Having launched a new business this year (insert shameless plug for Fablefaine) we have rapidly used up all of our initial investment capital on legals, branding, website builds, insurance and more. Thankfully this is not my first rodeo, and I have lots to share with you on why I’m not panicking about not being able to afford thousands on ad spend in year one. There is plenty you can do to get those initial all-important clients, without spending a penny on ads. The key thing is your time. Nothing else is as important, not just in the early months and years of building a new business, but at any stage as you grow.

And it’s not just that you don’t need ad spend to grow, it’s more than that – doing it organically fosters better, more productive and long-lasting relationships too. You’re not just a faceless pop up or something quickly forgotten on the scroll.

Importantly, I am not including social media at the top of this list, yes it’s important to have presence, but it is not a strategy in and of itself by any means. What’s more, if social media is something you’d rather not do - it’s not the end of the world, it is not compulsory, and it won’t set you up for failure if you avoid the ‘gram.

So what’s my number one:

1. Craft a powerful brand story & identity

If you are central to your brand then this should be a personal story, if, like my new business Fablefaine, the story is in the USP, then use that (we service only countryside locations and are committed to supporting rural heritage skills, landscapes and British business). We have connected with dozens of historic and rural homeowners looking for ways to diversify their income streams. And we know that our customers are not London-centric. Know your customer base. Next for that story is an aligned visual identity, one that speaks to your passion and purpose and overall mission for your business. It needs to be unique and stand out.

2. Collaborate with other creatives and small businesses

They will become your biggest champions, in the same way that you are theirs – building your community is vital. Get out and meet people, attend networking events, shows, markets that are within your niche. Use this time to assess which ones might be good to invest in in the future too – plan ahead for when you have more income. Word of mouth and referrals are one of the most powerful sales tools at your disposal – who are you more likely to book or buy from – someone a friend recommended or from a random ad on Facebook? See if you can collaborate on products or events, or other types of promotion (giveaways have their place but would not be my main focus here). Leveraging both of your small audiences is better than just one – grow together!

3.  Leverage social media for authentic engagement

Here I don’t mean posting endlessly. Be strategic about the time you spend with social media. Be sure to give not just take – this means supporting others with comments, likes and shares in your niche. Be consistent with your content and your visuals so people start to know, like and ultimately trust you. Join relevant Facebook Groups or sub-Reddits and be actively helpful (without selling) – if you become a top contributor people will seek you out via your profile so make sure it’s up to date and links to your business website or social media. Do not simply post links to your services or post about yourself – it’s an instant turn off. Only do this if someone has specifically requested recommendations or invited link dropping.

4. Work on building your authority

People buy from people they trust – this means demonstrating your skills and knowledge over time – this might be through your blog (SEO helps too!) or newsletter. This is the slow burn but pays off if you can be consistently generating high quality content that helps people in your industry. Pitch to relevant podcasts or speaker events. Get out there get seen and make connections wherever possible.

5. Utilise free online directories and local listings

There are a multitude of free online directories – research the ones that are in your niche and get on as many as you can – they will help build your website authority and show that you are an active brand in your industry. Make sure they are of a quality that aligns with your brand values, ethos and positioning in the market though – quality over quantity.

6. Create and share free or low cost, valuable resources

Again, be helpful in your content, use them as lead magnets to get people onto your email list -show how amazing you are and this will lead to paid work. Stay away from the constant tired discounts or freebies that should are things that should be paid for – this only devalues not only your work but others in your industry. High quality resources that help people decide what product or service to by are one of the best avenues to go down – guides, check lists, quizzes etc.

7. Create your own client database

Direct marketing is one of my most successful ways for getting clients, and you don’t need to spend hundreds on buying a list. Researching and creating a list of brands you would like to work with (if you are B2B) and crafting personalised emails to them showing you understand what their brand is, what they need, and clearly demonstrating how you can help them. Not every one will say yes, and that’s ok. Failure is part of the journey! You will get better at finding the best-aligned clients, crafting that email, or making that phone call perfectly, and build your portfolio. But in the early days it’s just a numbers game, it may take 10 emails, 50, 100, 1000  - but eventually someone will give you a chance. Then all you need to do is a good job!

Conclusion

Try these methods consistently, and track what works best. Measuring your efforts is vital – refine, improve and go again until you have perfected a consistent way of generating clients and move away from feast or famine. Even without a budget, persistence and courage opens many doors, an organic methods grow sustainable, loyal client bases.

Organic client attraction through creative methods is absolutely possible and honestly a lot more enjoyable too!

And if you’d like help crafting a unique-to-you, ad-free strategy please do get in touch - book a fee discovery call below!