clients. I’ve heard so many horror stories of small business owners building their business around social media, only to lose their page, get hacked, or shut down. They are suddenly completely cut off from their audience with no way to reach them. An email list offers a way to stay connected to potential clients and remind them that you’re available. If you utilize the above method and create a FB group, consider asking for their email address when someone requests to join your group. Another way is to offer a freebie via your website or social media. In exchange for an email address, they get some sort of digital product. I originally did this by creating a PDF of top local resources for busy families. I was able to target my local audience by focusing on local businesses, as well as my ideal clients (busy parents).
My favorite tool for email marketing is Aweber, as it’s super easy to use and much more affordable than other platforms. It also gives you the ability to create landing pages and subscription boxes to integrate into your website.
Be sure not to spam people or flood their inbox too often. And don’t put too much pressure on yourself to send weekly newsletters, etc, if that’s not your jam. I’d suggest sending an email/newsletter at least quarterly, just to be sure you stay fresh on their minds.
Paid Advertising
You can also consider paid advertising for your business. I’d be very careful doing this, especially in the beginning, as the cost can add up quickly. You want to give a lot of thought to your ideal client and the best avenue to reach them. If you’re focused on downsizing for seniors, it wouldn’t make sense to advertise on Instagram. Remember, advertising doesn’t have to online. You may choose to advertise in print in your local paper, church bulletin, etc. Keep your ideal client in mind and be sure to focus your efforts on meeting them where they are.
Speaking engagements
I’ve seen many organizers grow their client base by participating in local speaking engagements. You can offer a small workshop at the local library. Speak at a school. Engage with seniors at a retirement community. The possibilities are endless. Again, the goal here is to offer value, not to necessarily pitch your services. You offer value, and then at the end, pass out your information and some printed material. You can also ask for information (grow your email list) from participants, maybe for a chance to be entered into a raffle, etc. You can even pass around a sign up sheet for those who would like to book a free consultation. The possibilities are really endless.
Partners
Another great way to reach your ideal client, is to consider partnering up with local businesses. For example, if you plan to focus on downsizing for seniors, consider partnering up with a retirement community, realtor, or even a doctor’s office. These businesses are aiming to add value to their clients as well, so they want to have reputable businesses to refer their clients to should they need to. Be prepared to provide them with some pamphlets and business cards that they can easily hand out when needed. This tends to be especially helpful with realtors, who many times give clients a large packet of local resources.
Giveaways and Promotions
Giveaways and promotions are great ways to promote your business. While I haven’t personally had much luck with this method, I know many have. If you plan to launch an online giveaway, I’d suggest waiting until your business page has at least 100 followers. You don’t want followers (or a winner) to be those who have no interest in ever paying for your services. You want followers who can potentially turn into clients. By waiting to launch your giveaway until you have some followers, you are able to reach those who have already shown they are genuinely interested in your services. If you’re not sure about the logistics of a giveaway online, check out KingSumo. KingSumo makes it easy to run your giveaway and has a free option that works perfectly fine.
You may also consider promotions, particularly if you find you are experiencing a dip in sales or have a naturally slower season. I like running specials during certain holidays, with a package designed for the occasion. For example, a Mothers Day special with a package just for Mother’s, which includes a customized gift certificate, three hours of organizing, and a home binder.
There are so many different techniques and strategies when growing your business. It can be difficult at first, but if you focus on your ideal client and identifying ways to reach them, you can be successful. I’d love to hear how you’ve began to grow your client base and any questions you may have. Join us over in the private FB group and share your success with us.