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Posted: Thu 17th Dec 2020
What is the ultimate goal for your customer relationships once they've bought from you? The answer should be to turn loyal customers into brand advocates.
Why? Brand advocates not only stick with your brand, greatly increasing their customer lifetime value, but actively champion you as the go-to solution.
Word travels fast, and a personal recommendation can be far more convincing than a marketing campaign. Brand advocates influence the purchasing behaviour of other prospects, making them the most valuable users of all.
Here are some highly effective ways of turning loyal customers into brand advocates. These tried-and-tested strategies work in almost every business setting.
Let's explore how to turn more customers into brand advocates.
Asking your client for feedback not only helps you improve your product, but also keeps you in touch after closing the deal. Let your customers know you value their feedback, care about their satisfaction and appreciate any information they share with you.
Customers are much more likely to become brand advocates if you personalise the customer experience, making them feel special and valued.
Examples of a personalised experience include:
addressing them by their first name
remembering to reach out on special occasions like birthdays
sending thank you notes for their loyalty
Technology solutions and tools can help you keep track of these dates, so you never miss an opportunity.
Don't wait for an urgent customer support ticket. The best strategy is to reach out to your new users and see if they have everything or need any help.
The initial stages of your customer relationship can really make or break your chance of earning a word-of-mouth recommendation, so make it count.
A great way to boost business from existing customers is through a loyalty programme. Advocacy programme examples include discounted or early access to your product, or gifts for their loyalty. The more personal you can make your offer, the better.
Positive social media comments and reviews are great examples of customer advocacy, yet many businesses shy away from social media due to fear of public negative attention, and end up missing out on a massive opportunity.
Encourage your satisfied customers to share their experiences with your product or service and how it has improved their lives. Expand their reach by liking and re-sharing this user-generated content on your own social channels.
Make it easy to leave a review by pre-formulating questions customers can answer or even creating a feedback template.
You can sweeten the deal by offering an incentive, such as a small gift or discount code for each review. Remember to personally thank all your reviewers and let them know it really helps your business.
Offer your most loyal customers exclusive offers, discount codes or rewards for every referral. Streamline the referral process by letting them know what you're looking for in a new customer. Again, remember to reach out and thank your customers for referrals.
When it comes to gaining brand advocates, identifying your most loyal customers and providing the right information at the right time is crucial – from supporting the set-up process to sending out a marketing offer.
A good CRM system can track all of this data and help you gain advocates in the following ways:
A CRM can identify your best customers based on user behaviour, meaning you can focus your customer advocacy efforts in the right places.
A CRM can analyse, for example, past purchasing data to help put together the perfect offer for maximum effectiveness.
A CRM can automate many tedious tasks, including organising data or sending out communications such as discount offers.
Brand advocates are your most powerful customers. They can convince others to buy your product or service more effectively than any marketing campaign. Start making the transition from customer to brand advocate today with the strategies outlined above.
