19 Surprising Business Tricks to Attract Customers

In today’s business world there is typically fierce competition no matter what industry you are a part of. It is no longer enough to just open a business, put up a sign, place an ad in the newspaper, and hope people will show up. Today, businesses need to think outside the box to attract customers, stay competitive and grow their business.

Many tricks in the business world can attract customers if you are willing to put yourself out there. Knowing which methods work best for your business is sometimes the biggest challenge.

To discover ways to bring more customers into your business depends a lot on what direction you are trying to take your business. Keep reading to learn more about ways you can attract customers to your business to increase your bottom line.

Public Relations Stunts

PR stunts have been around for many years in some form or fashion. In many cases, these can go well, however, in some instances, they can end up costing the business. This is because people enjoy hype and anticipation of new things, but they do not like to be tricked.

Creating PR stunts that are authentic and at the same time challenge the status quo are often successful for drumming up new customers for a business.

For example, the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty, created exactly this type of publicity stunt that ended up a winner for them. Instead of going with models to advertise their products, they chose real women of all shapes and sizes. While it was a risk, it drove their sales through the roof.

Conference Swag

All over the world, there are conferences and networking events that are hosted by companies that allow other companies to come and showcase their products. These conferences are a great way for your business to make connections and get something in the hands of potential customers or other businesses that may refer customers to you.

One of the most popular things about a conference is the swag that is usually covering the tables. Most of these swag items will have the business name printed or engraved on them so that people take something with them that has the business name on them.

Find an item that is pretty common in your field at these types of events since they can usually be purchased at an affordable price. Like a phase pencil if you are an electrical services company. When you buy them in bulk, it makes for an inexpensive marketing tool that can be given out at conferences or other events.

Purple Cow Theory

Seth Godin coined the term in his book Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable. In this book, his main focus is about making sure that your company stands out from the crowd, just as a purple cow would.

Having great products or services is not good enough in today’s market where there are a million products or services just like yours. If you want to attract customers and grow your business, the key is to make sure your product is the best. That your business stands out from the crowd.

Meme Marketing to Attract Customers

Everyone who is anyone knows about or has seen or used memes to relay some type of a message when they could have just said the words. The thing about using memes is that it gets people’s attention and makes them want to not only laugh but share with other people.

When you use memes as a way to advertise something you are selling or offering, the same thing is true. If your meme marketing attempt makes them feel in some way, they are more than likely to share it out with someone else.

Meme marketing has become a great way for businesses to attract customers by grabbing their attention with a meme they may have already seen but is now associated with your business. It makes them remember the business name, which in turn can be profitable for you.

Newsworthy Advertising

It is important to keep in mind that anytime you are trying to attract new customers to your business, it is vital that you keep your name on their lips. This can be done easily through many platforms that people may see.

If your business launches a new product, make sure that you advertise it hugely. Doing this will show your customers that you are not just stagnant but are actively coming up with new products and/or services to offer.

Achieving milestones such as anniversaries is something that is newsworthy and can often catch the attention of potential and current customers that are interested in what you do.

Local Publication Advertising

Doing your research can be a good thing when you are attempting to attract prospective customers. You need to find out where your customers or potential hang out, or what they read, maybe even what issues they find interesting.

Looking for local publications that might be willing to run a story on your business can be very advantageous and sometimes extremely worthwhile. There may be some publications that you can even submit specific stories or headlines that focus on your business. Doing this can get your name in front of the people who may be interested in what you do.

Share Something You Truly Believe and is Polarizing

Nothing attracts the attention of a wide audience than something controversial. Especially if it means that an argument or several disagreements may ensue. When you are trying to attract new customers, sharing your beliefs and opening them up for discussion can be a good thing.

You need to keep in mind that treading carefully is always important when bringing up issues that will cause much polarization amongst people. This is because you want people to remember you and do business with you. If you use this method and you alienate people, it does not work in your favor.

Make Sure You Are Easy to Find

One of the easiest ways to attract customers is to make sure they can find you when it comes time for them to seek out your product or service. Many businesses make the mistake of not having a presence or way for new customers to find out about them.

