Can an old dog learn new tricks? The answer is yes, and with all due respect, your business may be an old dog. Just because your business has stood the test of time and remained strong doesn’t mean there is not room for improvement. The business world does not stand still, and in order to keep up with its constant need to move and change, your business needs to adapt to it. Among other elements of business, methods for attracting clients seem to shift rapidly in line with cultural and market forces.

Welcome to the Digital World

In case you haven’t noticed, we now live in a predominantly digital world. That being said, the sad truth is that we spend most of our days in front of screens. Whether those are our phones, personal computers, work computers, or TVs, our eyes are practically glued to screens. However, as business people, this is less of a sad truth and more of an opportunity of which we should take advantage.

Email Marketing

One way to digitally attract new clients is with email marketing. Here, the crucial element to remember is that you employ responsive email design when dealing with email marketing. To revisit my previous blog on this subject, your email marketing messages must be legible and engaging, across a broad range of electronic devices. There is also the added perk that email marketing is advertising with a notification. Consumers will receive a notification on their device that a new email has arrived. Their curiosity inevitably gets the better of them, and they open their email apps. Whether they open the email itself depends on the enticement factor of your subject line. So, your first challenge is to get subscribers to open your email, only seeing your name and the first 45 characters of your subject line (more is generally cut off).

Social Media

Social media is quickly emerging as one of the top ways to both reach consumers and track behavior. In a previous blog (social media is an integral part of business), I stated that understanding how to best attract new clients through social media demonstrates that your business is able to stay current. Social media is not just for entertainment and opinion sharing. It is becoming the preferred method for attracting new clients with attention-grabbing ads and engaging promotions. Old businesses may have a company Facebook page, but converting to a highly active company that uses Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and even Snapchat to interact with consumers, enables your business to build relationships with a wider audience. Even putting your product or service on Groupon, a daily deal platform, is an excellent method for getting your brand name out there and converting consumer interest into trials and sales.

Updating Your Logo and Website

I know it might be difficult to revise or update a beloved logo, but revamping your company logo is like adding a fresh coat of paint, and can help to attract new eyes. One way to break through the media clutter is by making sure that your visual aesthetic is clear, pleasing, and meaningful. Although, doing this may require a make-over. This also applies to your website because design is constantly evolving and apps, websites, and software all keep pace with these changing trends. It is, therefore, important that your company’s website doesn’t fall behind in this process. Staying ahead of the game with a sleek new website design is a wonderful place to start.

Prove Expertise

Here is where established businesses thrive. No matter which accelerators or incubators are churning out these new businesses, nothing beats the experience of a survivor, and it is up to you to showcase yours. Seize the opportunity to exhibit your tenured position at networking events, through social media, in website content, and any other platform where you can reinforce your mature position through your valiant work experience. With new businesses on the rise, incumbent businesses have the advantage of already earning their stripes, and are often sought for this reason.

Get People Talking

Word of mouth marketing travels much further than many would think, and with the successful use of social media to spread awareness, your business has the potential to get a lot of people talking. You can sponsor an event or a fundraiser to benefit a cause close to your heart, and let the public know where your company stands on important issues. You could also get people talking through the use of premiums and promotions. Once again, social media is your friend in this arena. People love a deal, but they really love free gifts. So if you create an online contest (“Tag 3 of your friends you can win a free ___”), you have the potential to generate a good deal of interest (pun intended).

Just because your business has been around for a while, doesn’t mean there is not room to grow and learn. Just as an old dog can learn new tricks, your business can attract new clients by learning new marketing tactics. As always, your mileage may vary, so if you have other tactics that might be helpful (or have proven to be a complete waste of time), please let us know in the comments!