Getting customers onside for the long-term is crucial for the survival of any business, particularly during trying economic times. With much modern business taking place online, it’s more important than ever that businesses leverage every digital tool available to retain customers, including a high-quality loyalty program. Loyal customers not only provide a secure and consistent source of income; they can also act as evangelists for the brand, drawing in more customers, and thereby creating a positive exponential spread.
Through social media, it’s possible to foster an ongoing dialogue with your customers. This has several huge advantages. It’ll help you to create hype and interest around particular products and services. It’ll demonstrate that you care about the opinions of your customer base, thereby creating a sense of goodwill. And it’ll provide you with valuable feedback on what you need to do to earn their custom in the long term.
Where customers have complaints, they now have several highly-visible means of voicing them. On these occasions, your social media have an opportunity to go above and beyond the call of duty in order to satisfy unhappy customers. Most customers will tend to forgive the occasional lapse or defect, if they can see that efforts are being taken to repair the damage.
If you don’t provide value to your customers, then you can’t expect them to keep coming back for more. Through the right loyalty program, you can offer targeted incentives that will tempt customers back for more. Everyone likes the sense that they’re being privileged over others, and the right loyalty programme creates exactly this. You might offer discounts, free shipping, extra gifts, or added services that they might not have expected.
Your branding should be consistent and recognisable. If your customers can’t recognise your logo, then you’ll find it more difficult to evoke the same moods and feelings and associations. For this reason, revamping your marketing material should be something that’s done only occasionally. But there’s more to branding than graphic design; you’ll also need to give attention to other parts of the user-experience.
Influencers are a powerful means of getting your products into a visible space. The more influential the influencer, the more they’ll be able to charge you to highlight your products – but this investment might be worthwhile. Do your research, and identify influencers who hold sway over your target market.
Once you’ve gotten the wheels of your loyalty-generating machine into motion, there’s a temptation to sit back and enjoy the ride. Complacency can lead to errors, which can inflict reputational damage. Moreover, digital marketing and retail is a field that’s constantly evolving, and you’ll need to be proactive if you want to stay ahead of the game.
Engage with customers
Through social media, it’s possible to foster an ongoing dialogue with your customers. This has several huge advantages. It’ll help you to create hype and interest around particular products and services. It’ll demonstrate that you care about the opinions of your customer base, thereby creating a sense of goodwill. And it’ll provide you with valuable feedback on what you need to do to earn their custom in the long term.
Provide customer service
Where customers have complaints, they now have several highly-visible means of voicing them. On these occasions, your social media have an opportunity to go above and beyond the call of duty in order to satisfy unhappy customers. Most customers will tend to forgive the occasional lapse or defect, if they can see that efforts are being taken to repair the damage.
Provide value
If you don’t provide value to your customers, then you can’t expect them to keep coming back for more. Through the right loyalty program, you can offer targeted incentives that will tempt customers back for more. Everyone likes the sense that they’re being privileged over others, and the right loyalty programme creates exactly this. You might offer discounts, free shipping, extra gifts, or added services that they might not have expected.
Take branding seriously
Your branding should be consistent and recognisable. If your customers can’t recognise your logo, then you’ll find it more difficult to evoke the same moods and feelings and associations. For this reason, revamping your marketing material should be something that’s done only occasionally. But there’s more to branding than graphic design; you’ll also need to give attention to other parts of the user-experience.
Take advantage of influencers
Influencers are a powerful means of getting your products into a visible space. The more influential the influencer, the more they’ll be able to charge you to highlight your products – but this investment might be worthwhile. Do your research, and identify influencers who hold sway over your target market.
Stay on the front foot
Once you’ve gotten the wheels of your loyalty-generating machine into motion, there’s a temptation to sit back and enjoy the ride. Complacency can lead to errors, which can inflict reputational damage. Moreover, digital marketing and retail is a field that’s constantly evolving, and you’ll need to be proactive if you want to stay ahead of the game.
