February 08, 2026
How Do I Get New Customers: A Playbook for Local Businesses
Table of Contents
Before you spend a single dollar on ads, let's get one thing straight: the secret to getting new customers isn't about shouting the loudest. It's about knowing exactly who you're talking to and what they desperately need to hear.
This is the groundwork. It’s where you define your ideal customer, create an offer that feels like a no-brainer, and write messaging that genuinely connects. Get this right, and everything else falls into place.
Your Blueprint for Attracting New Customers
So many local businesses jump straight into tactics. They boost a post on Facebook, buy a Google Ad, or print a stack of flyers, then wonder why the phone isn't ringing off the hook. The problem? They skipped the most crucial step. They tried to sell without first understanding who they were selling to.
This approach is like trying to hit a moving target in the dark. It almost always leads to wasted money and a whole lot of frustration.
The real starting point is clarity. Before you even think about which marketing channel to use, you need to become an absolute expert on your ideal customer. And I mean going way beyond the basics like age and zip code.
Defining Your Ideal Customer Persona
You need to build a customer persona—a detailed, semi-fictional profile of your perfect client. It’s not just "women aged 30-50." It’s "Sarah, a 38-year-old working mom with two young kids who feels completely overwhelmed by house chores and values reliability over anything else." See the difference?
To really flesh this out, ask yourself:
What are their biggest daily headaches and pain points? Are they short on time? Stressed about money? Worried they're not spending enough time with family?
What do they actually want in life? More free time? A healthier lifestyle? Career advancement?
Where do they hang out and get information? Is it local Facebook groups, specific industry blogs, or the community newsletter?
What really drives their buying decisions? Is it a glowing review? A need for a quick fix? Or a deep desire for top-notch quality?
Answering these questions helps you craft a message that speaks directly to their world. Suddenly, your business isn't just another option; it feels like the solution.
Crafting an Irresistible Offer
Once you truly know your "Sarah," you can create an offer she can't possibly ignore. A killer offer isn't just a simple discount; it's a solution wrapped up to solve one of her specific pain points. It answers her unspoken question: "What's in it for me?"
Let's say you run a house cleaning service targeting Sarah. A generic "10% off your first clean" is fine, but it’s forgettable.
Now, consider this: "Reclaim Your Weekend! Your First Deep Clean is Just $99." That’s powerful. It doesn't just sell cleaning; it sells the outcome she craves—more free time with her family.
The most effective marketing doesn't feel like marketing at all. It feels like a helpful solution arriving at the exact moment it's needed most. When your offer aligns perfectly with your customer's deepest needs, the sale becomes a natural conclusion.
The goal is to tie what you sell to an emotional payoff. This initial work is the foundation for every ad you'll run and every social media post you'll create.
Tools like Adwave are incredibly effective, but their power gets amplified tenfold when you feed them a crystal-clear message aimed at a well-defined audience. The AI can generate a slick ad, but it’s your human understanding of the customer that makes it resonate. You can build on this by exploring these proven local business marketing strategies.
Nail this blueprint first, and when you're ready to turn up the volume, your message will hit the mark every single time.
Building Your Local Marketing Machine
Alright, you know who you're targeting and you've got a killer offer ready. Now it's time to build the engine that actually gets your message out there. A truly effective local marketing plan isn't about throwing money at every channel you can think of. It's about creating a smart, integrated system where every part works together to consistently bring new customers through your door.
This means we're done with random marketing. We're building a strategic, multi-channel presence right here in your community.
Dominate Local Search with the Digital Essentials
For almost any local business, the journey for a new customer starts with a search. Think about it: "plumber near me," "best tacos in town," "boutique open now." When people in your area are looking, you have to be there. This digital foundation isn't optional.
The single most important tool in your arsenal is your Google Business Profile (GBP). It's not just a listing; it’s your digital front door. Spending time optimizing it will give you more bang for your buck than almost anything else.
Fill It All Out: Don't skip a single field. Complete every section with accurate, detailed information—services, hours, photos, a well-written business description. Every detail helps.
Make Reviews a Habit: Actively ask every happy customer to leave you a review. Then, make sure to respond to all of them, good and bad. It shows you're paying attention and builds massive trust. After all, over 90% of consumers check reviews before they buy.
Post Updates Regularly: Use the "Updates" feature to announce special offers, new products, or even just a friendly hello. This activity signals to Google that you're active and relevant, which helps your ranking.
Getting this right is crucial. Mastering techniques like local SEO for contractors to dominate your area is what ensures you pop up the moment a local is looking for exactly what you offer.
