9 Zero to Low-Cost Ways to Attract New Customers to Your Small Business

If you’re struggling to get customers for your business, then this blog article is for you. 

Small businesses in Perth have it tough right now. With the skyrocketing cost of living and rising interest rates, customers are pressing pause on their spending. But I still believe there are plenty of customers to go around, and you can definitely find people to buy from you (even in this economy).

You just need to know how. 

When you’re running a small business on a tight budget, spending hundreds on Facebook ads, which many marketing agencies will ask you to do, just isn’t realistic.

In this guide, I’ll show you 8 practical, low-cost strategies to consistently attract new customers to your small business. You don’t need expensive tools or a big budget, just some consistency. 

Why Most Small Businesses in Perth Fail to Attract New Customers

First, let’s talk about why your small business is struggling to get customers right now. As a digital marketing consultant, I’ve seen Perth small businesses’ sales stagnate because of these common mistakes:

You’re not online. I always say that your website/social media handle is like your business card. If people can’t find you or learn about you online, they will go to a competitor who can give them more information. 

You’re selling to everyone. Trying to appeal to “everyone” means you appeal to no one. The first step in marketing is always knowing who you’re selling to and building your marketing around them. 

Inconsistent marketing. Marketing is a daily effort. If you’re posting 2 blogs a month and then going MIA for 3 months, you don’t build momentum. 

Relying only on word-of-mouth. Word-of-mouth is extremely unpredictable, more so in a bad economy. If that’s your only strategy, you’re giving away all your control in your customers’ hands.

Lack of trust signals. ‘Trust signals’ are testimonials, reviews, and case studies. If your business doesn’t have these, your customers might not think you’re able to solve their needs. 

So, how do we attract new customers to your small business? Here are 9 free and paid (but affordable) ways you can start today.

Free Ways to Attract New Customers to Your Small Business

1. Optimise Your Google Business Profile 

Creating and updating your Google Business Profile is one of the lowest-hanging fruit for getting new customers, and it’s completely free.

Your Google Business Profile is one of the first things that appear when someone searches for your business or services on Google. It is a critical part of boosting your local SEO, so that when someone searches “plumber near me” or “best café in Perth,” Google shows your business profile.

Here’s how you can optimise your listing: 

• Claim and verify your listing if you haven’t already
• Add photos of your shop, products and staff. Research shows that businesses with photos have stronger customer engagement. 
• Make sure your business hours, services, phone number, website, and address are consistently updated 
• Use keywords that people search for in your description 

2. Stay Active on Social Media 

Social media is one of the best ways to attract customers. Many social media followers are ‘lurkers’, and they won’t actively engage with your brand until they buy. 

My tip is to choose 1-2 platforms where your audience actually hangs out, and focus your attention there. Here’s a graph that shows you the popular social media platforms used by different age groups in Australia. 

Source: We Are Social 

LinkedIn is missing from the data, but the platform is highly useful if you’re a B2B professional service provider. Meanwhile, we see younger generations being highly active on TikTok and Instagram. 

The best practice for a small businesses is to post at least twice a week. Here are the different types of content you can do:

• Educational: Tips, how-tos, FAQs
• Curiosity-building: Lead with a hook, explain the problem, and then end with a ‘learn more’ CTA
• Relatable: Behind-the-scenes, your story, customer wins
• Promotional: Offers, new products/services (use this sparingly and only for promo seasons)

3. Connect with Your Community

For local businesses, being involved with the local community is one of the best, free ways to market your business. 

Here are some ideas: 

• Join local Facebook groups, particularly ones with your potential customers in them
• Collaborate with other local businesses for giveaways
• Host a workshop at your local library or school
• Share community content on your social media 
• Post on community billboards around your suburb
• Partner with charity organisations that need the extra help

If your business is a part of a community event, don’t forget to include your business in all promotional materials. Be sure to also share these on your social media page. 

4. Ask for Reviews 

People trust online reviews almost as much as personal recommendations. Did you know that 93% of consumers say online reviews impact their buying decision? 

Most customers will give you a good review if you ask, and it’s not the end of the world if they don’t. So what’s the harm in asking? Make it easier for them by sending them a direct link to your Google Business Profile review page or scanning a QR code. 

Add these testimonials to your website and social media (unless you’re part of the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, in which case you’re not allowed to). Reviews are free marketing, so ask for them consistently and respond to every single one.

Now, let’s look at ways to get more customers when you have more budget to spare. Paying for marketing eventually gives you better quality results, so I’d highly suggest investing some money – your business will thank you in the long run.

Paid Ways to Attract New Customers to Your Small Business 

5. Use a Lead Magnet Strategy

A lead magnet strategy is a customer acquisition strategy method that uses a ‘magnet’ to draw customers into learning more about your brand. You’ll see many examples of it on social media, like these ones. 

