8 Actionable Ways to Get Your Startup’s First 100 Customers

What’s the one thing that every merchantry wants? Is it money, fame, or uncounted resources? The wordplay is quite simple—customers. Having customers is the sure-shot way of ensuring that your merchantry stays unsinkable in the long run. No matter how good your product or services are, without people ownership what you sell, you won’t reach anywhere. However, establishing a consumer wiring is one of the most challenging things a merchantry has to do, expressly if you are just starting.

If you moreover run a startup and want some ideas to build your consumer base, you have come to the right place. Here we requite some tried and tested ways to get your first 100 customers.

1. Use your existing network and build on it

Using an existing network of friends and family is something every merchantry does without plane consciously strategizing it. You tell your friends and family well-nigh your merchantry and hope someone will make a purchase. That’s how it starts. 

However, with a bit of planning, you can significantly enhance your reach plane with your existing network. Here’s what you can do.

• Ask your friends and family to spread the word of your merchantry among their whirligig by tagging you on their social media handles. 
• If you once run a business, ask your existing customers to try your new startup’s products or services. It will be far easier to convince those once happy with your current merchantry and will have a unrepealable value of trust in you.
• You can moreover target the existing regulars of a product similar to yours by conducting market research.
• Reach out to your investors to spread the word well-nigh your merchantry in their circles. They will happily do it as they have upper stakes in your merchantry and most investors have an impressive network.

2. Start a blog

“The pen is mightier than the sword” is an timeworn saying, which still holds merit. However, in the digital world, it translates into blogs. With the internet and your blogs, you have the power to reach the unshortened world. Now a question comes to mind—Why blogs and not anything else? Here’s why:

• Blogs enable you to connect with like-minded people and build lasting relationships. 
• Blogs tell your readers what your merchantry offers and how it can resolve their problems.
• With your blogs, you can show others you are an expert in your business, and they can rely on you for answers.
• Blogs are moreover a unconfined way to bring online traffic and validity to your website. 
• They moreover help you set the tone of your merchantry in front of potential customers. 
• You moreover get instant feedback from people on your products or services through blogs.

You can share your product stories and proceeds loyal customers and influencers for your merchantry through your blogs. 

3. Increase your reach with unprepossessed calls and emails

If you can get your first 100 customers with your existing network, it’s incredible. However, eventually, you will need to reach out to strangers or potential customers, and that’s when unprepossessed calls and emails come into the picture.

Cold emails are emails you send to people who may be interested in your services but don’t know you yet. Unprepossessed emails are most constructive when you have a bilateral connection with the sender that you can use as a reference. A prime example of that is an email sent by the co-founder and CEO of Zapier Wade Foster sent to Andrew Warner.

No matter how good your email is, there are unchangingly chances that the person may delete it without reading it. In contrast, calls are harder to ignore. Try unprepossessed calls and talk to your potential buyers and understand why they want to or do not want to make a purchase.

4. Requite yonder freebies

One thing consumers find nonflexible to resist is freebies. Whether it is your product sample or a trial demo of your softwares, you can hands convince potential consumers to purchase if they liked your product during self-ruling trials. You can plane share a promo code with your potential customers to remoter lure them into the purchase.

However, you need to ensure that the user wits when the potential customers use your service is exceptional; otherwise, you will lose a consumer forever. It is the stage where you can win their trust or lose it entirely as first impressions matter.

“What do you need to start a business? Three simple things: know your product largest than anyone. Know your customer, and have a urgent desire to succeed.” – Dave Thomas

5. Use the power of paid advertising

Advertisements have been one of the most constructive tools in the marketing storehouse for a long time. And with digital platforms like social media and search engines, paid razzmatazz reach has increased exponentially.

The micro-targeting options and cost-effectiveness make online razzmatazz one of the most efficient tools for startups to increase their consumer base. You can opt for search ads on Google, Bing, and other search engines. You can moreover segregate walkout ads and video ads on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

6. Leverage online forums and communities

There are multiple online forums and communities like Quora, Reddit, and Inbound, where like-minded people share views, ideas, and opinions on everything. 

The power of online forums is that most people trust products or services that proceeds positive feedback from users. It helps you build trust among your potential customers. People who like your product will happily promote it on these forums through various means. If someone comes looking, they will see the proof through other’s opinions. 

7. Don’t forget well-nigh social media

In the current age, the power of social media is unbeatable. Nearly 4.8  billion people use social media in 2021, which ways your potential consumer reach on social media can be massive.

There are multiple ways through which you can leverage social media for your merchantry to proceeds customers. Some of them are:

• Influencer marketing: Influencers are people on social media who have thousands of followers. They have the power to influence their followers through their content. You can interreact with such influencers to promote your business.
• Social media buzz: Creating a whoosh factor with your posts, tweets, and videos on social media platforms can quickly help you proceeds your first 100 customers. Follow the trends on social media and use them to build your rapport with potential customers. You can talk well-nigh your special offers, competitions, etc., to create the buzz.

8. Have 1-o-1 with your clients

One thing that is good well-nigh the initial stages of your merchantry is that you have fewer responsibilities and increasingly time on your hands. Use that time to connect with your existing clients and understand their problems. Ask for feedback well-nigh your product or services and implement those changes. 

It helps you develop long-lasting relationships with your initial customers and build your brand value in the market. 

Conclusion

These are just a few ways to find your first 100 customers. There are unchangingly increasingly things you can try during the initial stages to increase your reach and revenue. It is all well-nigh researching the market and understanding what works weightier with your target audience.