Brand advocates are your best assets when it comes to growing your company. They are customers who can promote your business for free. Unlike traditional advertising strategies where you have to spend plenty of money to expose your brand online or to the physical world, brand advocates are highly effective because they’re consumers marketing to other consumers.
If you don’t know how to turn your customers into advocates for your business, read on until the end.
1. Personalization
Remember the names of your customers. Address them personally on your next campaigns. Send promotions that fit their demographics, characteristics, needs, interests, and preferences. The first step to winning loyal customers is showing how much you appreciate them.
2. Encourage feedback
Ask your customers what they like and hate about your brand. After their purchase, let them answer a quick survey. You can do that in various ways like giving an email questionnaire or starting a poll on your social media page.
3. Always provide excellent service
Always check the products you sell. Make sure to address all problems. Prepare yourself to tend to your customers’ concerns and assure them at all times. Greet them as they enter your physical store. Be polite and understanding. Make friends with them through small talk.
4. Build a community
Start a subreddit about your brand. But the most common way to start a community based on your business is by creating a social media page. When customers complete purchases in your store, ask them to like your page and share their experiences through comments or posts.
5. Develop a memorable onboarding process
Educate your customers about the proper and best use of your products. Offer some suggestions that are easily understood. This strategy is commonly used by e-cigarette shops and is the #1 reason why most of their customers become regular patrons.
6. Develop a customer-centric culture
A customer-centric culture is a type of management where every decision you make as an entrepreneur is focused on keeping your customers satisfied and happy. Instead of looking for ways to gain profit, you’re looking for ways to earn more customers and making them loyal.
7. Drive repeat business
Consumers become loyal customers based on different reasons. But the most common factor is the incentives and conveniences a brand offers. Some customers choose a particular store because of its 24/7 customer service. Others stick around due to frequent discounts and free shipping.
8. Offer a loyalty program
Aside from the strategies mentioned in #7, a loyalty program is another way to encourage your customer to do repeat business. However, you must offer bonuses that are really rewarding to those who’ll avail of the program and would encourage others to avail as well. Not just ordinary freebies or small discounts.
9. Offer referral programs
The truth about loyalty programs is that you need to keep on thinking about good bonuses for members every month or year. Whereas with referral programs, it’s like a switch you can turn on and off. If you want to earn new customers, start a referral program. If you want to cover the costs of your referral program, stop it.
10. Engage with customers on social media
Lastly, don’t just leave your customers interacting with each other in your online community. Talk to them as well. Ask them how your products are holding up. Thank positive reviews and engage with complaints. Respond immediately to DMs especially if they’re asking for help from you.
After you’ve made your customers satisfied and happy with your brand, you can either tell them to spread the good word about your business or let them take the initiative. But it’s better to ask a favor from them as not all loyal customers have the time or interest to be your brand’s advocates.
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