Although one of the main keys to increasing the income of a business is based on getting new customers to, in turn, sell more, many companies make a fundamental mistake in their strategy and forget a key issue: Build loyalty with existing customers.
In fact, it usually takes much more effort to get a new customer than to retain one who has already purchased something from the business because, in your experience, the chances of them purchasing again are greater than the chances of a potential new buyer doing so. However, many companies are so concerned about increasing their customer base that they forget to “take care” of those they already have.
So that the same thing does not happen to you, in this article we are going to see some of the marketing techniques that exist to build customer loyalty. Keep reading.
How to build customer loyalty so they buy again
Although there are many ways in which you can try to retain a client, we have put together some of the most interesting recommendations, those that will not make you seem tiresome or intrusive and that, on the contrary, will help you so that the client does not stop being part of your community and continue identifying with the values of your brand. They are the following:
1.Promotional marketing. One of the best ways to retain customers and get them to remember your brand is to rely on promotional marketing. Offering promotional gifts and items with your logo will improve your corporate branding and will allow users to remember your products and services more easily when they need to purchase or contract them again.
In this area, you can also follow the latest trends. For example, according to GiftCampaign, a company dedicated to the sale of promotional gifts and merchandising items, developing a sustainable merchandising strategy can be very beneficial. “Choosing gifts that adapt to the corporate philosophy and the objective to be achieved is essential in any promotional marketing campaign, but doing so also from the perspective of caring for the environment, selecting sustainable products that respect the environment will help differentiate oneself from the competition, build a positive brand image that is respectful of the planet and build customer loyalty,” they acknowledge.
In this sense, on the market there is a wide catalog of promotional and company products that are ecological and respectful of the environment that you can use in your promotional marketing campaigns.
2.Contests and raffles. Developing a promotional campaign that allows you to obtain a prize or an extra service, or enjoy an exclusive discount, will motivate the acquisition of new clients but will also serve to encourage existing clients to participate in new promotions. You should not make the mistake of thinking only about discounts and promotions to attract new users, leaving those who once trusted our brand forgotten.
3.Points program. Another idea to motivate existing customers is to establish a points program. They will obtain these every time they contract the company's products and services and will be able to exchange them for prizes, gifts, discounts, etc. Maintaining an updated gift catalog with attractive proposals will be essential to motivate users to participate in gamification.
4. Loyalty program. In the same way, a program can be established that allows current customers to obtain advantages and benefits every time they recommend the brand to their friends and family and they make a purchase.
As recognized by the Marigold Consumer Trends Index, 64% of consumers cite the brand's loyalty program as the main reason for continuing to be a customer and purchasing new products and services in the future.
5. Personalized customer service through social networks. In addition to publishing content on social networks, it is also important to keep in mind that these are channels in which it is essential to practice personalized customer service. Listening to customers and offering them quick solutions to their problems or concerns is a key factor.
6. Offer useful and quality content. Something that can be very useful for your customers can be offering them free guides and courses on how to use your own products or teaching them educational content that they can apply. Formats such as videos, infographics, ebooks, podcasts… are very common.
You can also use social networks, the company blog or other channels such as email marketing. In this sense, you can send emails to your customers segmenting their content according to their interest, their purchase history, etc.
7. Good user experience on the web. Taking care of a good customer experience must be a priority in the offline world and also in the digital sphere. Your experience browsing the business website should be as satisfactory as possible, so that you find what you are looking for easily and reach the end of the purchasing process in a simple and intuitive way. This is also a factor that influences whether I want to repeat in the future.
8. Survey with questions about customer experience. It is essential to listen to customers to know what their purchasing experience has been like. In addition to monitoring their activity on social networks and facilitating the sending of comments, a good idea may be to provide them with a survey with simple questions that can later serve as an improvement for the company.
9. Good after-sales service. Having a good after-sales service that offers a returns guarantee, quality technical support and quick resolution of any type of problem is essential. If the experience after the purchase is not satisfactory, customers will not want to repeat nor will they recommend the products and services to other people, becoming the best ambassadors of the brand.
Conclusion
As you may have seen, establishing ties of trust and affinity with clients and potential clients is essential when it comes to achieving sales objectives. Looking for new clients is always expensive and complicated, although it is something that cannot be left aside, but one cannot forget to take care of the current clientele either.
It is a mistake that many companies make, launching promotions and discounts for new users, neglecting those who already trust their product. However, they are the main value for a company, so offering them reasons to continue being part of your community and trusting your services again will be essential in any company's commercial strategy.