Did you know your customers can also be some of your greatest assets when it comes to marketing your brand? Everybody has a circle of influence, including your customers, and their circle of influence will usually be made up of people of similar interests and needs. If your existing customers feel compelled to share your brand with their circle of influence because they are so in love with your product and your team, you can increase your reach into your target audience. Not sure how to activate your current customers to help you? Here are 8 great ways to get started.
Understand your existing customers. Get to know them as more than just customers; get to know them as people. What are their hobbies, careers, wants, and needs? Who are they when they aren’t your customer? There are many ways to gain this information. You can reach out to them through social media and email. Have them fill out surveys and give feedback. When possible, you can even make in-person contact: phone calls, text messages, and lunch meetings. The more you know about your customers as people, the more you can tailor your marketing strategy to meet their needs and catch their attention. You will be able to build more brand affinity with your target audience. This article has more ideas to help you build that brand affinity.
Identify the top 20% of your customers. Have you heard of the 80/20 rule? They say 20% of your customers make up 80% of your sales. These are your “power customers” and are going to be the ones most likely to help spread the word about your brand. Instead of trying to appeal to everyone, focus on these “power customers.” Customize your communication and marketing toward them. Offer them special perks and discounts for being loyal to your brand and your team. Make them feel special, and they will in turn help you market your brand to their circle.
Random acts of kindness. Have you ever had someone do something unexpected and kind for you that completely made your day? Remember how that made you feel about that someone? Show your appreciation to your customers through small acts of kindness. Start with your “power customers.” Offer them a surprise coupon or discount. Send them a free product. Reach out to them through social media or email a thank you note. When customers feel valued and appreciated, they will feel connected to your brand and continue giving you their business. They will also be more likely to share your brand with others.
Hold a contest or giveaway. This is a fun and powerful way to connect with your existing customers and create excitement surrounding your brand. People love playing games, and they love winning free stuff. You can do this through social media to increase customer interaction with your brand. It also spreads the word about your brand as customers share the contest on their pages with their followers. You can do a raffle for people signed up for your email marketing lists. Make sure to publicly announce and celebrate the winners of the contest/giveaway as a way to build relationships and trust with your customers.
Affiliate Marketing. Affiliate marketing incentivises your customers to share your brand by offering them something in return. Allow them to generate additional income for themselves by sharing their thoughts and experiences with your brand and products. This is a fantastic way to get your existing customers to spread the word about your brand with their circle of influence and grow awareness about your business.
Let your customers be part of the process. Allowing your existing customers to offer their insights and feedback about your products helps them feel connected to your brand by giving them a small sense of ownership. Offer regular surveys or focus groups for your customers to share their thoughts and feelings about your brand and products. Have a regular “Feedback Friday” thread on your social media pages. Listen to and incorporate some of their ideas to show you care about what they want and need from you and that their opinions are important to you. When they feel valued and heard, they become more connected and loyal to your brand.
Send out promotional products. Did you know that 82% of people who received a promotional product from a business reported a favorable impression of that business? 90% could recall the brand associated with the promotional product, and 85% actually did business with the brand that gave them the promotional product. Who doesn’t love new swag? Just make sure you know your target audience and what kinds of products they would actually appreciate and use. We want to send them swag, not spam. As they use these promotional products, it provides advertising for your brand by showcasing it to other people who see their swag. Plus, people are highly likely to share their new swag on social media with their followers if they are excited to receive it.
Engage with your customers often. This is so important! Great customer service is essential to gaining and retaining customers. People want to feel connected to the brands they use. They want to know they can reach you if they have questions or issues. If you are engaging with them, they will see you as a person and not a company. They will feel more connected and loyal to you. In today’s digital world, it is so easy to connect and engage with our customers. We have social media, email, and text messages that make it quick and easy to communicate. There is no excuse not to be engaging with your audience.
It is so much easier to sell to existing customers than to find new ones. So focus on your existing customers and let them help you in return by spreading the word about your brand with their circle of influence. Because the people they interact with regularly are going to be people similar to them, you have an easy gateway to new customers within your target audience.
Need help activating existing customers and implementing these ideas? Contact us! We would love to help!
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