Focus On Existing Customers, Not Your Leads

Ok, don’t forget about leads entirely. But chances are, you’re spending too much time and energy on trying to attract new customers — people who have never heard of you or purchased from you before — when you should be focusing on your existing customers.

The fact is, the purchasing process has changed over the last few years. Customers don’t spend any meaningful amount of money without doing their research first, and a huge portion of that research is done by consulting their social media networks for products that their friends and family already use and trust.

What this means is that your current customers are your best marketers. Keeping them happy, engaged, and delighted with the products you make and sell will make them recommend those products to their friends — and that recommendation is gold.

Furthermore, your existing customers are your best future customers. They’re more likely to purchase from you again, will spend more when they do, and are more willing to buy new products from you when you release them. So how do you sell to the customers you already have?

Use Traditional Media To Build A Foundation

According to a recent survey, 87% of consumers use multiple screens at the same time. While they watch TV, they’re also using a smartphone, laptop, or tablet. Someone watching a commercial for your product is able — and likely — to look up your product online simultaneously.

Ora Organic, which makes plant-based, all-natural supplements, was featured on Shark Tank in February 2017. During the episode’s airing, the company collected tens of thousands of prospect’s emails and prompted a swell of Amazon reviews over the subsequent months. The attention on traditional media led to much higher engagement rates on other platforms.

In today’s streaming-centric media environment, you might also want to place ads on popular sites like Spotify and Hulu. You’ll reach new customers, but more importantly, you’ll stay at the top of your existing customers’ minds.

Maintain The Conversation On Social Media

Social media is too big to ignore, and the word “social” is the operative term. You can’t just maintain well-curated social media sites with high-quality, relevant content or your followers — though you have to do that too. You also need to stay engaged with your followers at every opportunity.

That doesn’t just mean responding to negative comments and reviews. Thank people for mentioning you to others, crack jokes, reshare relevant content or pictures of your products, and stay up on trending topics. You can’t just sit back and deliver content to them, no matter how good it is — your relationship with your customers needs to be a two-way street.

Send Personalized Marketing Messages

You have more data on your customers’ buying habits and browsing than ever before, and you can use that to deliver messages that are specifically tailored to them. Start with big rules — don’t send emails to customers advertising products that they already have, for example. Customers will appreciate suggestions that are relevant to their interests and previous purchases, and your marketing team won’t waste time or resources.

Request Feedback

Your customers will talk you up more if they trust you, and they’ll trust you more if they feel valued and appreciated. Furthermore, the more information you can get from your customers about what they like and don’t like about your company and products, the better you can tweak your practices to serve them better.

Ask for feedback from your customers via social media and email, especially when they’ve just made a purchase. Your customers will enjoy being asked for their feedback, and you’ll learn a lot. You can even feature their feedback on your site and social media accounts to give them additional authority.

Retaining Customers Is More Important Than Acquiring Them

It sounds counter-intuitive, to be sure — for a business to grow, it will always need new customers to come on board and begin a relationship with your business. The misconception is that your focus, as a business owner or marketer, should be on making your existing customers as happy as possible.

Delighting your customers by engaging with them, asking them their opinions, and offering them helpful information will make them more loyal fans of your company and, by extension, better evangelists for your brand. Put your energy into your existing customers — they’ll do the marketing for you.