Connecting with Customers Digitally How new-age companies are embracing tech tools to build their businesses

There is no doubt that India's start-up ecosystem is thriving and growing bigger with every passing day. After all, there is all the opportunity available to ambitious young entrepreneurs in a growing market where people have significant amounts of disposable income and where there are robust government policies favouring entrepreneurship. However, despite all the conducive conditions, many businesses fail as they are simply not able to reach their target audiences, get them to buy and eventually convert into loyal customers. So what is it that some successful start-ups are doing right that's getting them all the traction they need to generate sales and sustain themselves? The answer is simple: they are tapping the new-age digital tools for customer acquisition that are available aplenty today, to reach out to the target markets that are digitally hooked themselves!

Successful new-age businesses understand that there is a plethora of choice out there when it comes to digital tools that can really help their business grow. Smart entrepreneurs regularly keep themselves updated with the changing trends in technology to gauge where their customers spend maximum time and how to catch their attention when they are most likely to buy. So here's a glimpse at some of the powerful mechanisms that you can apply to your business as well, to get the eyeballs you need to grow bigger!

Social Media Tools

Social media, of course, has emerged as the number one place where businesses can reach out to their customers and also foster a strong connection with them. Facebook and Instagram are the most indispensable platforms today for start-ups to build awareness and engagement amongst end-consumers. For B2B businesses, LinkedIn could be a powerful social tool to establish market leadership and acquire new leads and customers. To leverage the potential of these platforms compellingly, however, it is imperative for every brand to first build a comprehensive social media and digital marketing plan which clearly positions the brand, defines its personality, and helps build consistent traffic to the social media handles as well as the brand store to finally drive leads and sales.

This can help them stand out in a cluttered space and turn their regular viewers/customers into brand ambassadors who re-share their stories and posts simply because they relate to them. Further, as Instagram has enabled in-app purchases and payments, its power as a customer acquisition tool has amplified tremendously. This is why a solid strategy behind every post that goes up is critical – because it could get you your next big sale!

As far as LinkedIn goes, matters get a little trickier as audiences are less emotional and less likely to be attracted to how beautiful your product pictures look or how soothing your graphic designs are. Besides creating thought leadership pieces and being regular with your posts, you must also use LinkedIn to create connections with influential business leaders who could be your potential clients. Identifying prospects is easy when you have a clear idea of whom you wish to connect to. If you supply raw materials to design studios, for instance, try and connect with people who head such businesses and have CEO, design lead etc. in their titles on the platform. You can send a connection request with a succinct message on why you'd like to establish contact. Being an active part of LinkedIn groups that are relevant to your target market is also a great idea to engage with customers in a non-intrusive digital setting and help them know what your brand or business is all about.

Other Digital Tools

Besides social media, there are tonnes of other digital tools that new-age businesses can employ to generate sales and attract new customers. Pay per Click advertising continues to be one of the most popular and easiest-to-use of such tools. Pay per Click campaigns can be run on any publishing platform where your target customers are likely to go often. For instance, if you run a furniture or home furnishing brand, you can list your ad on a popular home décor magazine's online portal. Customers who are interested in such subjects will see your ad when they are browsing through relevant content and are more likely to buy your products when they are already interested in the genre.

Similarly, Google AdWords continues to be a popular choice for new-age brands to market their products and services. Remarketing using AdWords has become an increasingly relevant phenomenon today. It allows you to display your ad to customers after they have left your website, without making a purchase. They see your ad on the new pages they browse so that it reminds them of your brand and that they could go back to your page to make a purchase.

Search Engine Optimization may be one of the most common digital marketing tools and enough has been said about its relevance. That's only because it continues to deliver handsome returns. SEO gives measurable results as it places your website or web store on the top when someone searches for the relevant keywords online.

While this is just a summary of the many digital tools that businesses can use to acquire new customers, there are hundreds of other apps, platforms and tools out there ready to be tapped. The ultimate point is that today, a driven entrepreneur has no shortage of tech-backed mechanisms to rely upon for building a brand and driving sales. All you have to do is identify your niche, figure out where the customers invested in that niche are and reach out to them with a well-planned strategy.