Loyal customers are at the core of every business’ success—businesses have a 60 to 70% chance of selling to an existing customer, while the probability of selling to a new prospect is only 5 to 20 percent. Maintaining customer relationships is no easy task, but if done right, it can help set your company apart from your competitors.
The act of maintaining a relationship with your customers is an essential part of a business strategy, and should be included in every business plan. To guide small businesses through this essential strategic point, we have put together 5 ways your brand can maintain customer relationships.
Here are 5 easy ways to maintain customer relationships
Listen to your customers
Listening to your customers is an easy way to maintain customer relationships. One way social media can help is by providing a space for businesses and customers to connect. By creating a company Twitter handle, Facebook page, and Instagram account, your company can help customers reach out if they have any concerns, issues, or feedback. Listening to them on these social networks will allow you to respond quickly.
Listening to your customers is an easy way to maintain customer relationships. One way social media can help is by providing a space for businesses and customers to connect. By creating a company Twitter handle, Facebook page, and Instagram account, your company can help customers reach out if they have any concerns, issues, or feedback. Listening to them on these social networks will allow you to respond quickly.
Be genuine to your customers
People can spot a fake from afar, and the last thing you want your company doing is having an insincere business’ persona. Same goes for how you converse with your customers online or offline. Being genuine with your customers goes a long way when it comes to maintaining customer relationships. For example, if your customers are having issues with your product, provide an honest answer and don’t make promises you can’t keep. The worst thing you can do as a business is make false promises instead of an effective customer solution.
People can spot a fake from afar, and the last thing you want your company doing is having an insincere business’ persona. Same goes for how you converse with your customers online or offline. Being genuine with your customers goes a long way when it comes to maintaining customer relationships. For example, if your customers are having issues with your product, provide an honest answer and don’t make promises you can’t keep. The worst thing you can do as a business is make false promises instead of an effective customer solution.
Create and engage with your brand ambassadors
For new start-ups, growing a community is the first step in marketing efforts, and that often includes building a community of brand ambassadors. At Hootsuite, we treasure our brand ambassadors, because without them we wouldn’t be where we are today. During our early years we spent our marketing efforts in growing a community, as opposed to investing in advertisements. Through engaging Hootups, Google Hangouts, and conversations on social media, we were able to grow our community of local social enthusiasts into a global community of brand ambassadors.
For new start-ups, growing a community is the first step in marketing efforts, and that often includes building a community of brand ambassadors. At Hootsuite, we treasure our brand ambassadors, because without them we wouldn’t be where we are today. During our early years we spent our marketing efforts in growing a community, as opposed to investing in advertisements. Through engaging Hootups, Google Hangouts, and conversations on social media, we were able to grow our community of local social enthusiasts into a global community of brand ambassadors.
Put emphasis on customer success
Customer success is a pivotal focus point for businesses. If you provide support to your customers, they will, in turn, reward you with loyalty and valuable feedback. This could start out small: for example, by entrusting someone on your team with customer support duties. This will help you maintain customer relationships, and establish your business as that which makes meeting their customer’s needs a top priority.
Customer success is a pivotal focus point for businesses. If you provide support to your customers, they will, in turn, reward you with loyalty and valuable feedback. This could start out small: for example, by entrusting someone on your team with customer support duties. This will help you maintain customer relationships, and establish your business as that which makes meeting their customer’s needs a top priority.
Keep in touch
Just like maintaining friendships, in order to maintain customer relationships you need to keep in touch. For businesses this can come in the form of holiday cards, birthday greeting Tweets, or a quarterly email reminding your customers that you’re there for them if they need you. By keeping in touch with your customers, you’ll stay “top of mind”—this is key to making sure your customers don’t leave you for someone else, or forget about you altogether.
Just like maintaining friendships, in order to maintain customer relationships you need to keep in touch. For businesses this can come in the form of holiday cards, birthday greeting Tweets, or a quarterly email reminding your customers that you’re there for them if they need you. By keeping in touch with your customers, you’ll stay “top of mind”—this is key to making sure your customers don’t leave you for someone else, or forget about you altogether.
Culled from http://blog.hootsuite.com
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