9 Keys to Retaining Delighted Customers with Inbound Marketing

How much time, energy and resources does it take for your small business to gain one new customer? Since it takes 6 to 7 times more resources to gain a new customer than to retain an existing customer, it makes sense to invest a portion of your resources towards delighting current customers so they become repeat customers and your brand promoters.

Happy Customers = Better ROI

But what exactly does a small business do to continue to market to current customers?

There are numerous ways to delight your current customers, and because of the way consumer behavior has changed, using an inbound marketing strategy to retain your customers is the most effective.

“…consumer behaviors are highly dynamic in today’s rapidly changing world. In the past, consumers received most of their information about products and services from print media and unidirectional television advertising, and their shopping primarily took place in brick-and-mortar stores. While this still applies to a large segment of purchases today, e-commerce and interactive media are bringing about great changes in the way consumers shop.” - See more at Retention Science 

Inbound marketing is based on providing helpful information on products and services people are already looking for in the places they are already searching (online, search engines, social media, etc). Because of these behaviors it makes it easy to continue to use inbound marketing tools and strategies that are designed for attracting new leads to continue to stay connected with your customers.

Highlighted here are 9 key ways your small business can use inbound marketing tools and strategies to delight your customers and turn them into your brand promoters:

1. Build relationships- You have already learned about your customers in the buying process. What you learned about them depends on your product or service, but use what you know to provide them with helpful relevant content. This is where you can provide the customer who just bought a new bathroom sink, with information on how to install or clean their new sink. Just be helpful and continue to build relationship.

2. Be relevant with dynamic content- By using smart content and smart CTAs you can use your website pages to provide resources that are relevant to each customer’s needs. When the sink customer returns to your website, your content can shift to address their needs for home maintenance or bathroom remodeling. The calls-to-action can adjust to relevant eBooks or offers that will be helpful, such as a video on how to install a new faucet.

3. Stay connected with email marketing- Continue to nurture relationships with email marketing so that you can continue to speak to their needs. Use personalized emails based on customers’ needs and behaviors.

4. Continue to provide information- use your expertise and continue to be helpful, answer questions and provide up to date information on the latest products and services. As you provide helpful content in blogs, webinars, eBooks and emails, you are building trust with your customers and you will be a brand they want to promote.

5. Be social- Connect with your customers on social media platforms, engage with them, and share fun and relevant information. Find out which social media platforms your customers are more likely to be engaged on and find creative ways to interact.

6. Use recognition- Taking the time to recognize, thank, or congratulate your customers goes a long way in building relationships. This can be as simple as sending a coupon, a birthday acknowledgment or an invitation to an event.

7. Analyze your campaigns- Take the time to look back at how specific campaigns were received by your customers. If one went well, how can you provide more? If something didn’t perform as well as you had hoped, analyze the data, make changes and test again.

8. Find creative ways to delight- This is just plain, good ol’ customer service. But it is also about finding new ways to engage with your customers that are not pushy or annoying.

9. Deliver what you promise- The best way to retain and delight your customers is to follow through by delivering the product or service you sell. It will have a simple, yet powerful impact and ultimately bring you more leads as your customers promote your brand.

Since consumer habits have changed and moved online, how you attract visitors, convert them into leads, and close them to customers needs to shift as well. The tools and strategies you use need to shift to match the needs of your business. How you delight your current customers may need to adjust as well.  At the core, delighting your customers and gaining promoters of your brand may not be as different as one might think. But in light of changes in consumer behaviors, inbound marketing tools and strategies allow for better execution and a more effective method to reach your business goals.

If you are looking for ways to attract visitors and engage your contacts and delight your customers, inbound marketing strategies are key for the success of your small business. Give us a call at Half a Bubble Out, or contact us for a Free 30 min consultation. It is our mission to help small businesses thrive by bringing passion and provision into their companies.