In this day and age, most people first look on the internet to find companies that sell or specialize in what they need. If you have a website, make sure you are doing everything you can to make sure your site is easy to find and navigate.

Having a social media presence is also essential to the way business is done today. Creating a way for people to not only see your name pop up from time to time but also when they need something you offer makes them want to do business with you as opposed to someone who is not easily found.

New Customer Discounts/Promotions

For some prospective customers, when a company dangles something for free or at a discount in front of them just for being new, they often will make a purchase. This is why some companies will offer either discounts or special promotions if someone is a new customer.

In many cases, these new customers that get the special discount rates, will tell their friends and family about it and create more new customers for your business. This is especially true if you offer discounts that go along with some kind of a referral program.

Referrals

Have you ever noticed on many business websites that there is a testimonial page? Have you wondered how the business got those? The truth is, they asked for them. After you have served a customer with either product or service, it is perfectly fine to ask them for a referral or testimonial.

Most businesses wait to ask for this until the customer has given them repeat business for a long period of time. In some cases, this is absolutely necessary so that you can ensure that they are completely satisfied with the service or product you offer.

Word of mouth is the oldest and most effective way to attract customers to your business, especially if you offer great service or products. Most customers would like to know that what they are looking to purchase is worth it for them to invest in.

Many businesses create referral programs that is often advertised openly within their business to any and all customers. This is because many people like to receive a reward of some kind especially if they really do not have to do much to get it.

Networking

Networking to drum up new business is an oldie but goldie in the world of marketing for many reasons. Networking basically means that you are getting out into the world either through conferences, meetings, workshops, or other events with the sole purpose of talking to people.

It is important to note that when you attend one of these events, you should always be prepared with business cards that can be passed out to people you meet. This is because most people who attend these networking events end up meeting quite a few people. When they get back to their regular life, you want them to have a way to remember you and your business.

Oftentimes, especially with today’s technology, there are even virtual events you can attend. Keep in mind that it is not possible to hand someone a business card through the computer, however, making connections can go a long way to someone remembering your company.

If you cannot find local networking events, you may consider creating your own. You can always team up with a partner business, or even several, and create an event that other people can attend. This is a great way to get your business name out there and to be seen as a leader in your community.

Sponsor a Contest

Businesses who desire to bring in more customers often look for many ways to get their name out into the world. With the availability of the internet, this has become easier to do for most businesses.

Many customers enjoy participating in various contests, especially if there is potentially something great in it for them. For most businesses, this means that the prize is typically connected to the company in some way. This way the prospective customer can try something out with no risk to them.

For example, a fitness gym may offer a contest, especially around the beginning of the year, that has a prize as a free 3-month membership. They do this because they know that if they can get the customer in a routine, more than likely they will purchase a longer membership down the road.

Sponsoring contests are especially intriguing if the proceeds are meant to go to charity. For example, if a business sponsors an event that goes along with some type of contest, they may want to donate the proceeds of the event to a charitable organization. They can include this in their advertising of the event, which could attract more people to participate.

Volunteer

Social responsibility is important to a lot of people. Because of this businesses that get involved with volunteer organizations are fulfilling their responsibilities to giving back to the community or world.

Customers enjoy working with businesses that participate in socially responsible activities such as local churches or various charitable organizations. As long as you are willing to give up your time, effort, or even your money the opportunity for additional advertisement can work in your favor.

To use this as a source to attract customers to your business, then you will need to keep in mind that using your business name instead of your name is vital to ensure people become familiar with your company.

Put Your Expertise Out There

Finding ways to become known for whatever you do is a good way to attract business to your company. This is the reason you likely went into the business you chose in the first place. You are attempting to fill a need either in your community or the world.

Being seen as the person to turn to when certain things happen can be done in many different ways that can be effective. Additionally, staying knowledgeable in your business by taking professional development courses is the best way to ensure you know what you talk about.

Using your social media or other networking tools can allow you to put yourself and your business out there into the world. On social media, joining certain groups that may be looking for your products or services is the first step. Instead of advertising on these group boards, just be available to answer any questions about topics and be a participant in what is happening.

