How-to-Attract-and-Convert-Customers

How to Attract and Convert More Customers: A Smarter Approach for Small Business Growth

by Digital MarketingSocial Media MarketingStrategy

Many small business owners assume that growth means chasing more leads, spending more on ads, and working twice as hard. But as we explored in The Proven 7-Lever Plan to Double Your Small Business Profits, doubling your revenue isn’t about doing more—it’s about working smarter.

The 7 Levers Framework breaks down business growth into seven key areas, and by improving each by just 10%, you can almost double your profits without doubling your effort.

In this article, we’re taking a deeper dive into the first two levers — Suspects and Prospects. These are the foundational steps in your business growth journey:

  1. Attracting more potential customers (Suspects)
  2. Converting them into engaged leads (Prospects)

If your business isn’t consistently bringing in new leads or converting website visitors into real sales opportunities, this is where you need to focus.

Step 1: How to Attract More Suspects (Potential Customers)

Attracting more potential customers isn’t just about “getting your name out there.” It’s about being visible to the right people, at the right time, with the right message.

The best way to do this is to take a tiered approach—starting with strong fundamentals before layering in consistent organic marketing and, finally, amplifying with paid advertising.

Level 1: Fundamentals – Get Found and Build Trust

Before you invest in content, ads, or networking, your digital presence must be airtight. If potential customers can’t find you—or worse, they find you and aren’t convinced—you’ll struggle to grow.

  • SEO and a Local Search-Friendly Website
    A well-structured website that is optimised for search engines (SEO) ensures your business appears when people are actively searching for solutions. Local businesses should prioritise Google My Business to show up in location-based searches.
  • Clear and Compelling Core Messaging
    Your website and social profiles should immediately answer three key questions: Who do you help? What problem do you solve? Why should they trust you? If this isn’t clear, you’ll lose potential customers before they take the next step.
  • Leverage Centres of Influence
    Word-of-mouth is still one of the most powerful ways to gain new clients. Build relationships with non-competitive businesses that serve the same audience (such as a mortgage broker referring clients to a financial planner). These partnerships create a natural referral network that benefits both parties.

Level 2: Execute & Engage – Roll Out Consistent Organic Marketing

Once your foundation is set, the next step is consistently showing up where your ideal clients spend their time. This isn’t about going viral—it’s about being top-of-mind when they need your service.

  • Content Marketing That Educates and Builds Authority
    Writing blog articles, creating videos, or launching a podcast that answers common questions and solves problems builds trust with potential customers.
  • Social Media with a Purpose
    Don’t post for the sake of posting. Focus on valuable insights, client success stories, and behind-the-scenes content that humanises your brand.
  • Email Marketing to Stay in Front of Leads
    Many leads won’t buy right away, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t interested. A well-structured email sequence can nurture them over time, leading to future conversions.

Level 3: Acceleration – Amplify with Paid Ads (The Right Way)

Ads should not be the first step. They should amplify what’s already working. Too many businesses waste money on advertising before they’ve built a strong foundation.

  • Retargeting Ads to Warm Prospects
    Show ads specifically to people who have already visited your website or engaged with your brand but haven’t yet taken action.
  • High-Intent Search Ads
    Target customers who are actively searching for what you offer. Unlike social media ads, Google Search Ads reach people in buying mode, not just scrolling for entertainment.
  • Lookalike Audiences to Expand Reach
    Platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn allow you to find new customers who resemble your best clients, making your ad spend far more efficient.

By following this tiered approach, you ensure that every marketing dollar is working as hard as possible, instead of being wasted on ineffective campaigns.

Step 2: How to Convert Suspects into Engaged Prospects

Attracting attention is only the first step. Turning visitors into leads requires a deliberate strategy. If people land on your website but don’t take action, you’re missing a huge opportunity.

Make Your Calls-to-Action (CTAs) Impossible to Ignore

Your website should clearly guide visitors to take the next step. A weak or missing CTA results in lost potential revenue.

  • Place CTAs Where They Matter
    Include clear action steps on every important page—not just your homepage. Blog posts, service pages, and even your About page should invite visitors to engage further.
  • Use Specific, Actionable Language
    “Contact us” is vague. Instead, be specific:
    • “Book a Free Strategy Call”
    • “Download Your Free Guide”
    • “Get Your Personalised Cash Flow Plan”

Offer a Lead Magnet (Give Value First)

Many visitors won’t be ready to buy immediately, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t interested. Offering something valuable in exchange for their email can keep them engaged.

