How to consistently attract the right clients

Running a small business often feels like a rollercoaster, doesn’t it?

One minute, you’re celebrating a new client win, and the next, you’re wondering why you’re attracting the wrong ones (or worse, no one at all). If you've ever found yourself working with clients who don’t quite fit (maybe they haggle on price, don’t value what you offer, or just aren’t your ideal customer), or struggling to get a consistent flow of the right clients-—then this blog might help.

Attracting the right clients isn’t just about marketing louder or spending more on ads. It’s about being strategic, knowing who you’re speaking to, and showing up in the right way.

The good news? With the right approach, you can build a steady flow of dream clients who genuinely appreciate your work and are happy to pay for it.

Step 1: Get crystal clear on who your ideal client actually is

If you try to attract everyone, you’ll end up resonating with no one. That’s why your first step is to get crystal clear on who your ideal client is. And no, “anyone who needs my product/service” isn’t specific enough!

Ask yourself:

• ✔ Who do I love working with?
• ✔ Who gets the best results from what I offer?
• ✔ What are their biggest struggles, frustrations, and desires?
• ✔ Where do they hang out (online and offline)?
• ✔ What objections do they have before buying?

For example, if you’re a social media consultant, do you work best with time-poor business owners who need help managing their accounts? Or ambitious start-ups who want a strategy they can implement themselves?

These are two very different clients with different needs, budgets, and expectations. The clearer you get on who you’re targeting, the easier everything else becomes.

Action point:
Write down a detailed profile of your ideal client. Give them a name, describe their daily struggles, and understand what makes them tick. This is who you’re speaking to in all your marketing.

I’ve got a great ChatGPT prompt that will help you with this. Drop me an email at mel@marketingbuddy.co.uk and I’ll pop it over to you!

Step 2: Position yourself as the go-to expert

Once you know who you’re targeting, you need to position yourself in a way that makes them see you as the person to help them.

How do you do this?

By focusing on your messaging, brand, and credibility.

• ✔ Nail your messaging – Your marketing should instantly communicate who you help and how. If your website or social media profile is vague, confusing, or too broad, potential clients will scroll right past.
• ✔ Showcase your expertise – Create content that answers their biggest questions, share testimonials, and highlight real results you’ve achieved.
• ✔ Be consistent – Posting once every three months on social media won’t cut it. Show up regularly, engage, and keep reinforcing your expertise.

People need to see you as someone they can trust. When they trust you, they buy from you. Simple as that.

Action point:
Look at your website, social media, and marketing materials.

Do they clearly communicate what you do and who you help? If not, tweak your messaging to make it super clear.

Make sure your messaging is client focussed – talk less about you and more about your audience so that they can see that you understand their problems, how you can help them and provide solutions.

Step 3: Attract, don’t chase

One of the biggest mistakes small business owners make is constantly chasing clients rather than attracting them.

The secret?

Create marketing that pulls your ideal client toward you.

• ✔ Content marketing: Blogs, social media posts, emails, and videos that educate and inspire your audience will naturally draw the right people in.
• ✔ SEO & website optimisation: Make sure people can find you when they’re searching for what you offer!
• ✔ Lead magnets: Freebies like guides, checklists, or mini-courses can help you build an email list of potential clients and help establish your credibility.
• ✔ Word-of-mouth & referrals: Deliver an amazing experience so people can’t help but recommend you. Remember, it’s all well and good telling people how great you are, but others telling people how great you are? That’s powerful!

When you position yourself correctly, and consistently put out valuable content, you’ll attract high-quality clients without feeling like you’re always ‘selling’.

Action point:
Choose two content strategies to focus on for the next three months.

Whether it’s blogging, social media, or email marketing - commit to showing up consistently.

Step 4: Price yourself right & set boundaries

If you’re attracting clients who undervalue your work, it could be a pricing or positioning issue.

The truth is, people respect what they invest in. If you’re undercharging, you may be sending out the wrong signals and attracting clients who are looking for a ‘cheap’ option rather than the right solution.

• ✔ Know your worth: Stop pricing based on what you think people will pay. Charge based on the value you provide. Get feedback from existing clients who you love to work with, check out the competition to see what their prices look like and the types of clients they work with.
• ✔ Set clear boundaries: If a client isn’t the right fit, don’t be afraid to say no. Protect your time and energy.
• ✔ Be confident in your offers: Stand by your prices and don’t negotiate just because someone pushes back. The right clients will pay for quality.

Action point:
Review your pricing and boundaries.

Are you attracting clients who respect your expertise? If not, it might be time to make adjustments.

Step 5: Build relationships, not just sales

People buy from people they trust.

If you’re only focusing on selling, you’re missing a big part of the puzzle - relationship-building.

• ✔ Engage with your audience: Reply to comments, join conversations, and show interest in your ideal clients.
• ✔ Network in the right places: Whether it’s online groups, LinkedIn, or local events - be where your ideal clients are.
• ✔ Follow up & stay in touch: Not everyone is ready to buy immediately. Keep in touch with value-driven emails and content to keep building and nurturing relationships.

The more you focus on genuinely helping and connecting with people, the more clients will naturally come your way.

Action point:
Spend time each week engaging with your audience and building relationships instead of just pushing sales.

Step 6: Keep testing & tweaking

Marketing isn’t a ‘set it and forget it’ thing.

It’s an ongoing process of testing, learning, and refining. What worked a year ago might not work today.

• ✔ Review your results: Regularly look at your website analytics, social media insights, and sales data. What’s working? What’s not?
• ✔ Listen to your clients: Pay attention to the feedback you’re getting - are you meeting the right needs?
• ✔ Stay flexible: Don’t be afraid to tweak your strategy if something isn’t working.

Action point:
Set a regular time to review your marketing efforts and adjust your approach based on real data.

The right clients are out there—you just need to attract them

Consistently attracting the right clients isn’t about luck - it’s about strategy.

When you know exactly who you’re targeting, position yourself as an expert, create valuable content, price yourself right, and focus on relationships, you’ll naturally start attracting ideal clients who love what you do.

And it becomes so much easier (and more enjoyable) when you have the right support, guidance, and accountability.

If you’d love to learn more about how to attract the right clients and build a marketing strategy that works for YOU, the Marketing Buddy Membership is a friendly, supportive community where small business owners get the training, tools, and support they need to see real results.