Learn how brands like Amazon, McDonalds and Amway build relationship with customers to grow their businesses.
Every business or organization looking to expand usually seeks out ways and strategies to help them. Relationship marketing is a system on its own and involves developing a relationship geared towards advancing the interests of customers. This also means that potential customers are given special treatment rather than being seen as opportunities to make money.
Furthermore, this type of marketing often leads to more than a 300% increase in qualified prospects. But it’s not all result and no work or plans. Strategies are important. Whether you’re keen on taking your online marketing plan to the next level or actively setting up other plans, your customers, new and old, stand to benefit richly. And if they’re happy, you’re happy.
Here are four relationship marketing strategies you’ll find worth your time and effort.
1. Creating Quality Content for Your Customers:
Chances are you’re familiar with the efforts of many companies to come up with content to promote their products. However, it goes beyond writing a few paragraphs. You want to connect with your customers with high-class content showing them why they remain essential to your business.
Ensure whatever you write is for the benefit of the readers. Optimize your content in a way that fits right with their perspectives rather than yours.
Furthermore, your content has to be the best value for the time potential customers might spend reading it. For example, Coca-Cola uses interactive contents to engage users, while IBM makes the best out of its many content marketing blogs to nail its relationship marketing strategies. Another impressive example is McDonalds’ ‘Question time’ which keeps readers engaged and waiting for more. The Washington Post’s list-based article is also an example worth imitating.
2. Listen to Your Customers:
What are your customers trying to tell you? Do you even bother to listen? Well, this is an essential part of business, especially if you’re a relatively new brand. Sure, it’s an effort to listen, but it’s even more of a challenge to go ahead and put what you’ve heard to work.
It’s highly beneficial to listen to customers even if all they have to say is tiresome. The key point is, they want to be heard. You can create measures or use software to know what people are thinking.
A good example is PowerSurvey tool which helps you receive feedback from customers and potential clients. For example, if you’ve just sold a product or service to a prospect, you can follow them up to see how much of a help you’ve been to them. You’ll also receive pointers on how best to improve. Additionally, if it’s a physical location, you should never argue with a customer. Let them vent if they have to but don’t trade words.
3. Reward Customer Loyalty:
Gifts, incentives, rewards, and the likes. Who doesn’t love them? It’s like a tit for tat because on one side; you have loyal customers who love your products and the service you deliver. Then there’s you or your business getting the patronage from them. It’s an excellent way to improve customer satisfaction.
Give your loyal customers gifts, discounts and bonuses as a way of thanking them for choosing you. Relationship marketing is never the same without some giving back. Remember, loyal customers are part of your success story, and they drive up sales.
Create platforms where they can get something they’ve always craved, and make the process simple so they can benefit. For example, Amazon Prime and Starbucks have developed platforms to reward loyal customers. By being somewhat lucrative, their customers refer them to other prospects who are just as eager to earn similar incentives. Also, the points program by The North Face, where users earn more points according to what they spend is an excellent example you can follow.
4. Networking:
Take advantage of the contacts you make both online and offline to create a powerful network marketing strategy. Not only is it a great thrust in terms of relationship marketing, but it also exposes you and your business to a wide range of opportunities. With the interests you have, you can link up with other people, groups, and businesses that share them. Think of it as a sort of fellowship geared toward advancing your business interests, and meeting the needs of your teeming customers.
Amway is a good example of a brand using this strategy to increase engagement with its customer base by joining up with others to create ideas that solve a plethora of issues. More so, it’s not as difficult to begin. You need a clear plan and a decision to link up with those that share your business affinities.
These are four proven ways to bring out the best in your quest for better relationship marketing. In your bid to generate more ROI, implement these strategies, and watch your business grow. Remember, the customer is king!
Grab a copy of Marketing Management Essentials You Always Wanted To Know to understand more about customer relationships in the context of marketing management.
