You’re a successful small business, but you need more clients to get to the next level. How do you acquire them? You’ve got options, but it can be hard to know the right solution if you’re new to this game. Is it more cost-effective to generate prospects in-house? Is hiring a customer acquisition company worth the cost? What are the downsides? With so many small business marketing options, it can be confusing. Well, worry no longer. We’ve got the answers for you. Let’s get started!
Customer Acquisition Cost
Let’s start at the beginning – the most critical factor in whether to generate prospects in-house or outsource is to understand your customer acquisition cost (CAC) for each option. Sure, you might feel like you’re saving money by handling it in-house. But what if you consider overhead costs, extra staff, time spent creating small business marketing campaigns to produce leads, and the end result of those efforts? There’s the possibility you might save yourself time and energy – and money – when you outsource.
Bottom line? Don’t assume that because you can do it in-house, it’s the most productive. Or cost-effective.
Ways to Generate Leads In-House
Your small business marketing plan needs campaigns to reach new prospects and move them down and into the sales funnel. There are many tried and true ways to generate leads in-house. And even if you outsource some customer acquisition, it’s valuable to have in-house options as well. More resources mean more ways to connect with your prospects!
1. Create a top-notch website: Your audience is looking for a website that is informative, clear, professional, and helpful. If you haven’t updated your website lately, or even worse – you don’t have one – now is the time.
2. Get active on social media: We know! It might not be your cup of tea, but it’s what your consumers are on. And if you aren’t on there, your audience may be finding your competitors instead of you.
3. Ask for referrals: Do you have happy customers? Great! Ask them for a referral. 93% of customers read reviews before committing to a purchase!
4. Keep in touch: Conduct regular check-in calls to make sure customers are happy. And keep in touch with past referrals to continue nurturing those leads.
5. Network: Are you part of organizations, charities, or groups that can help your business grow? Get to know businesses that are similar and in complementary spaces.
6. Send emails: Email marketing is a free, easy way to connect with current and future prospects. Send out a regular newsletter, information on sale promotions, news about your business, or helpful information for your audience.
7. Give ads a try. Google is a great way to connect with new consumers, but it requires some time and energy to get it done right. With a bit of investment, you can get more consumers calling you directly.
8. Be creative. You know your business better than anyone. What are great ways to connect with more prospective clients? Think outside of the box and do something your competitors haven’t thought of.
Now that you’ve got a lead generation plan, do you think you can set it and forget it? Not a chance. The most important aspect of your small business marketing plan is never to stop making changes. What works one day might not work the following. So, staying on top of your metrics, knowing what campaign works and why, is key to your ongoing success.
Outsourcing Customer Acquisition
Now that you know what it takes to generate leads in-house, what’s the other option? Outsourcing the leads to a professional company can certainly save you time. As you can see, your small business marketing plan is a full-time job. And the decision is ultimately what makes the most sense for your business. But let’s consider some immediate benefits of outsourcing customer acquisition:
1. Save time. Overall, outsourcing means spending more time doing what you do best and leaving the marketing, tracking, monitoring, A/B testing, etc., to a professional. All you do is collect the leads, win them over, and grow your business.
2. Increase your revenue. Work smarter, not harder. You’ll close more business with qualified consumers when your prospects are vetted.
3. Reach more prospects in more places. A professional marketing firm can manage more marketing on more platforms. And that means more opportunities connected with you.
If that isn’t enough reasons for you, check out our blog, 7 Benefits to Outsourcing Your Customer Marketing Solutions.
How to Get Started
When the hassle of generating leads in-house has worn you down, or you’ve just decided it’s time to kick it up a notch, LeadingResponse is here to help ease your load. Our marketing consultants are experts in your industry and can create campaigns for your small business to connect you with qualified, motivated prospects. Let’s get started.