  • Free guides, templates, or checklists that solve a small but meaningful problem
  • Webinars or training sessions that provide actionable insights
  • Exclusive reports or case studies showing real success stories

A lead magnet builds trust and keeps your brand top-of-mind, making it more likely they’ll choose you when they’re ready to buy.

Use Social Proof to Build Trust Instantly

Potential customers want reassurance that you’re the right choice. Nothing is more persuasive than real-world success stories.

  • Showcase Testimonials & Case Studies
    Display client results and feedback prominently on your website and landing pages.
  • Feature Before-and-After Transformations
    Service-based businesses should highlight clear examples of how they’ve helped clients achieve their goals.

Automate Follow-Ups for Warm Leads

Most prospects won’t convert on the first interaction. That’s why follow-up systems are critical to success.

  • Email sequences that nurture leads and keep them engaged over time
  • Reminder emails for people who abandoned a cart or left a quote request incomplete
  • Retargeting ads for warm leads who need a final nudge

A simple follow-up campaign can recover 10-20% of lost leads, turning missed opportunities into revenue.

Final Thoughts: Small Wins, Big Gains

Many businesses chase one big marketing breakthrough when in reality, small improvements across multiple areas create the biggest gains.

Instead of throwing money at ads or blindly hoping for new leads, focus on building a structured, strategic system that attracts, engages, and converts the right people.

🔹 Want a deeper dive into all seven levers of profit growth?
Read The Proven 7-Lever Plan to Double Your Small Business Profits.

🔹 Not sure where to start?
Take our Marketing Health Check to pinpoint your biggest growth opportunities.

By focusing on small, smart improvements, you’ll create predictable, scalable growth—without relying on luck.

The-Ultimate-Guide-to-Growing-Your-Business-in-2025

The Ultimate Guide to Growing Your Business in 2025

by BusinessCopywritingDigital MarketingSocial Media Marketing

As we approach the end of another year, it’s natural to reflect. Maybe you’re energised by the results you’ve achieved, or perhaps you’re hungry for more. For some, there’s a nagging realisation: you must grow—or risk instability in the year ahead.

With Australia navigating its longest per capita recession since the early 90s, businesses are facing a tough economic climate. The pressure is mounting, and there’s only one reliable solution to protect your business and income: grow.

But how do you grow in a challenging environment? The answer lies in a single, unwavering truth: you must invest in marketing. Not just sporadically, but consistently, rain, hail, or shine.

Why Marketing Is Non-Negotiable for Growth

Marketing is not a luxury reserved for “good times.” It’s the engine that keeps your business moving forward—like a shark that must swim to survive. Neglecting marketing, even temporarily, can stagnate your business and open the door for competitors to take your share of the market.

Growth requires more than just generating leads. Marketing is a system—a well-oiled machine that drives awareness, nurtures leads, converts them into clients, and retains those relationships for the long term.

Without a cohesive strategy and leadership to guide your marketing efforts, you risk falling into a patchwork approach of chasing tactics without direction. And as businesses in 2025 face increasing competition and economic uncertainty, it’s more critical than ever to adopt a systematic and strategic approach.

The Ultimate Guide to Marketing Growth in 2025

Here are the five key strategies every successful business will use to build sustainable growth in 2025:

1. Build a Strong Foundation

A foundation isn’t just the starting point—it’s the backbone of your growth plan. Without it, every marketing effort risks being scattered and ineffective. A solid foundation ensures all your tactics align with a clear strategy that drives meaningful, sustainable results.

Strategy First, Then Tactics

Before diving into any marketing activity, ask yourself these key questions:

  • Who is your ideal client? Understand their needs, pain points, and aspirations.
  • What problems are you solving? Clearly define the value you provide.
  • What’s your core message? Develop a message that communicates your unique value simply and effectively.
  • What’s the customer journey? Map out the steps from discovery to conversion and beyond, so you can guide your clients seamlessly.

