14 Proven Strategies for Acquiring New Digital Marketing Clients

As a digital marketing expert, you know the game. You’ve got skills. But, acquiring new clients? That’s a different ball game altogether.

Without having the proper knowledge to acquire digital marketing clients, your skills would go to waste. 

Yes, you can rely on word of mouth and inbound leads. But, with such clients, you may be unable to negotiate higher rates and expand your business.

So, if you are looking for actionable strategies to acquire digital marketing clients, this article is precisely what you need.

Here, you’ll find 14 proven strategies to supercharge your client acquisition. Each is a powerful method to attract, engage, and win over new digital marketing clients. 

1. Define your USP and Offer

There are hundreds of thousands of digital marketing agencies and freelancers out there. Why should clients pick you? 

This is why you need a unique selling proposition (USP). It sets you apart in a sea of digital marketers.

Is it your proven track record of doubling website traffic? Or maybe you’ve cracked the code on social media engagement. The first step would be to identify your USP. Be clear, be specific.

Next, define your offer. What value do you bring to your clients? High-quality leads? Boost in sales? A solid social media strategy? Whatever it is, package your USP and value-add into an irresistible offer. 

For example, if your USP is skyrocketing website traffic, your offer could be a comprehensive SEO audit and strategy. And boom! You’ve created a compelling reason for potential clients to choose you over the competition.

2. Create a Landing Page

The following great way to stand out from the competition is to create your landing page. You can easily create a single-page website or landing page using no-code tools.

But why do you need a landing page? It’s where you showcase your USP, offer, case studies, testimonials, work samples, etc. and it plays a crucial role in your web development process.

This way, your chances of acquiring high-paying digital marketing clients significantly increase. Promote your landing page by adding links to your social media bios and email signatures. 

You can also optimize your landing page to get found on Google for specific keywords. This will help you rank on top of Google search results for terms like “digital marketing freelancer” or “digital marketing agency.”

3. Define your Ideal Target Clients

When you understand your clients well, you precisely know their pain points and goals. This, in turn, helps you create the perfect, irresistible offer that your ideal client cannot refuse.

So, get specific. Specific. What industries do they work in? What’s their job role? What’s their budget? What challenges do they face? 

The more you know, the better you can tailor your services and messaging to attract them.

4. Build your Social Media Presence

Social media acts as a crucial lead-generation tool for digital marketers. Hence, it is essential to start building your presence on social media platforms early on.

Find out where your ideal clients hang out and join them there. You can choose one or two platforms to begin with. Start by creating content and engaging with people on these platforms.

For example, let’s say you’re a digital marketer targeting tech startups. LinkedIn would be a great place to start, as it’s a hub for professionals and businesses. You can schedule posts and consistently engage with people to build your presence.

5. Start Sales Prospecting

Acquiring digital marketing clients isn’t about randomly reaching out to people and hoping they’ll want your services. It’s a strategic process. 

It’s about finding potential clients and building a sales prospecting list full of people who are a good fit for your services and are likely to need them.

You can start sales prospecting by identifying the critical characteristics of your ideal clients. Then look for people and businesses that fit those characteristics.

For instance, if your ideal clients are small businesses in the healthcare industry, you could search for healthcare businesses in your area on LinkedIn or Google. Look at their websites. What kind of digital marketing are they currently doing? Is there room for improvement? If so, they could be a good prospect.

6. Use LinkedIn for Lead Generation

We’ve spoken about building a social media presence. But let’s specifically talk about LinkedIn.

LinkedIn isn’t just a networking platform. It’s a gold mine for digital marketers looking for new clients. It has over 830M members and gives you access to clients in over 200 countries!

There are multiple ways of generating leads on LinkedIn. Start by optimizing your profile. Make it clear what services you offer and who you help. This way, when people visit your profile, they’ll immediately know if you can help them.

