No matter what type of business you run, whether a small start-up or a large corporation, customer marketing is the key to retaining customers. A significant number of businesses fail to maximize their current customer value. According to recent research from experts, over a third of the companies surveyed aren't realizing the full revenue potential of their existing customer base.
Isn't it true that the way you deal with a prospect who has never heard from you before is different from how you deal with customers who already know what you're about? Marketing to the last group is one of the most overlooked aspects if you're looking for long-term, dedicated business (vs. a bunch of one-time purchases).
Get into the world of customer marketing!
Let me walk you through these steps:
- What customer marketing is (and why it matters)
- Eight real-world customer marketing strategies
What Exactly Is Customer Marketing?
In this type of marketing, you are contacting your existing customers rather than attempting to find new prospects.
Customer marketing refers to any marketing activity or campaign targeting current customers. Customer retention, loyalty, advocacy, growth, and community involvement can all be improved by campaigns.
What Makes Customer Marketing So Important?
Understanding the language of your current customers is critical to writing effective ads as well as emails, social media, and offers. Customers who trust you with their hard-earned money deserve and expect your attention.
You might think it makes sense to market to your current customers explicitly, but you may forget to reach out to your most eager buyers.
Keeping your customers off your radar means you are leaving money on the table, as well as potentially wasting money.
In a nutshell, there are three important benefits:
- Improved customer retention, reduced churn
You've heard this one before: it's more expensive to acquire a new customer than to keep an existing one. Engaging and keeping existing customers means more money in your pocket over the long run. (More on customer retention here - link to another post!!!!)
Furthermore, you're more likely to form meaningful, long-lasting relationships with your customers when you get to know them better.
- Positive referrals and word-of-mouth
Having satisfied customers is arguably the best word-of-mouth you could hope for. What is the outcome? Positive attention and more referrals for your business.
- Social proof is customer marketing.
In a similar vein, customer-centric marketing targets both current customers and new prospects. Ultimately, customer marketing proves your track record and increases conversions with people who may not already know you.
In light of all of this, what exactly does effective customer marketing look like?
Great question! I'm glad you asked.
I chose eight strategies that have become staples of customer marketing in today's world. But, of course, you can use any combination of these tactics, from emails and social updates to simple customer communication steps.
1. Make Them Feel Special Right From the Start
A client's first impression can make or break your business.
What does it mean? The value of welcome emails is three times that of a traditional marketing message. Likewise, welcome messages are an opportunity to make a lasting first impression.
You need to emphasize the importance of association with your brand, whether to hype up exclusive content or to set expectations for the future.
Peloton's welcome email creates a sense of community with its laid-back tone and message.
This onboarding email emphasizes the halo effect of being associated with their product. Isn't it nice to be around good people? Getting inspired and taking action is way more proactive than just saying, "Thank you."
2. The Best Billboards You Can Get Are Your Customers
Ensure your brand generates a sense of loyalty as soon as possible. Using user-generated content (UGC), such as those shared in welcome emails, is one of the best ways to do that. UGC is content created by your customers rather than by you.
Customer-generated content, whether in the form of a photo, a comment, or a positive review, is part of your marketing dynamic.
Did you know that 75% of consumers feel that UGC is more "authentic" than traditional advertising? Squarespace, for example, often highlights its customers' stories and content on Instagram.
However, UGC does not have to be customer photos. Even a simple tweet can be used as UGC.
3. Show Off Specific Customer Success Stories
Okay... You already know that your customers' content and experiences are your best marketing weapons. It's time to step things up now!
Consider giving your customers more credit than just posting on social media when they have displayed exceptional work.
Think about conducting in-depth interviews and blogging about how your courses and resources helped customers find jobs in the tech industry.
Besides blog posts, you can create an ebook that showcases successful brands using your platform.
Such content is engaging for both potential and current customers
Many businesses also have pages dedicated to case studies or testimonials so that their customers can get inspiration from them. Here’s a great example.
