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Hanifmr.com - Today's article is about the various ways of acquiring new customers.

I haven't participated in a blog parade for a long time. But I find the blog parade “ Mega In - Mega Out ” on the popular and now outdated acquisition methods very interesting.

I create websites for regional customers and of course, I am more or less strongly looking for customers.

Therefore, today I would like to present the acquisition paths that I find IN and also those that I consider OUT.

Acquisition of New Customers

Acquisition - What is IN and OUT in Customer Acquisition?

Acquiring customers is something that many self-employed people struggle with. And it wasn't much different for me many years ago when I started my own business.

It is not just a regular part of the work of a self-employed person at the beginning. You should be on the lookout for new customers on a regular and permanent basis.

Unfortunately, many only start doing this when there are economic difficulties or customers break away.

Acquisition Methods

There are a lot of opportunities to attract customers. When I started my own business, I naturally also found out about the possibilities of customer acquisition and tried a lot of things.

And some acquisition methods gave me a stomach ache and that I tried, but then abandoned.

That is why I would like to start with one important point before I present individual acquisition methods.

You should feel comfortable with customer acquisition. If you don't like cold calling by phone, you shouldn't do it. I'm not a fan of this method myself and it gives me a stomach ache and of course, the potential customer on the other listener will notice that too.

My tip is to only use the acquisition methods that suit you.

Just don't let anyone convince you that a certain method “MUST” be done.

What is OUT in Customer Acquisition?

Of course, the following list is subjective. But I also try to justify it. :-)

• Telephone Acquisition
  I hate the fact that you keep getting calls where someone is trying to sell you something. I know, of course, that a lot is focused on telephone acquisition and unfortunately it often seems to work.
  
  But I'm not at all a friend of this type of cold calling, regardless of which of the two sides of me I'm on. And that's why phone acquisition is OUT for me.
  
  
• Direct Mail 
  Direct mail is one of those things. It doesn't always have to be dubious. But with today's advertising volume, that usually falls behind. In addition, this type of cold calling is so negative because you are sure to win a few new customers, but also annoys a lot of people.
  
  
• Representative Visits
  I “like” that a lot. Suddenly someone stands at the door and wants to sell me something. No thanks.
  
  
• Addressing People on the Street
  I've noticed this a lot lately. There you stand in the parking lot and some people ask whether the windshield is broken. This is intrusive and often even fraudulent. It is promised that partial insurance will pay for the repair of the letter. But if it doesn't do that, you are left with the costs.
  
  
• Mail Spam
  Who does not know it, this mail with many promises? This scam is partly popular in the SEO market. And inexperienced entrepreneurs and self-employed people fall for it.
  
  
• Newspaper Advertisements
  Here it is certainly also strongly related to the industry and the target group. My experiences are rather bad. Usually not very profitable for the internet business.

I do not want to claim that all of the above acquisition methods are ineffective and dubious. However, I have had a lot of bad experiences with it.

And when I tested some of them before, the results were more than bad. Therefore the acquisition methods mentioned above are OUT for me.

Of course, you can also see a certain pattern. In general, I don't think much of cold calling with push methods.

What is IN in Customer Acquisition?

The following are the customer acquisition methods that work for me and that I also consider serious and pleasant.

• Website
  A company website can usually be quickly and cheaply placed high up in Google, especially in a regional environment. And the potential customers who come across it already have an interest and don't need to be “persuaded”.
  
  
• Blog
  As a modification of the website, the blog places more value on know-how and personal insights. There are many examples where companies and the self-employed have built an image and reach with blogs that attract many new customers.
  
  
• References
  References work very well. In connection with another method from this list, references strengthen trust and you don't have to make any promises, but can also let the references speak for themselves.
  
  
• Recommendations
  Customer testimonials and recommendations from satisfied customers also work wonders. As the saying goes today: “The market is communication”. Anyone who gets a recommendation from someone they trust is much more likely to become a customer than if I shower them with advertising.
  
  
• Offline Advertising
  Advertising is not dead. If it fits the industry and the target group, then offline advertising is also worthwhile. As a web worker who spends most of the day on the web, you shouldn't forget that many people spend little or no time on the web. Even today, not all target groups can be reached exclusively on the Internet.
  
  
• Online Advertising
  Online advertising is on the rise. Despite a lot of criticism, banners are still on the rise, and videos are also expected to be a beacon of hope in online advertising. Here, too, if the target group fits, it can be very effective. Of course, search engine marketing (AdWords) also falls into this category.
  
  
• Trade Fairs and Conferences
  Personal contact is certainly one of the most effective methods of customer acquisition. And at trade fairs, conferences, and the like, people are also ready to make new business contacts.

There are so many opportunities for self-employed people on the Internet to win customers without cold calling and mass mailings.

Conclusion

Of course, that's my subjective opinion and I wouldn't want to dissuade anyone who has had different experiences or has different acquisition preferences.

What are your experiences and preferences when it comes to customer acquisition?

Related Video: Acquisition - What is IN and OUT in Customer Acquisition?

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