Joining networking groups that meet face-to-face is another way to get yourself known as either a thought leader or an expert in your field. Not only attending these group meetings but becoming an active participant will ensure that you become well-known.

Host an Event

People who live in certain communities enjoy the opportunity to participate in events that are hosted in local neighborhoods and cities. Supporting local businesses is a way for people to get involved in ways that lets them also give back to the community.

Offering to host a kid’s sports team typically means that your name goes on the uniforms they wear during play. This is not only great advertising but can be a way for others in the community to know that your business is about giving back.

Hosting events such as 5K races or other fundraising opportunities is not only a great way to put your business name out there, but it is also a charitable contribution that you can do to the community in which you live.

The goal is to have people who are potential customers hear and/or see your business name all around the community as well as other places. The more exposure you have the more likely others will think of you when they are seeking out specific offerings.

Social Media Marketing

Most people in society today have profiles on one or more social media platforms that they spend much of their time on. Because of this, advertisements on social media have moved to an exponentially large amount.

With so many platforms available, it would be easy to use social media to attract new customers. Some businesses use paid advertising on platforms such as Facebook or Instagram. Doing this can be rather expensive, but can be a great way to reach a wider audience.

Other people, who do not have the budget to add another stream of advertising, can use their social media accounts to seek out other people. By creating a campaign that is focused on being a thought leader, people begin to see your business as a great resource for whatever it is you offer.

Using LinkedIn, Facebook, or even Instagram to attach links to blog posts, video links, or even sharing thoughtful articles or quotes can be attractive to some people. Once they see your business name popping up in their feed over and over, they may think of you when they start looking for what you offer.

Blogging

Creating a blog on your website that is focused on what you offer or that helps customers in various ways can attract customers to your website. When they see you as a thought leader or someone who knows about specific topics they are more likely to think of your business when needed.

The key to this type of advertising is to ensure that you are releasing a new blog post either weekly or even more often. The more often you have new information the better opportunity you will be seen by people who may need your product or service.

One way people use their blogs to attract new customers is by adding specific links to the blog post that lead a new prospective customer to your website. This could be from linking them to another blog post or to a product or service that you offer.

Another way to possibly attract new customers to your website could be through partnerships with other businesses that also blog. By doing this, you can have them create guest blogs on your website that link back to their website and at the same time, you could do the same on theirs. This can open up lead generation in an entirely different way.

Create Useful Videos

Depending on the business you have or what services you offer, you may want to consider creating videos that help customers or potential customers in some way. This can help to make you an authority in the industry in which you work.

These videos can be put on any platform as long as you also spend time advertising them to ensure they get into the right hands. Much like the blogging option above, the more you get the word out about your videos, the more people are exposed to your business.

Many businesses will also make these videos as a part of their email marketing campaigns. Sending videos that are designed to help potential customers in some way can attract attention and cause them to seek out your services or products.

Direct Mailers

While in this world of ever-present technology taking up most of the people’s lives, it is easy to think that online marketing is the best way to attract new customers. This is why your inbox and social media feeds are constantly full of advertisements and various promotions from many companies around the world.

Taking the time to focus, at least a small portion of your advertising budget on direct mailing marketing is a way to attract a specific audience of potential customers. Because most businesses are advertising online these days, getting a direct mailer can be refreshing.

Most customers in the market today expect to get advertisements online from most companies, however, getting something delivered to your actual mailbox can be eye-catching. This is especially true if the company who sent typically does not advertise this way and also if the mailer is designed well.

Business Partnerships

Partnering with other businesses that are not direct competitors is a great way to build your business and at the same time help another business owner build theirs. This type of partnership typically involves either advertising or referring customers to the other business.

For example, if you own a business that sells cleaning products, you may want to consider partnering with a cleaning services business. This would allow both parties to promote the other business and vice versa.

The great thing about this type of incentive for attracting customers is that no money has to be spent to create a partnership with another business. This typically means that advertising money can be put into other resources while at the same time having a consistent way to bring in new customers.

Final Thoughts

Overall, attracting customers to your business is the ultimate goal for most companies. Increasing your profitability can be done by using a few strategic methods that are designed to get your name out in the world. So choose a few of these methods and start working on building your customer base!