Helen Nesterenko
If your small business marketing strategy doesn’t include your existing customer base, it definitely should!
It’s a well-known fact among marketing experts that your current clients are a major source for revenue. These individuals have already researched your brand and chosen to make a purchase. Hopefully, they’re fully satisfied with the purchase. But how do you leverage these contacts to earn repeat spend?
Gartner has found that for most brands, 80% of your future income will come from your existing customer base. This is why the most brilliant marketers focus their efforts on customer satisfaction strategies. This post is designed to share some simple and effective tips for customer satisfaction, so you can generate more return business:
Go The Extra Mile
Everyone – and I mean everyone – loves free stuff. That’s why customer bonus programs are an essential part of so many online and offline brands. Can you imagine a world without airline miles or credit card points? However, what many companies fail to realize is bonus programs don’t entail giving away your product for free.
Many business experts believe that giving away or significantly discounting your product can devalue your brand. Providing related products and services as a bonus can keep your company’s services at a premium, while still providing immense value to your clients. Sounds like an all-around win, right?
Here are some pragmatic ways you can offer complementary products or services:
- Freelance copywriting agencies can offer complementary metrics analysis or blog redesign tips.
- Social media managers can provide Facebook or Twitter cover graphics (which are easy to make with a tool like Canva!).
- Bakeries or confectioners can offer complementary tea or wine that pairs well with their products.
While it’s crucial to ensure you have the skills and abilities to deliver your bonuses well, they can enhance brand loyalty and customer referrals.
Reward Negativity
It may be hard to accept, but negative online reviews are actually a positive opportunity for growth. And let’s face it, every organization will receive a negative online review on Yelp, Google local, Facebook, or another outlet at one point or another.
Ignore nonsensical rants about your brand. However, when customers have actual constructive criticism to share, it’s important to listen. These people care about your product and your brand, and want it to be better.
Never fight back or argue on online outlets, which will only cast your company in a poor light. Use these negative reviews as an opportunity for good PR. Thank the customer for the feedback, and offer a freebie as an opportunity to right their experience. Negative reviews can help you publicly convert detractors into enthusiastic brand promoters.
Make Them Feel Special
Technology allows some pretty magical things to happen, especially personalization. Anything that can make your customers feel recognized and appreciated is a sharp move. Psychology researchers attribute the human love for individual recognition to our affinity for control.
Small, service-oriented brands should ensure their account management staff learns and remembers customers’ preferences and life details. However, larger or online-driven brands can leverage the right technologies to the same effect. Use name personalization in emails, or custom welcome messages when clients log-in. There’s no question that technology or individual-driven personalization is well worth your while.
Send An Email A Day
Both local and online brands should make a point to send an email to at least one client each day. It doesn’t need to be long or elaborate, but it must be very sincere. Vary your content by client as much as possible, but be sure to ask how their experience has been.
Not only will your customers love the individual effort you put into these daily emails, you’ll grow from the experience, too. This system can allow you to learn what people love (and dislike) about your brand, how they’re using your products, and a little bit more about your buyers.
Does your company’s marketing include a customer retention strategy? How do you increase your return business?
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