During these slow days of summer, I hear people complaining that business is flat. If you need more clients, consider these six ideas:
- Start blogging. The search engines love timely, content-rich blogs, particularly on niche topics. The more you blog, the more traffic you’ll get. Also, start posting comments at blogs written for the same target audiences you want to attract as clients. See “How to Pitch the Best Bloggers & Create a Publicity Explosion.”
- Get onto the speaking circuit. Create a short presentation on how people can solve the most pressing problem that ties into the product or service your company sells, or the cause or issue your nonprofit addresses. Dozens of service clubs are looking for luncheon and dinner speakers. This is what I did when I started my consulting business, and many people in my audiences hired me to help with their PR.
- Write articles for article directory sites. The biggest and best one is EzineArticles.com. Make sure the author resource box links to your website. But don’t let all that traffic arrive, then disappear. Capture email addresses at your site by offering something for free. I use Hover Ad Creator, powerful HTML coding that makes the sign-up box at my website bypass spam filters. See “Special Report #51: 55 Free Things You Can Offer to Generate Free Publicity or Capture People’s Email Addresses.”
-
If you sell publicity-related products or services, join The Publicity Hound’s Resources List. This is where I send callers when they want to know who I recommend to help them write press releases, proofread their copy, or contact the media on their behalf.
-
Call former clients and tell them you need more work. If they know business is slow, they will probably be glad to refer friends and business associates to you.
-
Take advantage of Craigslist. Call up the list the city closest to where you live and start posting tips on this free community bulleting board. Then link to your website. See “How to Use Craigslist as a Global Publicity Tool.”
If you’re a PR practitioner or a publicist, see “24 Ways to Attract Clients to Your PR Practice.”