Businesses are constantly looking for ways to enhance their relationship with their consumers. By improving client relations you will see it increase customer loyalty and generate more business through positive reviews. We wrote an extensive blog on customer advocacy here.
Satisfied customers will support your business through tough times and contribute to building your brand reputation. Marketing techniques, particularly those that reach customers on a more personal level, are a key way in which you can grow customer loyalty and trust. Here are a few tactics to consider:
Omni-channel marketing to reach customers wherever they are
Offer customers a variety of ways to communicate with your company, including apps, chat, text, in addition to more traditional channels. Omni-channel marketing means customers can get in touch and learn about your company through several channels, when it suits them.
Many customers will use multiple devices before making a purchase. For example, they will move from an advert on social media, to the mobile site or app to view the product in more detail and switch to desktop to make that purchase. When the client’s experience is seamless and consistent across these channels, customers will be more likely to return.
Cross-device marketing and personalisation
It is important to be aware of who your clients are, as well as their unique profiles and preferences. This information helps you build customer loyalty through a personalised approach that reaches your audience effectively and efficiently.
Customers respond positively to less frequent, targeted material focused on their priorities. An omni-channel approach ensures these preferences are catered for and that you aren’t alienating your base. Use customers data to target specific groups with your marketing strategy, adapting the message based on their unique profile.
Encourage feedback and respond to customer reviews
Engaging with customers is a key step in building trust and loyalty. If a customer feels like their voice matters to your company, they will be far more likely to repeat their experience with your business. Feedback, both positive and negative, gives your organisation insight into how customers perceive the company. This information is crucial when it comes to identifying areas of improvement and successful initiatives.
Encouraging feedback leads to a direct dialogue with your consumer base that can result in an enhanced user experience. It is also important to engage with positive and negative customer reviews, particularly when they appear on a public forum. This increases transparency, humanises the face of the business, and visibly demonstrates your commitment to quality.
Provide customers incentives to return
Rewarding existing customers is a great way to increase your percentage of returning clients. Customer loyalty programmes are very effective when it comes to showing your consumer base how important they are to you. Whether it’s a simple but effective use of personalisation like Disney’s wristbands or a discount voucher off of your next purchase.
With that said, your programme will only make the desired impact if it speaks to the needs of your clients. A badly thought-through benefit can alienate customer by treating them like they fall outside of your ‘core’ group. The incentive you choose to offer has to be meaningful, relevant, and coherent with client purchasing practices.
Native advertising and storytelling
Native advertising is increasingly being used by companies to reach and attract new customers in a more organic way. Sponsored content allows you to reach users on their terms, and is considered less intrusive than more direct advertising channels. By choosing to use paid media to advertise your product or services, you promote interaction and allow consumers to explore the aspects of a product or service that speaks to them. Stories should focus on the needs of the user by making your brand relatable. This non-intrusive advertising integrates your organisation into the consumer’s daily experience and builds trust over time.
Encourage employee loyalty
Build your brand loyalty from the bottom up. Having a strong relationship with employees and encouraging a positive working environment will ensure their loyalty to the business. This aspect is regularly overlooked when considering how to build a company’s relationship with customers. However, it can make a huge difference. When your employees believe in the brand they are representing, they have a greater capacity for embodying company values and presenting a positive image in customer interactions.
When applying these techniques to build trust in your consumer portfolio, it’s important that you have a clear vision of the direction of your organisation, as well as maximising the use of technology. You must represent your brand accurately, in a way that resonates with users. Be true to your company values in engagements with clients and your marketing efforts will be rewarded. Listening to the priorities, perceptions, and needs of your clients is at the core of any strategy to grow customer loyalty.
