I’ve been running my business since 2015 and since then, I’ve spent NO money on paid advertising to gain clients. In fact, for many years of my business, I didn’t really market at all. I would post on Instagram/Facebook, and occasionally answer an ISO post in a group. But, the majority of my clients came from other sources. While marketing is important for your business, I haven’t always made it a priority. Instead, I’ve focused on a few other things to help bring clients in the door. Let’s talk about how to build a business with almost no marketing!

Before we dive in, I do want to say one thing: I am NOT saying not to market your business. It’s important to do things like post on social media, write blogs, and have a presence online. They DO matter in showing that you know your stuff and you’re legit. But, I also don’t think it’s the only way to build a client base. And I definitely don’t think you have to do paid advertising or marketing to find new clients. So, just keep all of that in mind as you read my tips below.

#1: Provide a great customer service

Honestly, I talk about this a lot. Being a service provider as a content writer and virtual assistant requires that our customer service game is on it’s point. I am not one to preach customer service at the sake of losing your sanity, but I think being good at what you do is only half the equation. You need to show up consistently, on time (if not EARLY), communicate well, and be good at your job to succeed. And if you can do all of those things, you’re going to have clients that love working with you. What do clients who love a service do? They share you name and business with their friends and biz besties. SO many of my clients came from referrals I got from my current clients because I demonstrated I was an invaluable team member and brought results for them. When others can market on your behalf, you’re doing something right.

#2: Provide incentives for your current clients

Our work isn’t always as stable as we’d love it to be. Let’s be real. People have to leave or cancel things because of finances or their work changing. When we have new spots open up, we offer incentives to our current clients to bring new names to us. An Amazon gift card can go a long way! This is a great way to have more word of mouth marketing done on your behalf. I wouldn’t rely on it 100% of the time, but it’s an easy way to remind folks that you’re opening spots again!

#3: Create a waitlist

Alright, so this one might require a little bit of marketing. But the idea of a waitlist is a GAME CHANGER. Put a contact form on your website that lets people know you aren’t opening spots now but they can join the list to be notified when one is open. This will build up a list of warm audience members who are ready to invest in you when they can. I was so nervous when I started doing this, but it does help! When you’re ready to open new client spots, email your list a few times with how to start the process – and you’ll be amazed how quickly you can get responses. I do recommend doing a week or two of posts before those emails go out so that you can drum up more interest (see, a little marketing required) but nothing too crazy!

The bottom line to building a business with little to no marketing is creating an experience that people WANT to talk about. If you can create something that’s special, people will rave about you and be ready to go as soon as you’re available. Work hard to create a positive experience from the start and then show up, doing your job well every single day. It makes a huge difference. Trust me!

Read more tips about finding your first client here!

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