What Are Your Most Effective Customer Acquisition Strategies?

In search of the most effective customer acquisition strategies, I asked business leaders and marketing professionals to share their experiences. From leveraging video content reels to employing a content marketing strategy, these experts provide a wealth of insights into successful strategies that have propelled their businesses forward. Dive into these insightful ideas to discover strategies that could potentially revolutionize your customer acquisition efforts.

Leveraging Video Content

"We have tried many different strategies to acquire customers for our print-design business, but the one strategy that was the most effective was leveraging video content.

"Video content worked amazingly well for us as it allowed us to present ourselves as a fun, hip brand that makes great direct-to-film designs, cheap and accessible to anyone. Long form and short form video content work amazingly well, especially on social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and even YouTube, and they helped us acquire many new customers and grow our brand."

—Tom Golubovich, Head of Marketing, Ninja Transfers

Implementing a Referral Program

"We've seen great success from our referral program. One of the main focuses of our program is customer acquisition, followed by an increase in customer loyalty (customer retention), and an increase in brand awareness. Since we are a referral marketing software, we've seen numerous businesses grow their customer base steadily and with a lower customer acquisition cost (CAC) compared to other types of advertising. We believe this is because payouts are based on performance. You only have to pay if there is a conversion. Meaning, you only pay once to secure a new customer.

"Referral marketing harnesses the power of social connections and trust, thus potentially making it a powerful and effective customer acquisition strategy for not only my firm but potentially for many other businesses. This type of strategy allows a business to leverage the enthusiasm of existing customers to help attract new customers with the goal of fostering long-term relationships and driving sustainable growth."

—Megan Mosley, Marketing and Operations, Referral Rock

We have found that there's simply no better time to find customers than when they are actively looking for the services my company provides.

—Temmo Kinoshita, Co-Founder, Lindenwood Marketing

Adopting Inbound Marketing

"Inbound marketing can be an incredibly effective customer acquisition strategy. Rather than relying on word of mouth, referrals, paid advertising, or cold calling, inbound allows your customers come straight to you.

"Before they've even spoken to a salesperson, they have engaged with your content, may have determined that you are a thought leader in your industry, and could want what you're selling. [It can be] cheaper to get a lead from inbound than outbound activities. Plus, those leads could be more likely to be sales-ready. This approach could create shorter sales cycle, and you could potentially persuade these leads to buy more because they're already done research into your brand. We have had some of our biggest deals come through inbound. For our business, it's the gift that keeps on giving."

—Matthew Stibbe, CEO, Articulate Marketing

Targeting with Pay-Per-Click Ads

"Running pay-per-click ads that target customers actively searching for my agency's services has effectively driven customer acquisition for my business.

"In terms of execution, it has taken more than getting someone to click on your ad. Additionally, it is advisable to have an informative landing page that drives conversions, which in my case are meetings and having clients sign on. However, it all starts with properly targeted pay-per-click search ads. We have found that there's simply no better time to find customers than when they are actively looking for the services my company provides."

—Temmo Kinoshita, Co-Founder, Lindenwood Marketing

Attracting Customers Through Personal Branding

"Authors On Mission has harnessed the power of personal branding through books to attract customers. This strategy has proven highly successful because it taps into the dual potential of a book to provide value and build credibility.

"Our customers are professionals, entrepreneurs, and individuals with unique stories to tell. They seek a platform to establish authority, share knowledge, or inspire others. A published book serves as tangible evidence of their expertise or experience. It builds their personal brand while offering potential readers a valuable resource. Through our comprehensive “done-for-you” services, we help these aspiring authors actualize their dreams, ensuring a seamless journey from idea to a published book.

"This customer-centric approach, paired with the influential power of personal branding, is a win-win for our clients and us, creating a potent customer acquisition strategy."

—Vikrant Shaurya, CEO, Authors On Mission

Harnessing User Generated Content

"Our most effective customer acquisition strategy is using user generated content (UGC). UGC is created by people, not companies. If you've ever posted a photo of a tasty burger at your favorite restaurant on Instagram, that was UGC.

"The power of UGC as a customer acquisition strategy is in its authenticity. However, this doesn't mean leaving users entirely to their own devices. High quality UGC may require a structured framework that aligns with brand values while giving users the freedom to share their unique experiences. This delicate balance may require thorough knowledge of your customer base and thoughtful communication strategies.

"For example, a tech company that develops AI-based productivity tools could create a UGC campaign where users are encouraged to share their unique productivity hacks using their tool. The structure lies in focusing on the productivity angle, while the freedom is in how users integrate the tool into their daily routines."

—Michelle Burson, President and Co-Founder, MarComm

Executing Co-Marketing Campaigns

"During a co-marketing campaign, two or more businesses work together to develop and promote a single set of marketing materials. This strategy may allow both companies to gain access to the other's customer base and benefit from shared resources.

"To maximize the effectiveness of their co-marketing efforts, businesses may want to consider teaming up with other organizations that offer products and services that complement their own. By doing, so the marketing may hit home with both types of clients and deliver real value. Both businesses may get exposure and new leads by working together to create appealing content like webinars, whitepapers, and case studies.

"To increase the campaign's visibility and influence, it may be a good idea to promote it across multiple channels."

—Alexandra Cotes Daes, Social Media and Marketing Director, Toronto Flower Co.

Employing a Content Marketing Strategy

"Content marketing can be a very effective way for a marketing agency to acquire new customers. Creating and publishing high quality content that is relevant to a target audience could position the agency as an expert in the field and attract new leads.

"Creating and publishing high quality content can also put the brand in front of new customers. These leads can be captured using lead magnets, such as free e-books or webinars.

"Also, publishing high quality content on a website may help improve search engine ranking."

—Brenton Thomas, CEO, Twibi