YOUR success as a business will be determined to a great extent by how many high quality clients you can attract and retain.

In today’s ultra-connected world, companies should be looking beyond traditional client marketing practices. Here, Bill Tamminga, founder of TM&C – a US-based online design and marketing agency – outlines a number of effective approaches.

Modern client marketing strategies: Seminars and workshops
Seminars and workshops that deliver quality information about your business, market, or industry, are increasingly popular as ways to build a client base.

They’re an effective way of differentiating yourself, by showing clients how to use your services, as well as demonstrating that you can fill a need your competitors cannot.

Modern client marketing strategies: Modern client marketing startegies:
Several top business owners create regular podcasts or even host their own radio show. If you want to see what one of the best in the business is doing, visit John Dvorak's site called crankygeeks.com. Podcasts can be a great alternative if you don't want to go through the process of starting your own show. All you need is a half-decent microphone, a computer and a feel for the kind of sector-relevant content that will be of worth to potential clients.

Modern client marketing strategies: Writing articles
Local business journals or newspapers are almost always looking for expert writers on a regular basis, and if these channels don't work, you can publish your articles at a number of online submission companies. The leading articles sites are ezine, GoArticles and ArticlesBase.

Modern client marketing strategies: Search engine optimization (SEO)
A good website must outline your core services, who you are and who you help, as well as attract visitors from your target market. There are countless examples to see.

For an idea of who you are competing simply visit Google. If your line of work is team building services and you’re based in Manchester, type in "team building services, Manchester”. Whatever your line of work, it’s likely hundreds of results will come up.

If you’re company’s site is not visible in these results, many of your potential clients will be hovered up by your competitors.

To rectify this, your site needs to be optimized for search engines, and you must make a habit of using your other marketing efforts to drive traffic to your site. When creating your website, consider adding blog and video content.

Nothing is more SEO friendly than blog content. As long as what you are writing is informative, readable and if you aim to add at least two or three posts a week, then your SEO performance will soon improve.

Similarly, why not post video from a recent seminar on your site. This is especially valuable if it informs visitors about your business or about a current industry trend, and is the best way for people to get a quick impression of what type of business you are.

Modern client marketing strategies: Write books
Writing a book is another way to make yourself stand out from the crowd. Several service business owners have taken their books and created presentations from them. This means that not only do you get revenue from book sales, but clients become interested in your business.

Performing a search for business books on Amazon gives some idea of the scale of this endeavour. There are thousands of titles, covering some very specific fields and sectors.

Pick a few authors at random and then search for them on YouTube. The chances are you’ll find they regularly present the content of their book in lecture form at business events and seminars.

Modern client marketing strategies: Conduct a client survey
Soliciting the opinion of your clients shows them that you care about what they think and that you want to improve the quality of your service to them. In addition, you are sure to get some gracious comments that you can add to your website and marketing brochures under ‘Rave Reviews’.

Modern client marketing strategies: Press Releases
Let the local press know about some of your clients' success stories. Here’s a quick primer on writing a press release, and there are also a number of press release templates that you can download,

Related posts

Increasing market share

How to market services to clients

I’ll have a P please, Bob