As an integrated marketer, you know the perils, pitfalls, and potential successes that go hand-in-hand with customer retention using social media. While new customer acquisition is essential for your business, it can be costly when you consider the expense of recruitment, as well as the greater likelihood of selling to existing customers, and the ongoing sales potential of loyal customers. MarketingProfs has a handy new infographic guide with seven ways social media can help you retain the customers you already have; you might find it helpful in your own marketing.
Social Listening
Listen to your customers’ social conversations, extract key information, understand their preferences, and use insights to give your customers what they really want.
Reward Your Active Advocates
Look for the customers that are actively sharing and promoting your message. Recognize and reward their loyalty (and good taste) in order to say “thank you.” Keep in mind that this reward doesn’t have to be cold, hard cash. Instead, consider including them in future planning, offering them early access to new products or services, featuring them in case studies or testimonials, or presenting them with personalized gifts.
Focus on Personalization
Make sure you are sending messages that reach your customers on a personal level. Considering the increased response and retention rates that personalization campaigns can deliver, making sure your customers know that you see and value them as individuals should be a no-brainer!
Irresistible Offers
Encourage customer retention through compelling special offers. These could include money-back guarantees, low risk/high value promotions, free trials, try-before-you-buy incentives, or bonuses. Essentially, as a good integrated marketer, you want to “make [customers] an offer [they] can’t refuse.”
Take Advantage of Social Influencers
Develop relationships with key social celebrities in your industry. These strategic individuals can help you bring your events to life, encourage real-time engagement on live-streaming platforms, provide you with visual content, or give you the opportunity to tap into their like-minded audience to spread your message.
Speak the Customers’ Language
Ensure that your social media messages are written in a voice and tone that will appeal to your audience. Humanizing your business and speech will reflect your place in the customers’ world, build engagement, and increase their comfort with your business.
Share at the Right Time Though it sometimes feels like the holy grail of social media, sharing your social media often comes down to timing. The ‘right time’ for your audience and industry will vary by platform/social network, day of the week, and even hour, but it will be worth the legwork to understand the best time to share your content with your customers. Look into organizing your social media posts with a scheduling program or other system to help you find the elusive ‘right time’ for your audience.
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