Key Digital Resources for a Strong Foundation

  1. A User-Friendly Website: Your website should nurture your ideal clients from discovery to conversion, offering clear navigation, compelling content, and trust-building elements like testimonials.
  2. Social Media Presence: Be visible where your clients are, sharing valuable content that reinforces your expertise and connects with them.
  3. Search Engine Findability: Optimise your website and Google Business Profile to ensure potential clients can find you easily.
  4. Personal Branding: People buy from people. Show up online as the face of your business to build trust and credibility.
  5. Evidence of Success: Share your client success stories through case studies, reviews, and testimonials to demonstrate the value you bring.

Without a solid foundation, you’re leaving growth to chance. A clear strategy and essential resources ensure every marketing effort works together, attracting the right clients and guiding them toward action.

2. Consistently Roll Out Marketing That Connects

Consistency is the secret weapon of great marketing. It’s not just about showing up—it’s about showing up with purpose, delivering value, and staying relevant to your ideal clients across all touchpoints. To connect meaningfully, you need to meet your audience where they are, speak to their challenges, and provide solutions that resonate.

Here’s how to make consistency work for your business:

Meet Your Clients Where They Are

  • Be Present on the Right Platforms: Identify where your clients spend their time, both online and offline. Whether it’s LinkedIn for professionals, local networking events, or niche online communities, your presence needs to feel natural and relevant.
  • Join Conversations, Don’t Just Broadcast: On social media and forums, engage in conversations instead of simply posting. Comment thoughtfully, respond to questions, and add value to ongoing discussions.
  • Leverage Centres of Influence: Build relationships with referral partners and professionals who can introduce you to your ideal clients, such as accountants, brokers, or community leaders.

Deliver Valuable, Relevant Content

  • Address Their Pain Points: Create content that solves real problems for your clients. Blog posts, videos, or social media updates should directly address their challenges and offer actionable insights.
  • Highlight Opportunities: Share trends, tips, and opportunities that align with your clients’ goals. Position your business as a forward-thinking partner who understands what’s next in their industry.
  • Use a Multi-Channel Approach: Repurpose your content across channels to amplify its reach. A blog can become a newsletter topic, a LinkedIn post, and a podcast segment.

Build Real Relationships

  • Foster Genuine Connections: Use every interaction—whether online or in-person—as a chance to strengthen trust. Share stories, listen to feedback, and personalise your communications.
  • Stay Consistent in Tone and Message: Ensure your brand voice remains recognisable, whether you’re speaking to clients directly or engaging with your broader audience.
  • Give Before You Ask: Provide value upfront by offering free resources, hosting informative webinars, or sharing exclusive insights before making a pitch or sales offer.

Consistency isn’t just about staying visible—it’s about creating trust and familiarity. When clients see you regularly, sharing insights they care about and engaging authentically, they begin to see you as the go-to solution for their needs. 

3. Harness Automation and AI for Efficiency

Time is your most valuable asset. Trying to manage every marketing task manually is not just inefficient—it’s a bottleneck to growth. Leveraging automation and AI allows you to streamline operations, maximise productivity, and focus on what truly matters: serving your clients and running your business.

Here’s how to harness these tools effectively:

Streamline Lead Nurturing

  • 24/7 Engagement: Automated email campaigns deliver tailored messages to leads and clients around the clock, ensuring consistent communication.
  • Personalised Messaging: Use segmentation to send targeted emails based on specific client needs, building trust and guiding prospects toward conversion.
  • Never Miss a Lead: Automation ensures every lead receives timely follow-ups, reducing the risk of drop-offs.

Boost Efficiency with AI

  • Qualify Leads Faster: AI tools identify high-potential leads, saving time and increasing focus on prospects most likely to convert.
  • Re-Engage Dormant Clients: AI can deliver personalised offers to reconnect with old leads.
  • Simplify Admin Tasks: Tools like chatbots handle repetitive queries, freeing you to focus on strategic growth.

Businesses embracing automation and AI operate smarter, faster, and more effectively. Without these tools, you risk wasted time, missed opportunities, and falling behind competitors.

4. Measure, Refine, Repeat

Great ideas are only valuable if they deliver results. Measuring your marketing performance is essential to understanding what’s working and what needs improvement.

  • Evaluate Effectiveness: Use analytics to track website traffic, social engagement, email performance, and lead conversions.
  • Optimise Strategy: Identify high-performing tactics to double down on, and refine or remove those that aren’t driving results.
  • Maximise ROI: Focus resources on the strategies that yield the best returns to ensure your marketing investment pays off.