Reach More Customers with Paid Social and Search
While local SEO is fantastic for capturing people who are already looking, paid ads let you go out and create demand. Paid social ads (think Facebook and Instagram) and paid search (like Google Ads) give you the power to reach specific local demographics with near-surgical precision.
Let's say you own a high-end hair salon. You could run a Facebook ad campaign that targets people within a 5-mile radius who have shown interest in luxury beauty brands and are celebrating an anniversary soon. That's how you make your ad spend incredibly efficient—by talking only to the people most likely to book an appointment.
The real magic of local paid advertising isn't just shouting to the whole town. It's the ability to whisper a specific message to a small, highly relevant group. You can target by zip code, by interests, even by life events, making your ads feel incredibly personal and timely.
Platforms like Adwave are an excellent choice to amplify these efforts by adding local television to your mix. As your targeted digital ads capture immediate interest, a well-placed TV campaign builds the broad brand awareness that makes those ads even more powerful. When people see your ad while scrolling through Instagram and recognize your name from TV, they're far more likely to click. It all works together when you have a strong multi-channel marketing approach.
Create a System for Repeat Business and Referrals
Getting a new customer is a win. But getting that same customer to come back—and bring their friends—is how you build a business that lasts. This is where simple, effective email marketing and referral programs are worth their weight in gold.
You don't need to overcomplicate this. Start by simply collecting email addresses at the checkout counter or with a sign-up form on your website.
Your Simple Email Plan:
The Welcome: Send an automated email right after they sign up, thanking them and maybe including a small offer for their next visit.
The Monthly Update: Once a month, send a newsletter with company updates, helpful tips, or a fun "customer of the month" feature. Keep it light and valuable.
The Exclusive Deal: Make your subscribers feel special by sending them offers that nobody else gets.
A referral program can be even more powerful. Offer your existing customers a tangible reward—a discount, a free coffee, a gift card—for every new person they send your way. This simple strategy turns your biggest fans into your most passionate sales team.
Unlocking Growth with Local TV Advertising
If the phrase "TV advertising" immediately makes you think of seven-figure Super Bowl budgets and huge national brands, it's time for a rethink. While that world still exists, a much more accessible—and frankly, more powerful—version has emerged that’s perfectly suited for local businesses trying to win over new customers. Modern TV advertising, especially through Connected TV (CTV), is no longer out of reach. It’s a precise, surprisingly affordable tool that can build your brand in your community like nothing else.
This isn't your parents' television advertising. Forget the old days of buying a broad, expensive slot on a local channel and just hoping the right people were watching. Today, platforms like Hulu, ESPN+, and Peacock offer the kind of surgical targeting that was once exclusive to digital ads. You can now reach specific households based on what they watch, what they search for online, and even their exact zip code.
Why TV is a Game Changer for Local Businesses
For a local business, building trust and name recognition is everything. A Google Ad is great for capturing someone with immediate intent, but a TV ad is what builds the brand awareness that makes them search for your name in the first place. When potential customers see your business on the biggest screen in their home, it creates a powerful sense of credibility and authority.
This isn't just a theory; it's a massive, growing trend. In 2024 alone, advertisers poured $41 billion into Connected TV ads in the U.S., with global spending projected to soar past $100 billion by 2027. This explosion isn't just coming from the big guys. It’s driven by small and medium-sized businesses discovering just how effectively they can reach local audiences.
The results speak for themselves:
High Engagement: CTV ads have an average completion rate of over 95%. People are actually watching, not just skipping.
Better Recall: They also drive 20% higher brand recall than mobile video ads, which means your message sticks with viewers long after the ad is over.
Direct Impact: This translates to real-world results. Studies show a 32% higher rate of website visits after a viewer sees a CTV ad.
This shift has kicked the door wide open for local real estate agents, dental offices, home service providers, and restaurants to compete for attention on a much more level playing field.
Making TV Advertising Accessible and Affordable
Historically, the biggest hurdles for small businesses wanting to get on TV were always cost and complexity. You needed a production crew, actors, and a serious budget just to create a broadcast-quality commercial. Then you had to navigate the confusing and expensive process of buying media space.
This is exactly where a solution like Adwave completely changes the game. Adwave’s AI-powered platform was built from the ground up to tear down these barriers. It puts high-impact television advertising directly into the hands of local business owners, without the traditional cost or headache.
The process is incredibly straightforward. You just plug in your website URL, and Adwave's AI gets to work, generating a professional, broadcast-ready video ad in minutes. It intelligently pulls your branding, imagery, and key messages to create something that looks polished and compelling. No film crews, no pricey editing software—just a fantastic ad, ready to run.
