10 client acquisition strategies that work (with examples)

Looking for ways to keep your business growing? Acquiring new customers is key!

There are a lot of client acquisition strategies, but not all of them are effective (trust me, I’ve tried many!).

That’s why I’ve put together this article based on my experience helping numerous businesses succeed. It outlines 10 proven strategies to acquire new clients.

Each strategy comes with a quick explanation of how to use it and how you can leverage Copilot to streamline your business processes.

Let’s dive in.

What is client acquisition? 

Client acquisition is simply getting new customers for your business.

This can be done through content marketing, sales, or even referrals from existing or former customers. The ultimate goal is to convince prospects that your product or service is the best choice for them.

Client acquisition is crucial because it’s like watering a plant—it helps your business grow!

Here’s why:

• More customers means more sales: New clients bring in fresh money, which keeps your business running and allows you to invest in even more growth.
• Spreads the word: Growing your client base increases brand awareness, which in turn can attract even more potential clients.
• Keeps things exciting: A steady flow of new clients can help your business innovate and improve your offerings to stay competitive.

However, there’s a catch — it can be expensive!

In some industries, acquiring a new client can cost five to seven times more than keeping an existing one!

Before diving into specific client acquisition strategies, let’s explore how much it might cost to attract a new client this year and how to calculate costs.

The costs of acquiring a new client in 2024

To understand how much it takes to bring in a new client, you have to calculate the client acquisition costs.

However, there’s no standard client acquisition cost (CAC) formula because of the varied and unique needs of different industries.

For example, Uber’s two-sided platform needs significant investment to acquire both drivers and users, while Netflix’s CAC is driven by content acquisition and production costs.

Generally, there are a few key categories that will determine your CAC:

1. Industry
2. Channel performance
3. Quality of leads
4. Sales efficiency

Industry

Different industries have vastly different CACs.

Here’s a look at some common software-as-a-service CACs based on data collected by FirstPageSage:

Channel performance

Not all marketing channels are created equal! The performance and cost-effectiveness of different marketing channels vary a lot!

Social media, for instance, can be incredibly cost-efficient if done successfully.

Paid advertising might work for a while — until it suddenly doesn’t.

SEO, email marketing, and influencer marketing all have their own costs and effectiveness to consider.

Quality of leads

High-quality leads with a genuine interest and a good fit for your offering usually convert at a higher rate.

More quality leads potentially mean a higher client acquisition rate and lower overall acquisition costs.

Sales efficiency

A smooth and efficient sales funnel minimizes unnecessary steps and speeds up the rate at which leads become customers. Consequently, this can lead to lower CAC because you spend less time and resources closing deals.

10 client acquisition strategies

At this point, one of your key questions to answer should be the following: “How do I get more clients without disproportionately increasing costs?”

While creativity is necessary, some tried-and-true methods can help strike this balance.

I’ve put together a list of ten client acquisition strategies and shared my personal tips on how you can implement them.

Here are my favorite client acquisition strategies:

1. Become a thought leader on LinkedIn
2. Create optimized content for rankings
3. Build and nurture an email list
4. Launch a referral program
5. Network within your niche
6. Run display and search ads
7. Leverage influencer marketing
8. Use a powerful CRM software
9. Cultivate mutually beneficial partnerships
10. Offer free trials and demos

Feel free to use some ideas for your business. However, keep in mind that these strategies need customization to fit your business needs. You know your customers best!

1. Become a thought leader on LinkedIn

Four of every five LinkedIn members are business decision-makers, including IT professionals, C-level executives, small business owners, and more.

That’s why growing your personal brand on LinkedIn and getting in front of your target audience can help you acquire new clients organically.

Here’s how you can get started:

1. Optimize your profile
2. Share relatable content
3. Engage with your audience

Your profile picture on LinkedIn makes the first impression. So, ensure it is high-quality and professional.

Moreover, use a headline that clearly communicates what you do and how you can help your prospects.

Like this:

Relatable content resonates with your audience because it touches on experiences, emotions, or challenges they can identify with. It helps you connect with them on a personal level and build trust.

Think about common struggles you face in your field or even wins you’ve celebrated. When your network sees themselves in your posts, they’re more likely to engage and remember you.

For example, Gary Vaynerchuk’s short and appealing posts often get thousands of likes and comments.

