Every brand aims to make its customers happy, and brands will be satisfied knowing that their customers have great things to say about them. However, the efforts should never end there. With positive customer feedback being essential to brand success, turning these satisfied customers into brand mascot through proactive measures is key to building a long-term loyal customer base who also help in attracting new customers in the process. A few statistics from Social Media Today, suggests that referral programs have a lower cost-per-lead than other channels, referral programs generate a high volume of leads and referral programs generate good or excellent leads. So how can a brand turn its most satisfied customers into loyal brand mascot? Keep these 7 tips in mind.
Implement Newer Technologies For Tertiary Data, Customer Behavioural Insights And Centralised Systems
In an increasingly customer-centric world, the most important and critical ability is to capture and use customer insights to shape products, solutions, buying experience, marketing strategies and the referral programs. Research by Mckinsey tells that organizations that leverage customer behavioural insights outperform peers by 85 percent in sales growth and more than 25 percent in gross margin. Customer data is nowadays seen as a strategic asset yet most of the Indian companies (be it big MNCs in the field of Agrochemical, Electronics, Automobiles etc) are using only a fraction of the data in their possession. Extensive legacy systems, decentralised databases, and limited automation are common obstacles due to which decisions and strategies are formed on stale data and core processes may require considerable manual intervention. The first step to solve this challenge is to implement robust and secured CRM technologies, which are intuitive and easy to adapt for both customers and front-line sales team and easily captures store and web visitors’ information which is necessary to keep them engaged with the brand.
Deliver proactive service
Being a step ahead of customers is a winning strategy for earning their loyalty. This can mean everything from keeping customers informed to simplifying their lives with advanced service features. If a product replacement is anticipated or a sales event is coming up, let them know right away. Consider offering a live chat option to make the sales process easier or offering a call-back system to save them time when they need service. Think of your customers’ needs and simplifying their lives and they will think of you.
Offer loyalty with referral programs
When thinking about Loyalty and Referral programs for customers and channels many Indian Enterprises back off. It is a mindset and terminology issue. In Sandra Hill’s opinion “Stop acquiring customers. Instead, have past customers help generate referrals.” And this process starts with having excellent customer service by putting the customer first. Second step towards this is to introduce a loyalty program and show them appreciation by offering a loyalty program with offers, upgrades, points or free products based on their purchase and regularly stay connected with them through various communications. Along with loyalty programs, introduce a simple yet gamification based referral programs and please the current customers while attracting new ones. Also reward your brand mascots and the new customers they refer and cover the rewards under the loyalty program. Referral programs are a true win-win situation for all companies irrespective of their size or industry.
When companies take the time to recognize and appreciate their customers, Brand mascots are born.
Use a Consistent Omni-channel Approach and Offer Personalized Customer Experience
Customers love choices, and omni-channel service gives them just that. The challenge is providing a truly consistent experience with skilled agents ready to engage on any channel at any time. Make sure all communication channels and brand touch points are optimized for great service, keeping in mind that customers often have a preferred channel of contact. Take note of that preference and strive to engage on the customer’s channel of choice for greater impact. Today in India, customer prefers WhatsApp, ChatBot over WhatsApp, In-Bound Call Centre and In-App Complain Module in vernacular languages better than any other communication channels. Offer them the maximum convenience with right technology in place for your sales, service and dealer channels for the optimum result.
Also providing only adequate customer service is not enough. Customer experience is what counts, and making it truly great begins with being personal. Always address customers by name in marketing offers and service interactions, and keep the tone friendly and approachable to humanize your brand. Keeping customers informed in a timely manner is an absolute must for gaining their loyalty. Treat every customer as a valued person whose time and business count.
Engage Customers on Social Media
If there’s one place your company should look at to find brand mascots, it’s on your social media channels. Every positive comment should be considered an opportunity to engage with the satisfied customer and build a stronger relationship, whether it is thanking them for their comments or engaging them in marketing campaigns.
And what about negative feedback? It’s critically important to address every concern and make a point of showing on these public platforms that your brand is genuinely addressing customer concerns. With the use of correct CRM system and social media engagement, which is very critical to connecting with happy customers, turning the frustrated customers into potential brand mascots becomes simple for brands. With right analytics brands also help themselves in improving their marketing strategies.
Make Appealing and Targeted Marketing Offers
Are your customers getting marketing offers they actually want? Nowadays, with tertiary information being continuously captured, CRM systems are smart enough to offer customers with targeted offers based on their purchase history and preferences. Your brand may offer upgrades on already purchased services or products or recommend new ones which will catch the attention of the customer.
Ask For Customer Feedback
Turning customers into brand mascots means showing them their opinions really matter. Solicit their feedback through post-contact and periodic surveys to improve service. Never neglect social media channels, and encourage them to post comments and user-generated content such as videos or testimonials to show their love for your brand. Customers will appreciate knowing you care enough to improve the brand for their greater satisfaction. Happy customers are a brand’s best asset, as they play a key role in spreading the word about their great customer experiences. According to a Nielsen study, 84% of consumers reported sometimes or always taking action based on personal recommendations, while 70% did the same based on online opinions. Nurturing relationships with customers to give them the best service possible is a clear path to making them powerful brand advocates.
Reference
https://www.socialmediatoday.com/content/5-powerful-reasons-you-need-referral-program