Being active on Social Media platforms, such as Facebook,Twitter, or Instagram is easy and very effective. All of these can be accessed via your mobile phone, so can be updated in seconds, from wherever you are. As well as updating your clients and customers about what’s going on in your business, you can take photos, share opinions, and connect with people on a personal level. People buy from people, so social media is a great way to let your clients get to know you.

If you are short on time, or don’t fancy the idea of having to update all the time, there are some excellent automation services (I used Buffer), which let you spend a little bit of time producing updates which will be published when you want them – whether that be a few posts a week, or several times a day. If you can spend half an hour or so a week writing social media posts, you can then forget about it and let the service post them for you.

If you’ve ready any of my posts before, you’ll know that I’m a great fan of blogging. It’s such an easy way to get people reading your content, and drives traffic to your website. That is, as long as you are prepared to update it regularly! There’s nothing worse than a blog which hasn’t been updated in 6 months – if you don’t have the time or imagination to write blog posts, pay someone to do it for you. I promise it’s worth putting in the effort.

How often do you make the effort to talk to past clients? Pick up the phone and ask them if they need you. Attend a networking event where you can meet likeminded people in your industry. Pop in to see potential customers with your business card or brochure. The personal touch will be appreciated.

Do you keep a list of past clients, or have any way of recording prospects? If so, you should use this to keep in touch with those clients and customers by email. That could be by way of a regular or semi-regular newsletter, e-flyers when you have something to announce (new products, events etc.), or just a simple note to say hello, and ask if they need anything. Keeping your business in the forefront of your customer’s minds means that when they do need your services, they remember you, and not your competitors!

There’s something to be said about sending a good old fashioned letter or card. Not so long go, it was normal to Send everything through the post – but now we tend to send everything electronically. So why not create a bit of nostalgia and send out something – a letter, a thank you card, a Christmas card… you could even go old-school and send out your newsletter by mail!