Solved: How to Attract Office, Store, and Big Company Clients

Hi there,

Happy to give you some initial thoughts and guidance on how to grow your business and attract those larger clients you're after. Sounds like you're stuck in a bit of a rut with the classified sites, so let's see if we can shake things up.

Understanding Your Ideal Client

First things first, lets drill down on your ideal customer. Instead of thinking about "offices, retail stores, and larger companies" as a single blob, break it down. What kind of offices? Which retail stores? What defines a "larger company" for you? Is it revenue, employee count, or something else entirely?

Once you know exactly who you're trying to reach, everything else becomes easier. Think about the decision makers within these organisations. Who signs off on the printing budget? Marketing Managers? Office Managers? Procurement? Knowing this is key for targeting.

Where Are They Looking? (And What Are They Looking For?)

Are these potential clients actively searching for printing services online, or are they blissfully unaware that they even *need* your services? This makes a massive difference in what platform you should be using. Like if you can reach the target audience with the available targeting options.

If they're searching: Google Search ads are your best friend. People typing "commercial printer near me" or "brochure printing services" are basically raising their hands and saying, "I need printing!" You just need to be there to answer. The beauty here is the intent. They have a need, you have a service, Google connects you.

If they're *not* searching: This is where it gets trickier, and you'll need to use social media ads or display network ads to try and create a need.

Ad Platform Options: A Deep Dive

Let's look at the main ad platforms and how they might (or might not) work for you:

Google Ads: As mentioned, a winner if people are searching. Focus on high-intent keywords. Don't just target "printing services"; get specific. "Annual report printing", "point of sale display printing", "custom packaging printing", etc. Use location targeting to focus on businesses in your service area. You can target a specific radius from your location.

LinkedIn Ads: A strong option for B2B. You can target by job title, industry, company size, and other professional demographics. If you're after marketing managers at medium-sized businesses in the retail sector, LinkedIn is where you'll find them. We got B2B decision makers at $22 CPL once - so it can work well, but it does need the targeting to be spot on.

Facebook/Instagram Ads: Can work for smaller businesses, but the B2B targeting is limited. You could try targeting "business owners" or "people who administer business pages", but it's not as precise as LinkedIn. Visual ads are key here; showcase your best work. Run ads to a landing page so they can convert better.

A Funnel Might Not Be the Right Route

For B2B and high-ticket offers like commercial printing, a rigid "funnel" with fixed offers might not be the most effective. This strategy tends to work better for B2C or lower-priced items. Think about generating leads first, then having a conversation and coming up with a custom solution. It's about building relationships, not just processing orders.

Website and Sales Process

Does your website inspire trust and showcase your expertise? It needs to look professional and easy to use.

What's your sales process like? Are you making it easy for potential clients to get in touch and discuss their needs? Consider offering a free consultation or a quote request form. Make the first step as easy as possible.

Optimisation: The Secret Sauce

Regardless of which platform you choose, you'll need to constantly test and optimise your campaigns. Split test different ad copy, targeting options, and landing pages. Track your results closely and see what's working and what isn't. Be prepared to tweak and refine your approach over time.

Oh and I’d definitely optimise for conversions if conversions are the goal. And to optimise performance, I’d always split test creative and targeting within the same campaign.

Actionable Solutions

Here's a little table summarising all that for you!

We'll need to look at traffic quality and your website...

Is your website ready to convert those potential clients? Let's face it, first impressions are everything. A website that looks outdated, is difficult to navigate, or doesn't clearly showcase your services will kill your conversion rates stone dead. Think about professional photography of your work, clear and concise copy that highlights the benefits of your services, and trust signals like testimonials and case studies. You could include things like reviews and testimonials from customers, links to Etsy, Amazon, and other places where you sell your products, social profiles, publications you've been featured in and your address and maybe more ways to contact you.

And your landing pages need to be optimised for conversions. A high bounce rate indicates that people are landing on your page and immediately leaving, which means something isn't working. Check your page speed, your headline, your call-to-action, and your overall design. Use heatmaps and analytics to see where people are clicking and where they're dropping off.

I'd say you need to give it more time...

Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither are successful ad campaigns. Don't expect to see immediate results. It takes time to gather data, to test different strategies, and to optimise your campaigns for maximum performance. Stick with it, be patient, and don't be afraid to experiment.

If you're running paid ads, make sure you're tracking your key metrics, and most importantly, look at where people drop off. Do you have really low CTRs and high CPCs? -> Your ad copy/product images likely need work. - Do you get visitors to your start page but only a small percentage of product page views? -> You're either getting the wrong type of traffic (look at your ad targeting/keywords) or maybe the products features aren't a good fit. - Do you get lots of product page views but no adds to cart? -> Likely your product photos, product descriptions, or pricing needs work. Maybe a special offer could help. Maybe people aren't ready to buy now and need long-term retargeting.

When To Consider Expert Help

Look, I get it. You're running a business, and you're probably stretched thin already. Maybe all of this ad platform, targeting, and optimisation stuff sounds overwhelming. That's where an agency like ours can help. We've run countless campaigns for B2B companies across all sectors, including printing, and we know what works and what doesn't.

We can take the entire burden of online advertising off your shoulders, freeing you up to focus on what you do best: running your printing business. We'll handle everything from keyword research and ad copywriting to campaign setup and ongoing optimisation. And we'll provide you with regular reports and updates, so you can see exactly how your campaigns are performing.

If you're interested in learning more, we'd be happy to offer you a free consultation. We can chat about your business goals, your target audience, and your current marketing efforts. Then, we can put together a customized plan to help you attract those larger clients you're after. If it's of interest, just let me know. And if not, I still hope the info above is useful to you!