Be Good to Your Customers

You probably already know that 80 percent or so of your business comes from repeat customers. So why is all your digital marketing and communications aimed at generating new leads, new customers? What are you doing for your existing customers?

Be Good to Those That Like You

With so much emphasis on digital marketing, social media marketing doing the rounds, it’s important to remember to reward B2B customers for their loyalty.

For example, when was the last time you produced an ebook for existing customers only? Or sent out an email newsletter that wasn’t designed to sell or generate more leads, but actually just help. For free. No strings attached?

Over the last couple of years it’s felt as if every business’s efforts online have been to drive traffic to landing pages, tweet links here there and everywhere, and broadcast their wares. Despite all the talk of dialogue, engagement and conversation, as far as I’m concerned the majority of what I see isn’t about genuine engagement: it’s about lead generation and, perhaps to a lesser extent, customer retention.

What’s Your Strategy?

Even if you put considerable effort into lead generation through digital marketing and communications, don’t forget there’s real value enhancing your relationship with existing customers online.

It’s important you have strategy in place to genuinely achieve this and as far as I’m concerned content is one important option – not just the annual Thank You card you send out in December. Whether it’s a video, ebook, or blog post, you can create content that’s particularly targeted to your existing customers needs.

One tactic, for example, might be to use your email newsletter to let customers know that you’ve created something helpful or valuable with them specifically in mind rather than your usual thinly veiled sales pitch.

After all, being loyal to your customers is all about customer retention.
So next time you create some online content, ask yourself: What’s in it for your existing customers?