To establish a long-lasting bond with your customers, you need to be constantly looking for ways to engage with your base. Identifying your ideal customers and marketing directly to them goes a long way, but you need to infuse a sense of customer appreciation in everything you do. Just as your customers are (hopefully) thankful for your quality products, you should look for ways to show that every single day is Customer Appreciation Day at your company. Here are five ways you can do so.
1. Unite Your Entire Community
Part of what distinguishes any wildly successful company from its competitors is the community it creates around its services. Just look at how Apple and Starbucks have established a culture around their products. Even if you haven’t achieved something quite so revolutionary, you’ve probably at least begun to create a community of loyal customers. Whether you do this through social media, live events or hosting an online forum or discussion board, you should absolutely leverage your community to show customer appreciation.
Create a special offer for people who like your Facebook page or follow you on Twitter. This can be a great way to make those who already support your business feel part of an elite group, and inspire prospective customers to finally check out your company. Reaffirming existing relationships and sweetening the deal for potential ones needs to be the primary driving force behind your customer appreciation efforts.
2. Deepen Your Emotional Connection
Behind the scenes, the patronage of your customers may mean the world to you. But if you aren’t being open about this in your communication with them, how will they know? So much of marketing your company to prospective customers hinges on appealing to their emotions — but where does this same emotion go when it comes to customer appreciation?
Employing the same emotionally based techniques that you used to win your customers’ business will help you convey your appreciation and better engage with them. We’ve already mentioned including a special offer or exclusive deal for your most ardent fans. But in so much of your marketing, it’s the way you say things that makes all the difference. If your business has been years in the making, you’re fortunate to have made it this far — make it clear to your customers that you recognize and appreciate their role in your success.
3. Offer a Peek Behind the Scenes
Just as you need to be emotionally upfront with your customers, you should strive to involve them in your business as much as you can. Be sure that any content your company releases — social media, blogs, podcasts, videos, etc. — rewards loyal customers with a glimpse into what it takes to run your business.
You might discuss some key points about your products, share your thoughts on where your industry is headed or tease some new projects you’re working on. Whatever content you decide to pursue, talking candidly about these subjects implies a sense of trust and connection that will make your loyal customers feel that much more valued.
4. Allow Success to Breed Success
Your customers should be your company’s pride and joy. You’ve managed to cultivate a community centered on your product/service — a group of people who believe in what you stand for and what you do. But are you spotlighting that support in your marketing? Most companies fail to integrate the positive response of their customers into their messaging, but now’s the time to change that.
Rather than focusing on how great your product is, let your customers speak for themselves. Feature customer testimonials on your site and in your marketing efforts. After all, no one knows your product better than those who have experienced it first hand. Putting customers front and center is an easy way to show your appreciation for them while attracting even more business for you. Along the way, you’ll be developing your most loyal customers into the brand advocates you need to really cement your foothold in the marketplace.
5. Ask Your Customers for Feedback
One of the easiest ways to let your customers know that you truly value their opinions is to simply ask them. Your greatest resource is your customer base, so don’t hesitate to elicit their feedback. Doing so demonstrates that you’re interested in the customer experience — and it could open the doors for some innovative ideas you never would have considered.
More than anything, your customers want to feel acknowledged — like their concerns matter and their time is valuable. If you truly want to make customer appreciation a central tenet of your business, you need to reach out to your customers all the time. Ask them about your products, your service quality or even about your industry as a whole. Even if you don’t glean any new information, you’re taking that extra step to strengthen customer retention and loyalty.
Appreciate the Value
Only you can truly decide how your company engages with its customers. Hopefully, some of the customer appreciation ideas here will inspire you to evaluate and even broaden your efforts to show customers just how much they mean to you. In the midst of building and managing your business, it’s far too easy to overlook the value your customers bring. Always remember that your business only works when you can rely on the loyal patronage of your customers to carry you through any upcoming challenges.
