10 Marketing Strategies to Attract New Clients in a Tough Economy
Jun 19, 2023
Today, we're exploring grassroots marketing strategies that can make a real difference for your business during a recession. When economic times get tough, it's time to get creative and leverage the power of community engagement. As a business strategist, one of the most popular questions my clients (let's face it I think it a lot, too) is, "how do I get new clients right now?"
The best part is - most of these marketing strategies (95% of them) are OFFLINE. Aka, no social required. You can take action and then step away from your phone or laptop. And it works! Read my last post about our Quantum leap, you can see it in real life.
But also, if you haven't already - go grab my anti-social framework so you can take these steps and expand even more and buy back your time and energy.
What is Grassroots Marketing?
If you are reading and wondering, what the heck does grassroots mean, here is a textbook definition: Grassroots marketing, especially in a recession, refers to a strategic approach where businesses rely on grassroots efforts and community engagement to promote their products or services. It involves leveraging local networks, word-of-mouth, and cost-effective marketing techniques to maximize reach and impact.
How to Use Grassroots Marketing in Your Business
Here's what grassroots marketing in a recession could look like:
- Community Involvement: Businesses actively participate in community events, sponsor local initiatives, or collaborate with non-profit organizations. By aligning themselves with community causes and demonstrating genuine support, they build strong relationships and earn trust.
- Referral Programs: Implementing referral programs that incentivize existing customers to refer new customers can be highly effective. By offering rewards, discounts, or exclusive benefits, businesses encourage satisfied customers to spread positive word-of-mouth and drive new sales.
- Social Media Engagement: Utilizing social media platforms, businesses engage with their audience directly, share valuable content, and encourage conversations. They respond promptly to customer inquiries, address concerns, and foster a sense of community online.
- Guerrilla Marketing: This unconventional and low-cost marketing strategy involves creative and attention-grabbing tactics to generate buzz. Examples include street art, flash mobs, or public stunts that spark curiosity and conversation about the business.
- Local Partnerships: Forming partnerships with other local businesses that complement your products or services can be mutually beneficial.
Co-hosting events, cross-promoting each other's offerings, or creating joint marketing campaigns can increase visibility and attract new customers.
- Customer Testimonials and Reviews: Encouraging satisfied customers to provide testimonials or online reviews helps establish credibility and influence potential customers. Testimonials can be featured on the business website, social media channels, or shared with local publications.
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- Community-Based Advertising: Targeting advertising efforts to specific local communities or neighborhoods can be more cost-effective than broad-scale campaigns. This can include advertising in local newspapers, radio stations, community bulletin boards, or sponsoring local sports teams or events.
- Content Marketing and Thought Leadership: Establishing yourself as an expert in your industry through informative blog posts, articles, or videos can attract attention and build trust with potential customers.
By providing valuable insights and helpful resources, businesses position themselves as trusted authorities. - Personalized Customer Experiences: Going the extra mile to provide exceptional customer service and personalized experiences can create loyal customers who become advocates for the business. Word-of-mouth recommendations from satisfied customers can be powerful during a recession.
- Grassroots Networking: Actively participating in industry-specific networking events, local business associations, or trade shows provides opportunities to build connections and develop mutually beneficial relationships with other entrepreneurs and potential customers.
By focusing on building genuine relationships, providing value, and maximizing the impact of limited resources, businesses can thrive even in challenging economic times.
Grassroots marketing requires creativity, resourcefulness, and a deep understanding of the local community. We can do business differently. Together.
Resources
- Read about our Quantum Leap in this recent blog post.
- Get my Anti-Social framework and create a targeted business strategy that actually produces clients and doesn't rely on an algorithm.
- In this podcast episode, I share how my client Karen used local marketing and networking to 10X her business exposure.
Looking for more on this topic and your High-Level Action items? Check out the Strategy Lab in the Crush the Rush Club!