Remember, you can engage with your audience by responding to their comments and interacting with their content.

Your goal here isn’t just to network with other creators. You are trying to attract prospects who can potentially become your clients.

2. Create optimized content for rankings 

According to Brightedge research, companies generate 2X more revenue from organic search than any other channel.

This makes SEO one of the most effective client acquisition strategies.

While SEO requires ongoing work and patience, the long-term benefits of high rankings and organic traffic make it a worthwhile investment.

Sharing my SEO content creation strategy would take too long to read this post. That’s why I’ll share the key points below. For more insights, check my post on how to get SEO clients.

1. Target the right keywords: Identify keywords your website can realistically rank for in organic search results.
2. Create content worth reading: Create informative content that resonates with your audience and addresses their search intent.
3. Optimize it for rankings: Use on-page optimization strategies to make your content searchable.

At Copilot, we actively invest in SEO by creating high-quality how-to blog posts, checklists, and guides, like the one you are reading now, to establish a solid online presence and attract the target audience from organic search results.

The screenshot below shows our organic traffic has been consistently growing despite never-ending Google algorithm updates.

Our success isn’t just about SEO.

Copilot builds a world-class platform where service businesses can thrive — onboard clients, deliver services, and get paid — all in one place!

Positive user experience translates into better rankings over time!

If you are looking for an all-in-one client management platform to streamline your business, try Copilot — a 14-day free trial.

3. Build and nurture an email list

An email list is one of the most valuable assets your business should have.

Why?

Unlike all the other client acquisition channels, you own it!

Even if Google goes crazy and LinkedIn makes it impossible to reach potential clients organically, you’ll still have your audience in your email list.

That’s why you should grow your email list from day one!

Here’s how you can leverage this client acquisition strategy to your advantage:

• Lead magnets: Offer valuable incentives (ebooks, whitepapers, or discount codes) in exchange for an email address.
• Pop-ups: If used effectively without annoying users, pop-ups can capture email addresses effectively.
• Promote signups on social media: Include clear calls to action and signup forms on your social media platforms.
• Optimize your website for signups: Place strategic signup forms with call-to-actions (CTAs) throughout your website, including high-traffic landing pages and blog posts.
• Partner with other companies: Collaborate with complementary businesses to cross-promote email lists.

For example, at Copilot, we offer various workspace templates, such as this marketing agency template. Companies can use it to communicate with clients, collect payments, track project updates and analytics, and much more.

All templates are available for free and only require users to register with their email addresses. This lets us communicate with our prospects directly and encourage them to use Copilot.

4. Launch a referral program

In addition to traditional advertising, you can turn your existing happy customers into promoters for your business.

Positive word-of-mouth recommendations from happy clients hold more weight and inspire more trust than any ad campaign.

Encourage them to actively spread the word about your business through a referral program.

Here’s how:

1. Choose the rewards to offer.
2. Let your customers know about the program and the incentives.
3. Give out rewards to those who participate.

The key is to find a balance between offering an attractive incentive that motivates customers and maintaining healthy profit margins.

Once your referral program is up and running, inform your existing customers about it and show appreciation to those who actively participate!

For instance, Robinhood, a platform for retail investors, offers gift stocks worth up to $1,500 for every new client referred, which is a great way to acquire new clients.

5. Network within your niche

If you make friends with important people in your niche, it can open doors to new business deals, working together on projects, and even B2B client acquisition.

Industry events and meetups are places where you can meet potential customers and connect with them.

You can build genuine relationships with your prospects by sharing value, discussing your prospects’ challenges, and introducing your business as a solution. 

Being helpful and friendly can go a long way in making you a trusted and important contact.

In addition to attending networking events, you could also become an expert speaker, which can help you reach more people and attract new clients without paying anything except for the time you invest in building the relationship.

 6. Run display and search ads

Unlike SEO and email marketing, where you have to create content, wait for it to perform well, and nurture your audience to make a sale, ads can help you acquire clients fast.

However, it’s an expensive client acquisition strategy.

According to WebFX, Google Ads costs $100 – $10,000 per month, with most businesses paying $0.11 – $0.50 per click!

