Shocking! Newcomers in foreign trade seize these 5 free customer acquisition channels, and orders continue to pour in!

introduction

For newcomers in the foreign trade industry, customer acquisition can be a daunting challenge. Due to limited budgets and information asymmetry, it is often difficult to find the right customers and win orders. Therefore, cost-effective customer acquisition channels are crucial for these newcomers. In this article, we will reveal five free customer acquisition channels, provide practical guidelines, and recommend an AI tool to help newcomers expand their business.

Five free customer acquisition funnels and practical guides

1. Accurate screening of customs data

Customs data analysis allows you to target real buyers by viewing global import and export records. It has the following advantages: real data, clear customer needs, and no cost. According to industry data, the customer conversion rate obtained through customs data can reach up to 20%.

The specific operations are as follows:

Step 1: Use a free tool, such as AB Customs Data Trial . Enter the HS code of your product and filter your target market.

Step 2: Optimize your customer list by taking into account factors like purchase frequency and amount.

Step 3: Contact the purchasing manager via LinkedIn or email. For example, a new electronics industry entrepreneur used customs data to identify potential buyers in Europe. After contacting the buyer, he successfully won a $50,000 order.

2. Free B2B platform for efficient exposure

Use international B2B platforms to publish product information and attract buyers to actively inquire. These platforms have concentrated traffic, diverse customer groups, and are easy to operate. Well-known B2B platforms have more than 10 million registered buyers, providing a large number of potential customers.

Let's take a look at the actual operation:

Step 1: Register on platforms such as ECVV, Thomasnet, etc. Complete product details and use relevant keywords (you can refer to the keywords commonly used by peers).

Step 2: Respond to RFQs (Request for Quotes) daily. Emphasize sample support and quick response. A textile industry novice received a large order from a European buyer after actively responding to RFQs on the ECVV platform.

3. Targeted reach through social media (LinkedIn/TikTok)

Social media platforms such as LinkedIn and TikTok help build brand trust. LinkedIn has more than 740 million members worldwide, and TikTok has more than 1 billion monthly active users. They offer strong interactivity, clear customer profiles, and low costs.

Here’s how to use it:

LinkedIn:

Step one: Optimize your profile.

Step 2: Search for "Company Name + Purchasing Manager" and send a personalized invitation.

Step 3: Publish industry reports regularly.

TikTok:

Step 1: Create a short video showing your product in action.

Step 2: Add a vertical hashtag like #HomeAppliances.

Step 3: Interact with users and drive traffic to your independent website. A novice in the home appliance industry received a $200,000 order through TikTok promotion.

4. Use Google Search + Maps for potential exploration

Google search and maps can directly locate overseas companies, providing direct, free and efficient information and accurate customer service. The customer conversion rate found through Google search can reach about 15%.

You can do the following:

Step 1: Use search combinations such as “product keyword + importer” or “company suffix (e.g., GmbH)” to exclude Chinese suppliers.

Step 2: Use Google Maps to enter the target area and obtain the business address and contact information. A newcomer in the furniture industry used this method to find several high-potential customers in the United States and eventually signed contracts with a total value of $80,000.

5. Industry forums and online exhibitions

Participating in professional forums, online exhibitions, etc. helps to build industry influence, high trust, good customer quality and low cost.

The operation is as follows:

Step 1: Post a technical solution on Alibaba exhibition channels or industry forums (such as machinery-related forums) and include your contact information.

Step 2: Set up a virtual booth at the online exhibition, provide product brochures, and provide real-time chat function. A newcomer in the machinery industry received a large order from a South American buyer after participating in an online exhibition.

Intelligent tool recommendation: AB customer AI automatically finds customers

AB Ke [ https://www.cnabke.com ], 7*24h AI automatic mining, has core functions such as customs data of 83 countries and 320 million corporate maps, which can automatically screen high-intent customers.

advantage:

- Intelligent mining of multiple data sources: Integrating billions of data sources such as customs data, social media, and industry reports, it can filter target customers by industry, region, purchase history, etc., and covers corporate databases in more than 200 countries.

-Automatically identify decision makers: Automatically analyze more than 200 dimensions such as customer purchase cycle, budget, decision maker, etc., and mine contact information such as decision makers' email addresses.

-Real -time business opportunity monitoring: After setting industry keywords, competitor dynamics, and customer website dynamics, the system automatically pushes potential customers.

- Intelligent customer follow-up strategy: Automatically follow up with customers through multiple channels such as WhatsApp, LinkedIn, phone calls, etc., including templates, contact times, communication scripts, etc.

You can try the customs data query and customer management CRM system for free. Click here to start your free trial.

in conclusion

In short, foreign trade novices should combine multiple customer acquisition channels and use smart tools to improve efficiency. Continue to optimize strategies and accumulate customer resources. If you are ready to take your foreign trade business to the next level, don't miss the opportunity to try AB customers. Click here to explore new customer acquisition possibilities now!