Measurement provides clarity, helping you make data-driven decisions that maximise growth.

5. Transform Marketing Into a Business Asset

In 2025, successful businesses won’t see marketing as a “support” function—they’ll treat it as a core asset, embedded into the DNA of their operations. This shift isn’t just about growth; it’s about creating a self-sustaining, scalable engine that drives revenue, optimises profit margins, and ensures stability even in challenging times.

For owner-operators, this transformation doesn’t have to mean taking on the burden alone. By bringing in fractional marketing leadership, you can unlock the strategic direction and tactical execution needed to turn marketing into a true business asset without overloading your internal resources.

What It Looks Like to Build Marketing Into Your DNA

  • Hire Strategic Leadership: A fractional marketing leader can take the reins for smaller businesses, crafting a cohesive strategy and orchestrating execution across all channels. This eliminates the stress of managing it all yourself, giving you time to focus on running and growing your business.
  • Develop Systemised Processes: Implement repeatable, scalable systems for marketing that consistently deliver results, from lead generation to client retention. This ensures every effort aligns with your goals and compounds over time.
  • Optimise Resources: Balance internal and external marketing solutions to maximise efficiency and profitability. Internal teams can focus on relationship-building and high-value tasks, while external partners handle specialised or scalable tactics like automation, content creation, or advertising.

When marketing is treated as a core asset rather than an afterthought, it becomes a non-negotiable part of your business strategy. This ensures:

  • Revenue Stability: Consistent marketing keeps your pipeline full, even during economic downturns.
  • Optimised Margins: By blending internal resources with external expertise, you gain maximum ROI without overextending your budget.
  • Sustainable Growth: A systemised, well-led marketing function delivers predictable, scalable results that bulletproof your revenue.

What Will Set You Apart in 2025?

The businesses that thrive in 2025 will be those that invest in marketing with intention, strategy, and consistency. They’ll have leadership guiding their efforts, systems that work seamlessly, and a focus on building trust and value with their clients.

At Bold Marketing Co., we specialise in helping businesses build these systems and transform their marketing into a growth engine. If you’re ready to take the next step, let’s talk.

Book a discovery call today to build your ultimate marketing plan for 2025—and beyond.

How-Personalisation-Boosts-Conversion-and-Retention-for-Service-Businesses

How Personalisation Boosts Conversion and Retention for Service Businesses

by MarketingSocial Media MarketingStrategy

When it comes to growing your business, you might focus heavily on generating more leads. But what if the real key to growth isn’t about attracting more clients, but about finding the right ones and keeping them loyal?

In today’s sea of generic marketing messages, standing out requires a more personalised approach. This isn’t just a passing trend—it’s a strategy that can significantly improve both your conversion rates and client retention. For professional services like financial services, aged care, healthcare, and insurance, a tailored approach helps you form deeper, more meaningful connections with your ideal clients.

The Problem with Mass Marketing

Many businesses fall into the trap of chasing as many leads as possible, assuming that more reach equals more conversions. However, this scattergun approach often results in wasted resources—time, money, and effort spent on clients who aren’t aligned with your offerings.

Instead of prioritising quantity, smart businesses aim for quality. The goal isn’t just to attract anyone but to engage those who genuinely need your services and are likely to benefit most from them. By adopting a targeted approach, you create messages that resonate with your ideal audience, leading to higher conversion rates and long-term loyalty.

Why Targeted Marketing Works for Service Businesses

Clients in industries like financial services, healthcare, and aged care aren’t just looking for a product or service—they want to feel understood. They want to know that you “get” them—their challenges, pain points, and specific needs. By tailoring your marketing, you can address these concerns directly, making your services feel essential rather than just another option.

Here’s why this approach is crucial for professional services:

  • Addressing Client Needs: In sectors such as finance or healthcare, clients are often facing high-stakes situations. Whether it’s financial planning for retirement or navigating aged care options for a loved one, understanding their specific concerns is critical. When your messaging speaks directly to these issues, it becomes far more impactful.
  • Building Trust: When you show clients that you’ve taken the time to understand them, it fosters trust from the very first interaction. This trust is the foundation for building long-term relationships.
  • Delivering Better Service: At its core, effective marketing is about service. How can you truly serve your clients if you don’t understand their needs? Tailored messaging goes beyond basic communication—it’s about deeply knowing your clients and providing solutions that address their unique situations.

