Loading...
Answers
MenuWhat is the most cost effective way to acquire first 100 customers?
I run a marketplace where you can book locals from anywhere in the world to complete ANY type of task for you in their country, whether it's registering a new business, scouting a property, inspecting products or just shopping and shipping items.
What are some organic, cost effective ways to market it and acquire first 100 customers?
Answers
Great question
IT depends on how fast you want/need to get them. You mentioned "organic" and "cost effective" - these are two very different methods.
Organic - you can do a lot of content (articles and videos) and this will get you leads/customers - but you will only start seeing the effects after 4-5 months.
Another option is to partner with other complimentary organizations who already have traffic - your service would compliment theirs.
You can also focus on posts on the platform on which your relevant target audience exists - for example LinkedIn or Facebook...you could post in groups (some are huge).
As for cost effective - the obvious channels like Google or FB ads are a bit expensive and if you don't know how to do them right, you'd be wasting money before seeing results. So I would try something a little more out of the box - for example: specific forums/whatsapp groups etc, where your target audience is active.
It all comes down to who and where your target audience is.
Good luck
I am a mentor on Startups.com, an international lecturer on entrepreneurship and negotiations, a commercial startup lawyer and a leadership coach. I've successfully helped over 400 entrepreneurs, startups and businesses and I would be happy to help you.
You have to have faith and good customer service its hard to get a first customer but after you get the first person as your customer and you did give her a good services he or she will be the one who will bring other customer to you
Find a place (Upwork, craigslist, etc) where your customers are talking or posting that they need a service that you provide. Use IFTTT and create an alert when a new post is made. Use Zapier to move the data into google sheets and set up an email autoresponder with a message like "Hi. I have a ____ expert available in your area that has availability in the next week." Then just give them instructions on how to sign up. Almost no cost to connect with people who have a specific need for your service.
Hi! I'd take a look at the existing marketplace data / the business you have currently been able to book successfully and see what has been working. Example, are plumbers / handy type home projects most frequently booked, vs admin tasks, or deliveries? Then find businesses and local contractors in those areas, in your target markets and see if you can get them onto the marketplace. Referrals will be a major part of the success of this platform. I'd like to understand what your marketplaces advantages are, price, platform, ease of use, quality / trust to better understand your potential lanes of growth. Give me a call, lets chat!
In order to achieve the first 100 clients there are many different ways of fulfilling it. You cannot miss any of them. It requires a lot of patience, hard work, due diligence and consistency.
Leverage Social Media:
• Choose the right platforms: Identify where your target audience spends their time online (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn).
• Create engaging content: Share informative and relevant content that attracts your ideal customers.
• Run organic contests/giveaways: Generate excitement and grow your audience organically.
• Engage in conversations: Respond to comments and messages promptly to build relationships.
2. Content Marketing:
• Start a blog/website: Share valuable content related to your products/services to establish expertise and attract potential customers.
• Guest post on relevant blogs: Reach a wider audience by writing guest articles for blogs in your niche.
• Utilize video marketing: Create engaging and informative videos to showcase your offerings and connect with your audience.
3. Build Community Engagement:
• Join online communities: Participate in relevant online forums and groups where your target audience gathers.
• Organize online events: Host webinars, workshops, or Q&A sessions to connect with potential customers and provide value.
• Network strategically: Attend industry events and connect with potential customers and collaborators.
4. Referral Programs:
• Incentivize existing customers: Motivate your initial customers to recommend your business through rewards or discounts.
• Track referrals: Utilize a system to track and manage referrals effectively.
5. Utilize SEO (Search Engine Optimization):
• Optimize your website: Implement basic SEO strategies to improve your website's ranking in search results, leading to organic traffic.
• Target relevant keywords: Research and target keywords that your ideal customers are searching for.
Remember:
• Be patient and consistent: Building a customer base takes time and consistent effort.
• Track and analyze results: Monitor the effectiveness of your strategies and adjust them based on the data you gather.
• Focus on providing value: Build trust and attract customers by offering genuine value through your content and interactions.
By implementing these organic and cost-effective strategies, you can start building your customer base and pave the way for sustainable growth.
Related Questions
-
How did Snapchat boast a solid user base within a short period of time, compared to Facebook and Twitter?