Imagine your local dental practice or real estate agency showing up with a high-quality commercial during a popular show on Hulu. The perception of your business instantly elevates. You're no longer just another local listing; you're a prominent, trusted brand in the community.
Launching Your First Campaign with Adwave
Once your ad is ready, Adwave helps you get it in front of the right local viewers. The platform lets you target audiences with pinpoint accuracy, making sure your message reaches potential customers right in your service area. You can launch a campaign across more than 100 premium channels, including major names like NBC and ESPN.
Most importantly, it makes TV advertising financially viable for just about any business. Campaigns on Adwave can start for as little as $50. This gives you the freedom to test the waters, see which messages connect, and measure the impact without committing to a massive budget. It’s a low-risk, high-reward way to see how you can get new customers using a channel that was previously reserved for the big players.
For example, a local real estate agent can use Adwave to promote a new listing to viewers in specific neighborhoods. A restaurant can run ads showcasing a new menu to local foodies. The success stories say it all—businesses like Kaimuki Dental saw a 150% growth in clients in just five weeks after launching their campaign. This is the tangible impact of making premium advertising truly accessible.
To learn more, check out our complete guide on how to advertise on local TV.
Weaving TV Ads into Your Digital Strategy
Thinking of TV advertising as its own separate thing is a huge mistake. It's not an island; it's the high tide that lifts all your other marketing boats. When a potential customer sees your ad on a streaming service, their first instinct isn't to jump in the car and drive to your shop. It's to grab their phone and search for you.
This is where the magic happens. A great TV campaign warms up your audience, so when they see you on Google or Facebook, you're not a stranger anymore. You're that familiar, credible business they just saw on the biggest screen in their house.
The TV-to-Digital Handshake
Let's walk through the customer's journey. Someone's kicking back, watching their favorite show on Hulu or ESPN, and your ad pops up. It grabs their attention. Later on, when they actually need what you offer, they’re far more likely to search for your business name directly. That’s a massive win.
This kind of direct, branded search traffic is marketing gold. It means you’ve graduated from just competing on generic keywords like "plumber near me" to having customers look specifically for you. This not only drives high-quality traffic to your website but also signals to search engines that your brand has authority, which can give your organic rankings a nice little boost over time.
Think about a real estate agent like Kenny Patton, who needs to get local eyes on his listings, fast. Even in 2025, TV is a powerhouse, delivering 39% higher brand recall than digital channels can on their own and an impressive $7 return on every $1 spent. When you use a platform like Adwave, it gets even better by automatically creating ads and targeting them with precision across top-tier channels. Plus, studies show that mixing TV with social media can lead to 2.8x higher brand recall and a 24% higher purchase intent than just running social ads alone. With customer acquisition being the top goal for 64% of ad buyers, this synergy is too powerful to ignore.
Giving Your Social and Search Ads a Boost
This TV-driven awareness also makes your paid digital ads work that much harder. When someone is scrolling through their Facebook feed and sees your ad after having seen you on TV, there's already a foundation of trust. They're more likely to pause, click, and see what you're about because you're no longer a random, unknown business.
The same exact principle applies to your paid search ads. You'll start to see:
Higher Click-Through Rates (CTRs): People are just more likely to click on a search ad from a brand they recognize.
Better Conversion Rates: That trust built from the TV ad often carries right through to your website, leading to more customers.
Lower Customer Acquisition Costs: By making all your other ads perform better, TV can actually lower the overall cost of getting a new customer.
It's a classic case of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. If you're curious about the nitty-gritty, you might want to see how Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and TV advertising stack up against each other.
How to Track Cross-Channel Success
Measuring the real impact of a TV campaign goes way beyond just counting sales in the door. You have to look for the ripple effects across all your digital channels. With a platform like Adwave, you get real-time performance data that makes this a whole lot easier.
A successful TV campaign doesn't just broadcast a message; it starts a conversation. The key is to track where that conversation leads online—from spikes in branded search queries to increased website traffic and higher engagement on your social channels.
Here's a simple way to see the full picture:
Get Your Baselines: Before you launch an Adwave campaign, take a snapshot. What's your average daily website traffic? How many people search for your brand name? What's your social media engagement look like?
Monitor During the Campaign: As your ads are live, keep an eye on those numbers. You should see lifts that line up with when your ads are running.
Analyze the Afterglow: Don't stop tracking the moment the campaign ends. Keep monitoring for a few weeks to see the lasting effect on your brand awareness and online traffic.
This data is how you prove the true ROI of your investment. It shows that spending a little on a platform like Adwave isn't just buying airtime—it's pouring fuel on your entire customer acquisition engine.
