Customer relationship marketing is growing in popularity, thanks to the advent of the internet and social media. It is definitely going to be a ‘people’s favourite’. Why? That’s because, unlike traditional marketing, it does not focus on acquiring customers and selling products. Instead, it focuses on building customer relations and engagement as the first priority.
Relationship marketing concentrates on creating brand awareness, and not only attracts new customers but also retains old ones. Customer retention is a by-product of relationship marketing. Retaining your old customers can result in 15-20 % increase in annual revenue. So how do we do it?
Building Trust
To generate trust, you need to engage with your audience on a regular basis on social media. You need to be consistent in your social media postings. The nature of postings must be varied and interesting. It should generate engagement.
Your fans comments must be acknowledged. Make sure that you address each of them by name, while answering them on social media. Your social media postings should provide value to your fans and customers. Your social media posts can also be linked to your blog where you provide your subscribers with exhaustive information in your field of expertise.
Word of Mouth – Referrals
Once you generate a buzz online media like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and blogs via out of the box posts, the word will be out and your brand will get talked about.
People don’t just want a product, but an experience. Give it to them and they will love you. How to give them a brand experience? It’s simple!
Make them feel special. Answer their queries through social media comments, email or even telephone. You can go one step ahead and make a database of your customers along with their special dates (anniversaries, birthdays). You can send personalised greetings to them and make them feel special.
Increased Business Opportunities
And suppose they want to buy a product you have, will they go to your competitors? Will they refer their friends to your competitors? The answer is ‘NO’!
Loyal customers don’t go shopping around, even if the price is less, because they are more focused on the value they are getting. It goes without saying, that when they are getting value, they don’t mind referring your product to their friends and family. Returning customers, are also less costly to acquire, because they know how your product works.
Let’s summarise the essential elements of successful relationship marketing:
Customer Support: Have a great customer support team, which provides personalised service to your customers.
Educating Customers: Make sure that you provide value to your customers through your blog. Let them know about the latest trends and technologies in your field. Give them something to think about!
Social Media: Engage with customers on social media. Answer their comments and solve their issues (i.e., issues - concerning your product or field).
Email Marketing: An e-mail is still one of the most powerful ways of marketing and re-marketing to your customers. So, you need to have an email marketing strategy also in place.
In this video Michael Stelzner the CEO of Social Media Examiner interviews Mari Smith, author of “The New Relationship Marketing and Facebook Marketing: An Hour a Day”. Mari Smith is one of the world’s leading social media thought leaders, who is also Facebook’s designated “Small Business and Facebook Marketing Expert” and Forbes’ “#4 Top Social Media Power Influencer”
Have Loyalty Programs: A loyalty program is worth its salt, only if the rewards are outstanding. Have your loyal customers sign up for the loyalty program and reap its benefits. It is also a good way of re-selling to existing customers, by offering great deals.
You can thus cement your client relations by means of A customer relationship marketing strategy; also make sure that your product or services are of top-quality. Once you follow the above guidelines, your customer relations get a boost and business success won’t be far away.
Reach Out to your Specific AudienceWhen you place Facebook ads, let it mention the name of your city. This way, people reading this ad will immediately notice that it is meant for them in the first place. For e.g., if your ad title is “Web Design Services in Melbourne”, then it will have a greater impact on your target audience, who will then realize the Facebook ads are meant for them and that you are based in the same town.
Boost Post OptionWhen you choose to boost your post, you may start as little as $5. Select ‘people you choose through targeting’ and choose your city as well as the age group of your audience. You may choose to boost different kinds of posts. If you are into Facebook marketing, you may promote your blog. If you are a restaurant, then you may promote your new menu or restaurant pictures.
Create an EventAnother way to attract people is through an event. If you are dealer of cars, then have a ‘Weekend Test Drive Extravaganza’ planned on a weekend. Advertise this event and drive traffic to your social media page, as well as your website. If you are a restaurant, you may perhaps arrange for a special ‘Recipe Class with a Celebrity Chef’, and create an event on Facebook.
Offer a DiscountIf you are a restaurant, then you may offer a happy hour discount to boost sales. If you have a clothing store, you may offer a buy 2 get 2 offer. The kind of offer will depend on the type of business.
Value Added Content for Local MarketAlways provide content which caters to the local market. If you are a restaurant, you may write blogs about different cuisines or ‘Special items’ on your menu. If you are a website designer, you may write blogs about ‘Web-design trends & techniques’. Giving value added content will help you gain credibility as an expert in your particular field.
If you are a martial arts expert, you may post a video of everyday self-defence techniques. Likewise, if you are a yoga expert, you may post a yoga routine to start the day. So instead of asking people to buy your services all the time, you can shift gears and provide them what they want, and that is – providing value via blogs or videos.
