Are you looking to attract more business? The best way to lure new customers is through effective marketing practices. Often times, however, it’s hard to know where to start. Here are a few tips on how you can attract more customers to your firm.

Define Your Target

The first step to successful marketing is to define your ideal customer. Is there a certain demographic you would like to attract? Are there specific services you’d like to expand? Once you decide your target market, you can easily adapt advertising tactics to attract new business.

Consider Your Options

What type of advertising media do you want to use in order to reach your target market –

a. Newspaper ads
b. Radio
c. TV spots
d. Billboards
e. Postcards
f. Letters

If you live in a college town, a school newspaper or publication might work best for you. If you live in a city, a billboard might attract the most interest. Local radio and TV spots work well most everywhere. And mailings to local residents are a great way to let people know what you’re all about. One very important thing to remember, no matter which media outlet you take, is to focus on the things you do - be it superior customer service or the additional services you offer - that set you aside from your competitors.

Perhaps the most effective marketing tool these days is the World Wide Web. An online presence is argumentatively the easiest way to reach the greatest number of people at the lowest cost to you. Once you have a web presence, you can include your web address on all mailings and advertisements and drive people to your site to check for additional information on the services you provide, as well as correspond with you electronically. You may wish to also consider joining a social media outlet such as Facebook or Twitter or creating an online blog to notify current customers and potential clients of recent changes to tax laws, deadlines, new services you offer, etc.

An easy way to remind both potential and current clients of your business is to send periodical emails, holiday cards, or birthday greetings. And don’t forget another very effective marketing tool – your current clients. Consider offering some type of incentive for referrals. Perhaps you could offer a cash incentive, a gift certificate to a local restaurant, or a discount on future services for each new customer you attract through word-of-mouth advertising.

Make a Plan

Organize your marketing plan by developing a marketing calendar. Decide what message you want to send at given times during the year. For example, January might be a good time to let taxpayers know you’re ready for their business, late March might be a good time to remind them it’s not too late to file an extension, and June might be a good time to remind them of any services you offer that could keep your business running all year. Once your message is defined, assign which media outlets you wish to use. Remember media outlets such as radio, TV, and print publications have very specific deadlines and include those dates on your calendar as well.

Marketing your business is not an exact science, but maybe these tips will start you on your way.