Your 90-Day Customer Acquisition Action Plan
A great strategy is one thing, but execution is what actually gets customers through the door. A plan collecting dust on a shelf doesn't do you any good. So, let's turn these ideas into a real, measurable system for growth over the next three months.
This 90-day plan is all about taking practical steps. We'll start by building a strong foundation, then launch your campaigns, and finally, fine-tune everything based on real-world results. Think of it as your month-by-month playbook for creating a steady stream of new business.
Month 1: The Foundation (Days 1-30)
The first 30 days are purely about prep work. I've seen too many businesses rush into spending money on ads without getting this part right, and it almost always ends in wasted budget. This month, your focus isn't on a big ad spend; it's on getting your strategy absolutely dialed in.
Here's what you need to nail down in the first month:
Finalize Your Customer Persona: Go back to that customer blueprint. Lock in every detail about who you're talking to—what keeps them up at night, what they really want, and where they hang out online and offline.
Perfect Your Irresistible Offer: Now's the time to refine the core offer you'll lead with. It has to be a direct solution to your ideal customer's biggest problem, making your business the obvious choice.
Set Up Your Measurement Tools: Make sure Google Analytics is installed correctly on your website. Critically, you need to set up conversion tracking to measure what actually matters, whether that's a form submission, a phone call, or a product sale.
Audit Your Digital Presence: Give your Google Business Profile a thorough cleanup. Update your website to put your new offer front and center with clear, compelling messaging.
Every hour you invest here is an investment in your future success. This disciplined, behind-the-scenes work is what separates the businesses that grow consistently from those that just tread water.
Month 2: The Launch (Days 31-60)
With your foundation solid, it's time to light the fuse. The goal this month is to get your first campaigns live, start gathering data, and see what actually connects with your audience. We're not aiming for perfection just yet; we're aiming for action and learning.
This is the perfect time to test the waters with a pilot TV campaign to build that critical brand awareness in your local market. A platform like Adwave is built for this. You can launch a professional-looking campaign on a small, controlled budget—you can even get started with as little as $50. You just give it your website, and its AI will generate a polished ad and place it on major channels like Hulu and ESPN, targeting viewers right in your service area.
Think of this TV presence as a powerful primer for all your other marketing. When people see your ad on TV, they're far more likely to recognize and trust your brand when they encounter it later in their social feed or a Google search.
This "TV-to-digital" effect is a well-known phenomenon. A potential customer's journey often looks a lot like this:
As you can see, TV advertising often kicks off the customer's search, feeding your other digital channels.
At the same time, you'll be launching your initial paid search and social media ads. The key is consistency—your messaging should echo what viewers are seeing on their TVs. Your goal here is to collect performance data. Which headlines get clicks? Which images stop the scroll? Which neighborhoods are responding best?
Month 3: The Optimization Loop (Days 61-90)
The final month of our 90-day sprint is all about optimization. You're no longer guessing. You have real-world data from your live campaigns, which means you can start making smart, informed decisions to boost your results.
Dive into your dashboards—Adwave, Google Ads, Facebook Ads—and look for the winners. Did one ad creative clearly outperform the others? Did targeting a specific zip code deliver better leads? The strategy is simple: do more of what's working and stop what isn't.
This is what we call the optimization loop:
Analyze: Dig into the performance data from all your active campaigns.
Hypothesize: Come up with a theory about why something worked (e.g., "The ad with the customer testimonial built more trust, leading to a higher click-through rate.").
Test: Double down on your winners. Shift more budget to the top-performing ads and audiences. Pause the campaigns that are just eating up your cash.
Repeat: This cycle never really ends. Continuous, small improvements are what lead to massive gains over time.
Platforms like Adwave really shine in this phase. With CTV ad spend projected to hit $26.6 billion in 2025, it’s a top priority for 68% of marketers. The secret to success isn't just being on TV; it's about precision targeting with first-party data. This is a practice used by 65% of advertisers to improve ROI by as much as 27%. Adwave uses viewing patterns to place your ads on major channels with incredible local accuracy, driving real results without a massive budget. You can learn more about where things are headed in these 2025 trends in CTV advertising.