Use LinkedIn’s search feature to find people and businesses that fit your ideal client profile. Connect with them. Engage with their posts. When the time is right, reach out to them. And remember, staying updated with relevant digital marketing blogs can provide you with additional insights and strategies to leverage LinkedIn effectively.

7. Send Professional Quotes and Invoices

Professionalism leaves a mark. A good impression from the start can set the tone for your entire client relationship.

When pitching a new client, don’t just throw out a price. Send them a detailed quote. Outline what they’ll get for their money. 

Invoicing is just as important. Make sure your invoices are clear, well-organized, and professional. InvoiceBerry is a great tool that can help you create professional-looking quotes and invoices.

These small details, like sending professional invoices, can make a huge difference. They can help you stand out from the competition and win more clients. Don’t overlook them.

8. Send Cold Emails

When done suitable, cold emailing can be a powerful lead-generation tool. It allows you to reach out to potential clients who might not know about your services yet.

But here’s the catch: you have to do it right—no spammy, generic messages. Your emails should be personalized and engaging.

To turn your emails from cold to warm, you can send emails to people you have engaged with on social media. This will improve your chances of conversions. 

For example, instead of saying, “We offer SEO services,” you could say, “I noticed your website could use some SEO work. Here’s how we could help…”

9. Conduct Webinars

Webinars are an excellent way to bring potential clients into your funnel, add value to them, and pitch them your services. 

The chances of conversion here are higher because you demonstrate your expertise and add value before you pitch your digital marketing services.

And the best about webinars? People who don’t convert immediately can still convert later on. You can keep nurturing them through emails before they become digital marketing clients.

10. Use Marketplaces

Leveraging online marketplaces can open new avenues to find clients. Sites like Upwork or Fiverr bring clients right to your doorstep.

These platforms are filled with businesses looking for digital marketing experts. You need to stand out.

While some may argue that these marketplaces are a race to the bottom because of the competition, they may still be worth a try. In a crowded marketplace, the key to winning is to differentiate yourself.

11. Use Content Marketing to Attract Inbound Leads

Did you know that according to a survey, content marketing is the 3rd most effective lead-generation strategy? It is a powerful strategy that may take some time to show results, but the effects will compound over time.

Start by creating content that is valuable to your audience. This could be blogs, videos, infographics, or ebooks. Ensure it’s rich in information and solves your audience’s problems.

12. Leverage Social Proof

Have you ever noticed how we trust a restaurant more if it’s packed with people? That’s the power of social proof. It can significantly influence decision-making.

In digital marketing, social proof could be text-based testimonials, case studies, reviews, or even video testimonials from clients. Another effective way to build social proof is to embed LinkedIn feed on your website, Showcasing these on your website will instill trust in your prospective clients.

13. Build Your Email List

Yes, building your social media presence is essential. But, unfortunately, you don’t own that audience. If something happens to these platforms, your lead generation might halt. 

This is where building an email list may prove fruitful because you own your email list. There are now a host of different tools you can use to help you write emails to expand your email list.

You can build an email list by conducting webinars or offering a valuable freebie in exchange for people’s emails. The freebie could be a checklist, an ebook, or a discount on your service.

Once you’ve got them on your list, provide value consistently. Showcase your expertise. Over time, this audience can convert into loyal, paying clients.

14. Use Referral Marketing

We all trust recommendations from people we know. It’s human nature. So it’s no surprise that referral marketing is a powerful tool in your client acquisition toolkit.

Offering a referral program can turn your existing clients into your brand ambassadors. When they refer their friends or colleagues to you, reward them. Maybe a discount on their next purchase?

Conclusion

So, there you have it! Fourteen proven strategies to help you acquire new digital marketing clients. These aren’t just theories; they’re battle-tested tactics that can make a real difference to your client roster.

Remember, the journey to client acquisition might seem overwhelming at times, but keep pushing. Choose the best strategies that align with your marketing goals, and you’ll soon be successful.