Here are some tips for making sure the display and search ads costs don’t get out of control:

• Set a goal: What do you want to achieve? Brand awareness, more website traffic, or direct sales? Know your goals to choose the right metrics to track and optimize your ad campaigns.
• Decide on a budget: Determine how much you’re willing to spend on ads monthly.
• Choose the ad types: If you want to spread awareness or retarget users, try display ads. To catch users looking for products and services similar to yours, consider bidding on keywords in search.

At Copilot, we leverage both types of ads to acquire clients.

First, we target searchers actively looking for solutions like client portals and file-sharing platforms. When you search for these terms, our ads might pop up on Google.

We also leverage Google’s Display Network to reconnect with website visitors who haven’t converted yet. They might see our ads while browsing other sites.

You might also see our ads while scrolling through social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook.

7. Leverage influencer marketing 

Influencer marketing is partnering with popular social media users (influencers) to promote your brand to their audience.

These people are trusted by their followers, so when they recommend something, people are more likely to listen and maybe even buy it.

That’s why influencer marketing is a powerful client acquisition strategy!

Here’s how to get started:

• Set your goals: What do you want to achieve with influencer marketing (brand awareness, sales, etc.)?
• Find suitable influencers: Research creators who share your brand values and reach your target audience.
• Plan a campaign: Develop a creative concept, campaign duration, and content guidelines for the influencers.

Have you heard of Beehiiv?

This email marketing platform is all the rage on social media, and guess what? Influencer marketing is one of their secret weapons! They get featured in influencer success stories, making their brand seem even more trustworthy.

8. Use a powerful CRM software

Customer relationship management (CRM) software streamlines sales and marketing efforts, tracks leads, and nurtures relationships, making client acquisition and nurturing processes more efficient.

That’s why I recommend using an all-in-one CRM software for client management, billing, and file-sharing, such as Copilot!

With Copilot, prospects’ contact information, billing history, and communication are stored in one client portal, which you can access anytime. This helps streamline your business processes and improve user experience.

Moreover, Copilot provides CRM solutions for companies operating in various niches, including custom solutions for:

• Accounting firms
• Marketing agencies
• Startups
• Consulting firms
• Law firms
• Real estate
• Freelancers

Suppose you run a law firm. Here’s how you can set automations and create magical client experiences with Copilot:

Copilot offers ready-to-use client dashboards and features, which don’t require you to figure out how the platform works and customize it for your needs.

Register for a 14-day free trial and see how Copilot works for you.

9. Cultivate mutually beneficial partnerships 

Mutually beneficial partnerships can help you reach new audiences that may not have been aware of your brand.

When you align yourself with a company that complements your business, you can gain access to its established customer base and leverage its reputation.

The key is to look for a partner whose target audience aligns with yours, but who also offers something you can give in return. This could be access to a new market, complementary products or services, or simply a way to expand your reach.

Remember, a relationship has to work both ways. You want a partnership that creates a win-win situation for everyone involved.

For instance, American Express and Amazon teamed up to create a new co-branded card — an Amazon Business Prime Card.

This way, users can get a $125 Amazon gift card and generous cash back on their American Express card when shopping on Amazon. Both sides win, and acquire new clients in the process.

This is an excellent example of a collaboration that’s beneficial for businesses and people.

10. Offer free trials and demos

A free trial or demo is a risk-free way for potential clients to experience your product. You can offer them a taste of what you provide and demonstrate the value of your product or service.

Typically, free trials last anywhere between seven and 30 days, depending on the complexity of your product.

Once prospects have signed up for a free trial, you can start guiding them toward upgrading to a paid version.

The onboarding process should be straightforward, with tutorials, webinars, or one-on-one support if necessary.

Toward the end of the trial, use a compelling CTA, which can include a limited-time discount or special offers for current users.

For example, at Copilot, we send three onboarding emails to ensure users get the most out of its powerful features.

Moreover, we also send trial expiration emails, encouraging prospects to choose a suitable pricing plan.

Accelerate your business growth with Copilot

Now it’s your turn!

Client acquisition and nurturing shouldn’t be a burden anymore.

With Copilot, you can manage all your prospects in one dashboard, streamline the communication between you and your clients, get paid on time, and automate tedious processes.

Free yourself to focus on what matters—growing your business!

Start your 14-day free trial and see how Copilot can help you grow your business.