Here’s a step-by-step on how you can do it: 

1. Create a lead magnet, which is a piece of content or a promotion that interests your potential customers
2. Advertise the lead magnet on social media or Google, asking your customers to download the content, take the assessment, or claim their reward 
3. Get their email address, which they will need to fill out before getting their reward or content
4. Use their email to build an email marketing strategy and connect with them through other useful content 
5. With the right approach and building a likable brand through these emails, you can turn your leads into paying customers

Read more about developing a solid lead generation campaign on my other blog: “Content Strategy for Startups: How to Go From Zero Traffic to Leads”

6. Create Helpful Website Content

Content marketing is one of the best long-term strategies for attracting new customers to a small business. It builds trust, answers your customers’ questions, and can bring in the right customers through SEO.

Website content can be in the form of blog posts, videos, eBooks, and case studies, among others. Don’t make every piece of content a sales pitch. Educate, inform, and help, and the sales will follow.

Creating content does take time and effort, as you’ll probably have to spend on costs for a copywriter. So plan your budget and decide if it’s the right approach for you. 

7. Advertise on Social Media

A lead magnet isn’t the only thing that you can advertise. Many social media advertisements are extremely well done and can bring the right customers to your door. I would suggest this especially during seasonal times. Start with a $5 ad budget and go from there. 

Here are two good social media ads that I’ve seen recently

Why this ad works: Simple, without just the right amount of marketing. It builds on emotional connection and shows that it understands its customers’ problem (a tradie who has no time). It then proposes its business as a solution. 

Why this ad works: A good promotional advertisement with an interesting, attractive offer. The business owners are also in the advertisements, which has been shown to build more trust. 

8. Build Your Referral Platform

Word-of-mouth shouldn’t be the only marketing you do, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it at all. Consider getting customers to refer other customers to you with an offer. 

People love a good deal, and they love feeling like they’re getting something exclusive. Offers create urgency (“buy now before it’s gone”) and escalate word-of-mouth to other potential buyers. 

Here are the different types of referral offers you can use for your small business:

9. Connect With Emails

Most businesses focus on acquiring new customers and forget to nurture existing or partially interested ones. This is where email copywriting and marketing are important. 

It’s much cheaper and easier to sell to someone who already knows you than a brand-new customer. So start building a contact list by collecting emails through your website, checkout pages, or a lead generation strategy. 

Once you have that, share valuable tips, updates from your company, and try building as much of a personal brand as possible. No one likes spammy emails, but they won’t unfollow brands with good updates and emails that are curated to their personal preference. 

Bonus Tip! Invest in an Affordable Marketing Package

Marketing can be tough, especially if you don’t know what you’re doing. Most small business owners are better off spending time running their business and outsourcing their marketing to a third party. 

So consider investing in a retainer marketing package with a local agency for small businesses. This saves you time, and allows you to focus on your business – while having an expert handle your growth. 

You’ll want someone who delivers results, yet won’t charge you an arm and a leg like many traditional agencies. At Inkspot Marketing, my content marketing packages are made specifically for small businesses in Perth that don’t have the budget but want to market their products or services. 

Each month, I’ll prioritise what needs to be done first to give you the best results. It could be cleaning up your Google My Business, emailing your customers, or cleaning up your blogs. You’ll work with me in a flexible package that you can pause anytime. 

To learn more about these content marketing packages, visit our pricing page, or send me a note and let’s chat. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I attract customers without advertising?
Here are some non-advertising ways to get customers to your small business: update your Google Business Profile, post consistently on social media (at least twice a week), ask for reviews from your current customers, always update your website with helpful content, and connect with your local community through Facebook groups or even on Reddit. 

What is the fastest way to get new customers?
The fastest way to get new customers is through advertisements, either on Meta or Google. You’ll have to invest some money in both these strategies, and your creative (i.e. your advertising image and copy) has to be top-notch. You can also consider offering a limited-time promotion or referral incentive to get new customers.

Does social media really work for small businesses?
Absolutely! Social media is a great way for your small business to be online, and you’ll be able to connect with your customers better, too. But you must be consistent and strategic. Choose 1-2 platforms where your audience hangs out, post educational and relatable content regularly, and always reply to comments. 

What if I don’t have time to do all of this?
If you don’t have time, consider outsourcing to a freelancer or agency that can do it for you. To be honest, you’re also better off spending your time running your own business than marketing it. At Inkspot Marketing, I can handle all parts of your content marketing, such as SEO, blogs, emails, and social media. My pricing is affordable for small businesses, without compromising on the value and results of a local agency. 

Can I use these strategies if I’m brand new with no customers yet?
Absolutely. In fact, these strategies are perfect for brand-new businesses. Start by updating your Google Business Profile, starting your social media pages, and fine-tuning your local SEO. You can also consider running ads to attract your first few customers, and get your friends and family to review your business.