Tying It All Together with a Budget
So, how does this look with a real budget? Let's say you have $3,000 to invest over these 90 days. A smart allocation could look something like this.
| Sample 90-Day Budget Allocation for a $3,000 Marketing Spend | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Channel | Month 1 (Foundation) | Month 2 (Launch) | Month 3 (Optimize) | Notes | | Google Ads (Local Search) | $200 | $400 | $500 | Focus on high-intent keywords like "plumber near me." Increase spend as you find winning ads. | | Facebook/Instagram Ads | $150 | $300 | $400 | Start with broad targeting, then narrow down to best-performing audiences in Month 3. | | Adwave (CTV Test) | $50 | $150 | $250 | Use a small test budget to establish brand presence, then scale based on performance data. | | Email/Referral Program | $50 | $50 | $50 | Small investment for setting up an automated email sequence or a simple referral incentive. | | Total Monthly Spend | $450 | $900 | $1,200 | Budget shifts towards proven channels as you gather data. | | 90-Day Grand Total | | $2,550 | | This leaves a $450 buffer for unexpected opportunities or to double down on a clear winner. |
This table provides a tangible starting point. The real magic happens when you adjust these numbers based on the data you collect in Month 2 and Month 3.
Your marketing budget is not an expense; it's an investment in growth. The key is to allocate it strategically, treating each dollar as a tool to learn more about your customers and what moves them to action.
By the end of this 90-day cycle, you'll have graduated from simply having an idea to running a fully-fledged, data-driven customer acquisition machine. You'll know what it costs to get a new customer and which channels are your heavy hitters. This is the foundation you'll build on to scale your business predictably.
Common Questions About Getting New Customers
Even with a solid plan in hand, you're bound to have questions. Let's tackle some of the most common ones I hear from local business owners trying to navigate the tricky waters of customer acquisition.
What Is the Fastest Way to Get New Customers for My Small Business?
If you need customers right now, the quickest path is usually a one-two punch: highly targeted digital ads paired with a really compelling, time-sensitive offer. Think a __LINK_0__ for "emergency plumber near me" or a Facebook ad for a weekend-only sale. This strategy is all about capturing immediate demand and giving people a reason to act now.
But here’s the thing: speed isn't the same as sustainability. For steady, predictable growth, you need to layer this short-term approach with activities that build your brand for the long haul. This is where something like local TV advertising, made simple through a platform like Adwave, becomes a game-changer. While your digital ads are busy grabbing the low-hanging fruit, TV is building the broad brand awareness and trust that create a reliable stream of customers over time.
How Much Should a Small Business Spend on Marketing?
You'll often hear a rule of thumb suggesting you allocate 5-10% of your revenue to marketing. If you're a brand-new business or really pushing for growth, you might even consider bumping that up to 12-20%.
Honestly, the exact percentage isn't the most important part. What matters is your mindset. Start with a budget you're comfortable with, track everything meticulously, and then double down on what’s actually working.
Don't get fixated on a specific dollar amount. The real focus should be on the Return on Investment (ROI) you're getting from each channel. An expensive channel that delivers high-value, loyal customers is a far better investment than a cheap one that just brings in tire-kickers.
The good news is that you don't need a huge budget to start testing powerful channels anymore. With a platform like Adwave, you can get a feel for television advertising for as little as $50. This lets you experiment and gather real-world data without a massive financial commitment.
Is TV Advertising Really Affordable for a Local Business?
Not long ago, the answer was a hard no. The sky-high costs of production and media buys put TV completely out of reach for most local businesses. Today, that's completely changed, and the answer is an emphatic yes. The rise of Connected TV (CTV) and platforms built specifically for local businesses has completely flipped the script.
Forget about hiring expensive production crews or negotiating massive media contracts. A tool like Adwave can use AI to create a polished, professional ad straight from your website. It then places that ad on major channels with pinpoint local targeting. With campaigns starting at just $50 and the cost to reach a thousand people (CPM) often falling between $15-$35, it can be a more impactful and cost-effective way to build local awareness than many other digital channels.
How Do I Know if My Marketing Is Actually Working?
You have to know what to measure. For your online ads, it's pretty straightforward—you're looking at metrics like Click-Through Rate (CTR), Cost Per Click (CPC), and, most importantly, your Conversion Rate.
For broader brand awareness campaigns like TV, you can track "proxy metrics" that clearly show its impact. Keep a close eye on these signals:
A jump in branded web searches. Are more people Googling your business name directly?
A rise in direct website traffic. This means people are typing your URL straight into their browser.
An increase in phone calls or inquiries that lines up with when your ad campaign is running.
Modern platforms make this so much easier. Adwave, for example, gives you a real-time performance dashboard. You can see the direct impact your TV ads are having and make smart, data-backed decisions to fine-tune your strategy on the fly.
Ready to see just how affordable and effective local TV advertising can be? With Adwave, you can create and launch a broadcast-quality ad on channels like Hulu and ESPN in just a few minutes, with campaigns starting at just $50. Let our AI turn your website into a compelling commercial and get your brand in front of thousands of local customers.