How to get clients outside Trinidad and Tobago

I tell folks at every opportunity, we are living in the best time ever to be a small business owner.

That’s because we have never had access to the tools we do today, to bring our business to the entire world.

Yet despite all of the tools at our disposal – I guess because of the sheer amount of tools, strategies and content online telling you how to grow your business – this question continues to be one of the top ones that I get asked: "How can I get clients and grow my business outside Trinidad and Tobago?”

This question is more important now because we are constantly being bombarded with news of higher costs of living and people losing their spending

So, if your business is not deemed a necessity, people may opt not to spend their money on your vegan leather purses and backpacks right now.

So as business owners, our job is now to start learning how to take our business digital, tap into new markets, sell through e-commerce ready platforms, and learn more about logistics so that we can get our products whether physical or digital to our end consumers.

I’m going to give you five ways you can start doing to implement, that will allow you to get clients outside TT.

1. Showcase your knowledge on social media

2. Engage in industry communities on social media

3. Build connections through LinkedIn

4. Learn digital marketing

5. Get featured

Showcase your knowledge

The world is filled with people who have problems or want to achieve a desire.

If you start displaying your knowledge on social media, how your products/services can help solve your clients' problems, how you can help people achieve their desires, your audience will see your social media as a resource, and they will continue to come back to your platform.

Valuable content gets fewer likes, but the saves and the shares go way up.

Ditch the fluff content, the “GRWM (get ready with me),” random dancing content and start being a valuable resource to your audience.

Engage in industry communities

Start engaging with other businesses in your industry online.

Connect with them, follow them, and engage in their comments sections with valuable info to add to their discussions and other people will start following you for your insights as well.

This will help grow the community that you can start to sell to.

Build connections through LinkedIn

This platform is the number one place where all businesses and professionals are located, and everybody is there to gain value and do business.

You should be posting all your business content here. Show people how your business can help them. Search for other companies you may want to partner with and create initiatives to grow your industry.

Almost every company and publication in the world has a presence here; start connecting with folks that can also help you gain visibility in your industry.

Don’t limit yourself to the Caribbean!

Learn digital marketing

This may shock people but when you learn digital marketing, it’s not all digital.

You learn how to blend both digital and traditional media to build a bigger footprint.

That’s because platforms like popular search engines such as Google, are using ranking factors – like if you are being featured in traditional media – to help boost your rankings for your website.

Digital marketing will help you appear in search results for other countries, and it will teach you the strategies to start targeting other countries with your content and paid ads.

Get featured

Another terrific way to start getting clients outside TT, is to start getting featured in publications outside TT.

Media outlets, bloggers, podcasters, and YouTubers are always looking for a new story or content.

If you build your body of work, create valuable content, and learn how to become a top voice in your industry, whenever something is happening in your space, the media will think of you when they want a comment, a story or to feature you.

If you can start getting featured by platforms outside of your country, this will build your influence, grow your brand's authority and digital footprint.

You will start getting noticed by clients in other countries.

To this date, the Keron Rose brand has been featured in every Caribbean country's media through either radio, TV, or print mews. That has allowed me to gain clients throughout the Caribbean, garner international clients and conduct workshops in countries like the US, Canada, UK, and Australia.

The goal for your business is to become a resource centre for your audience, that’s how you gain clients outside TT.

Keron Rose is a digital strategist who helps Caribbean entrepreneurs build their digital presence. Check out Keronrose.com, The Digipreneur FM podcast or follow @Keronrose on IG/LinkedIn/TikTok/Facebook.