I've been in the picture messaging space for a while now with my apps Lutebox (voted one of London's top ten most loved apps) and now Click Messenger. I've written a few articles about the space including a recent post about the Future of Mobile Messaging. Snapchat started out as an app called Picaboo, which pretty much did what it does now (prior to the latest update with chat and video calling). They quickly rebranded but saw a little uptake in user numbers and had quite low downloads for several months. Then around Christmas 2011 one of the founders' mom had told her friend about the app, who told her kid and her kid basically then spread the word throughout their high school in L.A. That was what really blew up their download numbers as it spread across teenagers at local high schools. As far as I know they didn't advertise in the early days, relied solely on word of mouth. Also it is assumed that they have a solid user base. Comparatively speaking, their user base may be in the low tens of millions, which may a great base of users, but nowhere even close to being as big as Facebook or Twitter. I'd be happy to speak about this in more detail or about the picture messaging landscape and what I believe to be the future of mobile messaging.AA
-
How do you get your first customers for a consulting business?
Back when I started LinkedIn wasn't as huge as it is now. I wish it was. I didn't have a large network and those networking sessions NEVER brought me any clients. I used to go to all sorts of them hoping to get clients. There were a couple of nibbles here and there, but never anything serious. The only thing that helped was reaching out DIRECTLY to people in my target market. That meant cold calls and cold emails. I'd sell myself while thinking about their needs. Once I got a few bites I'd build good rapport by keeping in touch, asking questions, repeating back what they were saying so that they knew I was on the same page and kept my promises. If I said I'd call them back next Tuesday at 2:15 I'd do so. Eventually I built trust with them without having a network, or an insane amount of experience. Oh and the most important thing about consulting is to LISTEN. When those first clients notice that you're truly listening and you're not selling the cookie cutter solutions everyone else is trying to sell them that's when you got them hooked. You start to understand their problems, fears, and see through their eyes and not just yours. A network will help, but in the beginning just good 'ol salesmanship will get the ball rolling.JC
-
How to promote a paid iOS app to increase downloads ?
Your best bet to get traction quickly in USA is to advertise on mobile ad networks. You may need to advertise on CPM/CPC basis instead of CPI if you have a paid app so make sure you understand your user lifetime value and watch conversion rates closely so you don't overspend. That said, depending on what your niche/vertical is, there are many other ways to market non-gaming apps.SR
-
What are average profit margins in Ice Cream store business?
Hi! I am owner of an ice crean chain with 45 stores in Chile. We have stores in shopping centers, streets and also karts that you can put in events and parks. The average cost margin of ice cream (depends on the amount of materials you use in producing the ice cream) is around 40%. This is italian gelatto where you serve the ice cream without a specific measurement so your costs can vary due to the size of each portion you serve. About the brand you should focus on your unique value proposition and what kind of ice cream you are selling. We import the pastry from Italy and the fruits and milk from our country. Your ROI depends on your sales price and costs. If you focus on high market ice cream you can charge high and keep costs down.MF
-
I just opened a small, upscale, boutique style hair salon. Any ideas on how to market?
I have no experience with salons, but marketing is my thing. So I'll give you some suggestions of what to think about, followed by what to do. Do you have clients already (let's say from your working days at another salon)? If so, you can start profiling them. You can ask them to fill out a form in exchange for a free gift (maybe one of those creams you use in the salon), or an entry to a raffle (where the prize is valuable). In the profiling, you want to look out for which neighborhoods they live in, what kinds of activities they like to do, what kinds of social events they love to do, and their occupations. Then, using each of those profile data, you can market to more prospects who share the same characteristics. For example, - You can set aside a budget to send flyers to specific neighborhoods. In order to get people into the door, maybe you can offer a certain procedure for free in exchange for opportunities to win new regular customers. (You could theoretically do this with Groupon too, but you have less control of who comes into your door) - You could set up joint venture relationships with organizations like ball room dancing schools, professional associations, etc. You could offer an exclusive discount with those groups to entice potential customers to try out your service. More opportunities for you to win regular customers. - With certain demographic data, you can probably make the same offer by advertising on Facebook. If you target specific enough, you can get the price of acquiring the lead to be pretty cheap. You would have to figure out your typical lifetime value of your customers before deciding whether advertising on Facebook would be worthwhile. One last thing, you can offer gifts for your existing customers if they refer you people. If you have any more questions, I'm happy to chat with you. Hit me up on this platform.SL
the startups.com platform
Copyright © 2025 Startups.com. All rights reserved.