If you want to not only attract but keep customers, you have to speak to them. You need to make a real connection and not just seem like a faceless brand. Your customers should want to reach out to you, as well as you reach out to them. However, connecting with your customers isn’t as easy as you might think it is. You might have tried a few things before, and perhaps they didn’t work out. Today’s technology does make it easier to form connections with your customers. But you need to know how to use the right tools. Start making a plan to connect with your customers using this guide.
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Connecting with Customers Strategy #1: Make Your Business More Human
People want to be able to feel like they can form an emotional connection with your brand. They don’t want to see you as a faceless corporation.
If you don’t make your business more personal, you might as well make your logo a dollar sign. Your customers want to see that there are living people behind your business. They want to know that your staff can laugh and cry with them, as well as empathize when they’re annoyed.
There are several ways you can achieve this, both online and offline. Starting with your website, it’s a good idea to have team profiles or at least photos of some key people.
You can also use team member images on social media. Make sure your brand is connected to names and faces. If you use Twitter for customer service, for example, get your team members to introduce themselves when they start a shift. They can each have a sign-off (their name or initials), so people know who they’re talking to.
Connecting with Customers Strategy #2:Â Let Them Communicate Their Way
One of the excellent things about the modern world is that it offers a range of ways to communicate. If you don’t like phones or aren’t great with the written word, you can choose another method. Help your customers out by giving them a choice of ways to contact you. Some may like to call you on the phone, while others prefer email.
Some people use instant chat windows on websites. Others might like to use social media. Offering a few different options makes your customer service more accessible. Anyone can get in touch using whichever method they prefer.
Connecting with Customers Strategy #3:Â Better Branding
Your branding can make a huge difference in how customers connect with you. It can link to the idea of making sure your brand has a personality and isn’t just a faceless entity.
Getting your branding right helps you to speak to the customers you want to attract. You have to think about what appeals to them, as well as how you want your brand to be perceived. Using a branding service can help you achieve what you’re looking for. You can find an example at https://flagshipdigital.com.au/branding/.
When you’re searching for a firm, make sure they understand your goals. Check their previous work to see if it’s up to your standards.
Connecting with Customers Strategy #4:Â Build a Community
Building a community for your customers is an excellent way to engage with them directly. Another advantage is that they also get to engage with each other.
People in online communities will often answer each other’s questions or share their passion. There are several ways to form a community that your customers can use. You might have a forum on your website where people can receive support and create discussions. Another option is to have a social media group on a site like Facebook.
It can be a more social way to interact than having a page, which makes customer posts less visible.
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Connecting with Customers Strategy #5:Â Promote and Reward Customers
Many people like to be recognized and appreciated. This includes when they are a loyal customer.
Brands often use tactics to help promote their customers in a number of ways. For example, you might have a client who has just achieved something. You could help to promote them by mentioning it on social media or in your newsletter. Some brands pick a customer of the month to highlight, showing that they appreciate their loyal fans.
Customers like being rewarded for being loyal to your brand too. For example, why should special offers only be reserved for new customers? Give your existing customers something special too.
Connecting with Customers Strategy #6:Â Meet Your Customers
Another way to be more connected to your customers is to meet them.
You can hold events both online and offline so that you can talk to them in real time. Some examples of offline events include product launches, local meetups or just a party for a special occasion.
You can do similar things online, even if people can’t meet in person. For example, using Facebook Live allows people to ask and answer questions in real time. It provides direct engagement to your customers.
Find out how to do a Facebook Live video at https://live.fb.com/about/. You could also host a webinar or something similar.
Connecting with Customers Strategy #7:Â Add Interactive Features to Your Website
It’s not always easy to get a full grasp on a product or service online. However, you can help with this by providing as much information as possible.
Creating interactive product tours is one of the ways you can improve things. You can include 360-degree images so that customers can look at a product from every angle. You could create product demonstration videos and provide plenty of information. Offer different types of content so that people can get a complete picture of what they will get.
Connecting with Customers Strategy #8:Â Listen and Respond to Customers
Engaging your customers in conversation is essential. When you ask their opinion, make sure that they know you are listening. For example, perhaps you conduct a survey to find out what they do and don’t like about your products. If you keep hearing the same things, again and again, consider if you need to make any changes. When multiple people are unhappy with the same thing, don’t just ignore them.
You have a range of ways you can connect with your customers more effectively. Make sure that your efforts are reaching them the way you intend them to.
