META: How to get more customers in Cleveland: 5 proven strategies for B2B growth. Local SEO, LinkedIn networking, referrals & automation that work for Cleveland businesses.
Every business is looking for ways to get more customers.
More customers, more feet in the door, more sales online, but without having to spend a small fortune on ads, social media, and a ton of time figuring out what to do next.
And when you’re competing in today’s market, which is full of similar businesses, Temu, global companies, and bigger firms with massive budgets, it can feel like an impossible uphill battle.
Fortunately, however, this is just not the case.
Whether you’re a small or medium-sized business, there are plenty of tried-and-tested ways to get more customers – you just need to adopt and focus your resources in the right area.
Whether you’re a small or medium-sized business, there are plenty of tried-and-tested ways to get more customers – you just need to adopt and focus your resources in the right area.
Here are 5 proven strategies that work right here in Northeast Ohio:
1. Master local SEO + content marketing
SEO delivers a whopping 748% ROI from a quality campaign and costs 30-50% less than paid advertising to acquire customers.
However, this relies on it being a quality campaign, which means targeting the right opportunities and getting hyper-focused with your efforts.
For example, target “Cleveland + your industry” keywords like “Ohio manufacturing solutions” or “Cleveland logistics software”, rather than just “hairdresser salon” or “marketing firm.”
Quick win: Claim your Google My Business listing today and add photos of your Cleveland office. Start writing blog posts about local industry challenges; your prospects are searching for exactly this content.
2. Leverage LinkedIn like a pro
LinkedIn generates the highest visitor-to-lead conversion rate at 2.74% for B2B companies (2% more than Facebook and Instagram).
Therefore, if you’re looking to connect with other businesses, either to partner up, supply, work, or collaborate with, this is one of the best places to go.
What’s more,Greater Cleveland Partnership’s 35,000+ members active on LinkedIn; this is your networking goldmine.
Action step: Join Cleveland business groups, share success stories from local clients, and engage with posts from other Cleveland business leaders. Don’t just sell; add value to conversations. Your ideal customers are watching.
3. Build your referral engine
Here’s a stat that’ll blow your mind: Referred customers convert 71% more often and have 16% higher lifetime value. It’s the power of word of mouth. If you can encourage it, you’ll benefit greatly.
Fortunately, Cleveland’s relationship-centric business culture makes this strategy incredibly powerful.
Start today: List your top 10 customers and ask each for one introduction. Make it easy with a simple email template. Most Cleveland business owners are happy to help if you’ve done right by them. Video testimonials are also marketing gold.
4. Join the right local networks
While everyone’s going digital, face-to-face networking still rules in Cleveland.
Not only do you have the Greater Cleveland Partnership, but the Council of Smaller Enterprises (COSE) specifically supports over 12,000 small employers like yours.
Get strategic: Choose 2-3 organizations that fit your target market. Manufacturing Works connects 300+ manufacturers. BioEnterprise serves healthcare innovators. BNI Northeast Ohio has 20+ chapters with exclusive seats per industry. Show up consistently; relationships take time.
5. Automate smart email campaigns
We live in the age of automation, where you can set up the tedious, menial, but essential aspects of your business to run automatically, saving you time and giving you more resources to spend on other areas of your business.
We live in the age of automation, where you can set up the tedious, menial, but essential aspects of your business to run automatically, saving you time and giving you more resources to spend on other areas of your business.
Automating your email campaigns is a great way to make the most of what’s out there.
Never again do you need to manually write and send hundreds of emails. Just write one amazing email, and let computers take care of the rest.
And it’s well worth it. Email marketing delivers $36 for every $1 invested, but only if you do it right. The key is personalization 77% of B2B buyers expect content specific to their company and industry.
Implementation: Start with a welcome series for new contacts and quarterly check-in campaigns for existing customers. Tools like HubSpot make this easy for SMBs. Share local market insights, industry trends, and success stories from other Cleveland businesses.
Wrapping up
The bottom line: Customer acquisition doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. Pick one strategy from this list and start this week. In Cleveland’s collaborative business environment, consistency beats perfection every time.
Which strategy will you tackle first?
Drop a comment below or reach out; we love helping Cleveland businesses grow. After all, when Cleveland businesses succeed, our whole community wins.
Ready to accelerate your customer acquisition? Avalanche Advertising helps Cleveland SMBs implement these strategies and so much more. Let’s talk about your growth goals.