How Tailored Messaging Drives Conversions

If you’re looking to improve conversion rates, the solution isn’t necessarily more leads—it’s about attracting better-quality ones. A targeted marketing approach can help you refine your efforts to engage clients who are more likely to convert because they feel understood.

Here’s how targeted marketing increases conversions:

  • Customised Communication: When your messages directly address your clients’ specific challenges—whether it’s financial guidance or healthcare support—it resonates on a deeper level. This makes it far more likely that the client will engage and convert, as they feel you truly understand their needs.
  • Delivering the Right Content at the Right Time: Using insights and data, you can ensure that clients receive content that’s both timely and relevant. For example, sharing aged care guidance just as a family is researching options can be the difference between engagement and being overlooked.
  • Increasing Engagement: Clients are much more likely to interact with marketing that feels relevant to them. This targeted approach ensures that your messaging cuts through the noise, resulting in higher engagement and better conversion rates.

The Role of Tailored Marketing in Client Retention

Retention is where tailored marketing truly shines. When clients feel valued and understood, they’re more likely to stay with your business over the long term. This is particularly crucial in service-based industries, where trust and relationships are key.

Here’s how it impacts retention:

  • Deepening Client Relationships: Continuously offering relevant content and solutions helps to keep clients engaged and demonstrates ongoing value. This strengthens relationships over time, ensuring your business remains top of mind.
  • Building Loyalty: Loyal clients are the backbone of any successful business. A tailored approach fosters this loyalty by showing that you pay attention to their needs and consistently deliver solutions that benefit them.
  • Turning Clients into Advocates: Satisfied clients are not only more likely to stay, but they’re also more likely to refer your business to others. In industries like aged care and financial services, word-of-mouth recommendations are invaluable, and a personalised approach is key to generating them.

How to Implement Tailored Marketing Strategies

Now that we’ve established the importance of a targeted approach, how can you start implementing it in your marketing?

  • Gather and Analyse Data: Use tools such as CRM systems, social media analytics, and website insights to collect valuable data about your clients. This information will help you understand who they are, what they need, and how best to serve them.
  • Develop Client Personas: Segment your audience into specific groups with detailed personas. Each persona should represent a different client type, including their goals, challenges, and preferences. This will help you craft more relevant messages that resonate with each group.
  • Customise Across All Channels: Tailored marketing isn’t just for email—it should be consistent across all your marketing channels, from social media to your website. Every touchpoint should feel relevant and personal to the client’s current needs.
  • Balance Automation with a Human Touch: Automation can help you scale your efforts, but it should always feel authentic. Use automated tools to deliver customised messages at the right time, while ensuring a human element is always present to maintain genuine interactions.

Personalisation in Marketing is Key to Long-Term Growth

In the world of service-based businesses, whether you’re in financial services, aged care, or healthcare, understanding your clients and delivering personalised solutions is key to driving both conversions and retention. It’s more than just messaging—it’s about serving your clients better by understanding them deeply and addressing their unique needs.

Ready to develop a customised marketing strategy that drives growth for your business? Book a free discovery call with us today, and let’s start creating tailored marketing solutions that attract the right clients, improve conversions, and retain your most valuable customers.

Five things you can do NOW to support your business and retain clients

Five things you can do NOW to support your business and retain clients

by Email MarketingMarketingProfessional ProfilesSocial Media MarketingWebsite Design

With so much focus on what you can’t do at the moment, how about focusing on what you CAN do, right now, to keep your business top of mind with those who matter most – your clients.

Consciously dedicating time to your marketing is always important, not just during a pandemic. But since we’re in one, changing things up and creating points of difference is essential.

Lockdown Turning abnormal into as normal

Lockdown: Turning abnormal into as normal

by BusinessEmail MarketingSocial Media Marketing

Communicate, communicate, communicate

While the government is working towards no lockdowns and fewer restrictions, it looks like it’s still going to be some time before we can return to normal business operating conditions, if ever.

The reality is, you need to find a way to turn abnormal into business ‘as’ normal, and it starts with letting your clients know you’re here to help.