There is no doubt that your customers will be glad to tell you about their experience.
If you aren't sure where to begin, start by identifying your best customers. Find out which customers are the most loyal, have the longest relationships, and produce the most revenue. Then, contact each customer on your list.
This brings us to the next point.
4. Improve Your Listening Skills
Wouldn't it be awesome if customer marketing was as easy as hitting "Reply"?" Sometimes it is!
Responding (relatively) quickly to comments, social posts, and emails is an easy way to do customer marketing. By communicating with your customers, you show your commitment to their long-term success.
By responding immediately, you let them know you're available to them.
Customer service is not necessarily what we mean here.
Saying "thank you" or responding to a shout-out shows that you're paying attention.
As part of listening, you should also ask for your customers' feedback, whether it be via social media or email.
The points listed above may not seem like much, but they reinforce a positive relationship with your customers.
With social media and email, keeping in touch with customers has never been easier.
5. Don’t Forget to Reward Your Clients
No matter what form the freebies and rewards take, they're always welcome. Using giveaways to promote your product and to position your company as a helpful hand is a great way to garner interest in the product.
Moreover, you can offer your customers discounts and referral codes to encourage them to refer their friends. Gousto does a brilliant job at this with their referral program.
Giving back to your customers doesn't have to take the form of a giveaway either - Nyx gives their Beauty Program members a birthday gift.
Send a gift to a B2B or SaaS company on its anniversary, a major milestone, or your 10th collaboration anniversary.
Using your CRM, you can set a task to follow up or automate the process to send the gift or note automatically. It’s a win-win situation!
6. Do Your Research When in Doubt
Your CRM data can help you understand and tailor your offers and educational content to what exactly your customers want.
Think about it: 81% of consumers want personalization, and they wish that companies were more aware of their individual needs.
Segmenting your content using data is a good starting point when you want to do more personalized marketing. And CRMs allow you to do exactly that.
Your CRM includes a feature for sales analytics and reporting so you can see what your top customers want, what their sales insights are, and how they perform.
The following ideas can help you identify opportunities for client marketing using your CRM:
- Fix pipeline issues.
Is there a particular time of year or month where people tend to cancel subscriptions?
Let's say you notice a trend in customers canceling their subscriptions after six months. Can you adjust your marketing communication to address that?
- Boost your average order value.
Imagine you're an e-commerce or retail business. What is the frequency of your customers' purchases? Is seasonality a factor? Knowing your current customer's purchase trends can help you identify ways to market to them and increase average order value over time, resulting in increased profits.
7. Maintain Consistency in Your Content Delivery
Showing up is half the battle in customer marketing.
Content creation. Developing new offers and deals. Emailing a newsletter. Keep a regular check-in with your customers using your CRM.
Be aware that your customers' attention is valuable and that they can only support so many brands at one time. Therefore, delivering value consistently will keep you at the top of their minds.
Also, if your content is relevant, there's no need to be shy about offering it. According to a recent Square survey, consumers want to hear more from brands and businesses in the form of content, deals, and advice.
8. Become an Inspiration
And finally, we should not forget the human aspect of marketing.
Relationships with your customers are built by connecting and interacting, but the best ones are those that lift you up. Positive vibes are crucial to building community.
MailChimp regularly posts lighthearted content to show their customers some love.
By providing support to your customers, you show them they are part of something larger than themselves.
Your brand will stand out from the crowd if you humanize your customer marketing. As a business, it's crucial to establish long-term relationships and not just another business in a crowd.
That's what we all want, isn't it?
Conclusion
Regardless of your perspective, businesses need a strategy to encourage long-term customers today. People will remain loyal to you for a long time if you create a sense of advocacy and warmth beyond just producing positive business results.
What's good? You already have loads of customer info. Using your CRM regularly will help you get to know your customers better, making marketing easier.
Give it a try, and let me know what you think!
