The most common misconception in customer acquisition consultations, learned from supporting 700 people
"How can I attract more customers?"
I have been a web marketer for 15 years.
Having supported over 700 people, this is the most common consultation I receive.
And I can also share the most common misconception that comes with it.
That is, thinking that the reason customer acquisition isn't working is because of the "tools".
"I'm working hard on Instagram, but I'm not making sales."
"I built a website, but I'm not getting any inquiries."
The tools are not to blame.
Most people who are struggling are not failing because of the tools, but because of the "order" of operations.
Posting every day, but not making sales
I have seen the same scene over and over in the field of support.
A salon owner is posting on Instagram every day.
The photos are beautiful, and the followers are increasing little by little. But, reservations are not increasing.
Another person spent hundreds of thousands of yen to build a magnificent website.
But, the inquiries remain at zero.
Neither of these people lacks effort.
In fact, they were working almost too hard.
The problem was that there was no path prepared for customers who thought "this is nice" after seeing the posts to follow.
Even if there was a beautiful website, the path to reach it did not exist.
In other words, there were "dots," but no "lines" connecting them.
From a bug's-eye view to a bird's-eye view
I explain this using the "bug's-eye view and bird's-eye view" concept.
A bug's-eye view is a state of looking only at one medium right in front of you.
How to handle Instagram posts, how to design the website.
You can see what is nearby clearly, but you cannot see the whole picture.
A bird's-eye view is a perspective from high in the sky, looking at the entire journey from when a customer first learns about you until they sign up.
With a bird's-eye view, you can see that there is an order to customer acquisition.
First, get them to know you
Next, build a relationship where they can remember you
Then, get them to trust you
Getting them to sign up at the end
If any part of this flow is broken, no matter how impressive the other parts are, customers will stop right there.
Recently, there has been a trend in the market where interest is shifting from one-off techniques like 'how to create viral posts' to 'long-term strategies for sustainable earnings.'
I think everyone is starting to realize that isolated efforts alone won't last.
Once the order is set, the amount of work decreases
It might surprise you, but when you design from a bird's-eye view, the amount of work actually decreases.
This is because you don't need to put effort into every platform at the same time.
If you know where the path is broken, you only need to fix that one spot.
The order I recommend to sole proprietors is as follows.
Gather awareness
Get them to become fans
Build trust
Get found locally
Cultivate long-term assets
Instead of building everything from the start, connect it as a single path, one step at a time, starting from the entrance.
3 steps to check your own customer acquisition flow
This is a verification method you can start today.
All you need is paper and a pen.
Step 1: Write down the customer's journey on paper
Try writing out the path your customers take from 'knowing' you to 'signing up' by connecting the steps with arrows.
Step 2: Find the broken spots
Are you not being known in the first place?
Are your posts being seen but there's no next step?
Are they stopping right before making an inquiry?
The places where the path is broken are usually limited to one or two spots.
Step 3: Fix only the one broken spot
Do not try to do everything at once.
Just by fixing the first broken spot, the flow will start to change.
Once you finish fixing it, move on to the next spot.
In conclusion
Everyone who comes for a consultation on customer acquisition says in unison,
"I'm not good at social media"
"I'm not good with technology"
.
However, having seen over 700 people, I can say this with certainty.
The reason things aren't going well is not because of your ability.
You simply haven't had the opportunity to be taught the correct order.
Start today by writing down your customer's journey on paper.