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Customer acquisition is being able to attract new customers to your business. In marketing, acquiring and retaining customers are the two most important things to sustaining growth. However, only 44% of companies focus their marketing efforts on customer acquisition. So, here are 5 strategies that will help you acquire new customers as a freelancer.

1. PPC Advertising Vastly Improves Your Ability to Scale

With PPC advertising, you are able to set a budget and receive almost instantaneous returns which would most likely not be possible with other methods of advertising. As long as you have a compelling message for your target audience, PPC also allows you to compete with corporate giants who have a lot of money to spend on marketing. Google ads account for 65% of clicks for commercial keyword searches.   

2. Providing Value is the Best Way to Gain Trust

Exceptional customer experience can lower your customer acquisition costs by around 33% for example, Google is one of the world’s biggest companies however, most people that use its products and service do not pay the conglomerate Gmail, Search, YouTube can all be used for free. The value that Google offers at no cost is invaluable.

3. Customer Referrals are The Best Way to Earn Instant Credibility

Referral programs are also a great way in which information about your brand can be passed on. Even though this may seem like a low-tech of basic method of customer acquisition, it is effective nonetheless. Customer a likely going to tell their family and friends about a brand irrespective of their experience so try and make sure it is a good one.   

The customers you have gained through referrals generally have a 37% higher rate of retention and 81% of consumers are most likely to engage with reward programs. If you want customers to believe in your brand, you need to build credibility and establish trust. By leveraging consumers who believe in your brand, you will experience conversions at a much lower cost.

4. Content Marketing is a Necessity

Statistics show that content marketing gets three times more leads than paid search advertising. The problem is that 65% of freelancers find it difficult when producing engaging content and a large 60% admit that they do not produce content in a consistent manner.

When you are providing valuable information in a consistent fashion, you will quickly be a trusted source of information and content. Content marketing is not just written information and you can deliver in various formats, which include:

· Charts / graphs

· Infographics

· How-to guides

· Cartoon illustrations

· Surveys

· Quizzes

· Videos

· Polls

· User Generated Content

It has been observed that 79% of marketers have seen an increase in traffic when adding videos, graphics etc. and/or other interactive mediums to their website. Therefore, integrating different content in your marketing strategy has become essential.

5. Social Media is a “Must Use” Tool.

Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram have experienced a rapid increase in popularity. This naturally led to social media being a big focus as a marketing tool. It is imperative for business and freelancers to understand that brand recognition is crucial and with social media, you have a platform that can be used for free to achieve just that.

The Secret of Search Study found that 82% of participants had selected brands that they were already familiar with when they were asked to search for items online. Therefore, your target audience needs to know that your brand exists and social media can provide a cost effective way to do that.