7 Ways to Give and Get Customer Love
We all know February is the month of LOVE. We show love to our significant others, our kids, our parents, siblings, but what about customer love? Our customers continually impact our lives by being a part of our business journey. So, this February we ask you, "What are you doing for your customers?"
In today’s day & age customers have access to who you are and what your brand represents 24/7. So it’s a great opportunity for you to showcase the ways that you care for your relationships with them.
In this blog post, learn about the benefits of customer love & 7 key-strategies for giving (and getting) the love! ♥
The Benefits of Customer Love
When a business regularly shows its customers their love for them, that business also becomes a brand that people LOVE; and making your brand lovable has a ton of great business benefits, including:
- Customer referrals
- Customer shout-outs about your business
- Social sharing
- Heartfelt testimonials
- Customer retention and loyalty
- Positive online reviews
- User-generated content
Think about a brand you love: You tell your friends and family to try its products (customer referrals), You talk about how much you love them whenever a topic arises that falls under its category (customer shout-outs), you’re happy to share interesting content the brand creates with your social networks (social sharing), you would be thrilled to have that brand feature one of your "I love (Brand)" rants (testimonials), and you regularly choose this brand over its many competitors -- regardless of price or convenience (customer loyalty). You’d be ecstatic to share a picture of you and their product on your social media platforms (user-generated content).
So, if you'd like your current and future customers to talk about you the way you talk about your favorite brands, below are 5 things you can do to start spreading the customer love and of course getting it in return.
7 Ways to Give and Get Customer Love
- Offer Exclusive Access
-Show your clients the love by giving them sneak peeks on new products, create and invite them to special customer nights, allow them to be the first to try out new services, or offer discounted rates only available to them. Doing things like this for your clients will make them feel special and appreciated and you may even benefit from some valuable user feedback as well as word of mouth and online exposure! - Rewards For Customer Loyalty & Referrals
-If a Customer Loyalty Program works for your company, then, by all means, implement it! You can do this in so many ways! The program can reward customers when they hit certain benchmarks or reward them with points every time a purchase is made! Not only is this a great way to show your customers how much they mean to you, but it also means that customers are more likely to come back! You could also implement a referral program that rewards your customers who refer potential customers or new business to you. Many retailers/service businesses do this well by offering discounts or a special gift to customers who refer their friends to shop with them. - Showcase Your Brand's Personality
-It’s easy to love a business when you love the people behind the business. The most loved brands are the ones that have a recognizable and lovable personality. Let your clients/customers see your business personality shine! Showcase your personality through your marketing and customer service. Be personable, be relatable, be FUN! Show your customers that you care about the values and interests they care about. A fun way to do this is to make a donation on behalf of your clients to a charity that supports causes that they have a special place in their heart for. - Provide Recognition on Social Media
-Social media is the perfect channel to spread customer love! Responding to positive messages, retweeting customer tweets of things they care about/have interest in or recognize your customers on your social media pages by tagging them in special posts. Using social media to recognize your customers is such a great and easy way for you to give back the love to your customers. - Ask For Customer Feedback
- Asking your customers for feedback allows them to know you care about their opinion and what they have to say. Receiving their feedback with open arms lets then know you are committed to making their experience as positive and valuable as possible. After all, they are the reason you are in business. - Remember To Say Thank You
-This is something so simple, yet so easily overlooked. Taking the opportunity to thank your customer for their business is something they appreciate more than you know. A simple thank you could turn potential customers into life long customers. If you are a retailer and you ship products, thank your customers with a hand-written note. It’s something so simple and inexpensive that will go a long way with your customers. - Surprise and Delight
-The idea of getting something in return for what we give has become the norm in society, but surprise reciprocity can be a very effective way to manage love and loyalty with customers. Adding a bonus gift, such as free shipping or offering an unexpected discount is a great way to show your customers love and give them a positive feeling about doing business with you. Everyone loves to feel special, especially when they are spending their hard-earned money with you.
