The Power of Community in Digital Marketing
Why Relationship Building is the Secret Sauce to Online Growth
When you think of marketing for your company, you may think of punchy, attention-grabbing social media posts, funny email marketing campaigns, budgeting for big-idea projects, or all the research you do to implement these strategies. But today’s audience needs more than a good catch phrase, and campaigns don’t mean anything without engagement. If you want to take your business to the next level, you should focus on relationship marketing.
What is relationship marketing?
Customer relationship management (CRM) is all about creating long-term customer relationships that benefit both you (your business) and the customer. Instead of focusing on individual sales and acquiring new customers, you’re focused on building relationships with current (and new) customers.
You might have plenty of great ideas, catchy taglines, funny memes, and interesting marketing campaigns, but what do you do next? You need more than likes to build a business.
Show you provide value.
Build your brand as one of value to customers. You aren’t just selling people on product features; you’re convincing them of the benefits of your business. What value does your product or service bring to the customer? How do they benefit? While you ultimately need sales to grow, if your only focus is profit, you won’t go far.
Craft value-driven content that offers good information about your business and your product AND goes beyond what you’re selling. If you provide content that helps your customer and isn’t just a sales pitch, you show your value - and that you value their time and needs. A blog with industry-specific information, other local attractions or events, or some of your trusted vendors will help build up your brand.
Let customers know you care.
As you post, pay attention to what comes back your way. Listen to your customer base. Are they interacting with posts? Commenting? Liking? Gravitating towards a specific topic or style? Asking for more? Their feedback is essential to your success, so treat it like gold.
Maintain a positive brand image.
In that same strand, be cognisant of your responses. People - both current and potential customers - are watching how you interact with your base. Be respectful, honest, and true to your brand. Think about the types of reviews you read for businesses. Someone who has had a bad experience is more likely to leave a review than someone who had a good/fine one. That means one bad interaction can go a long way - and it takes a lot more work to gain a good review.
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As you grow your social presence, your audience will grow. A larger audience means more potential customers, and it’s easy to lose sight of your company purpose and get bogged down in the everyday of a business. Continue to provide customized experiences, remember that there are actual people behind those comments.
Beyond your usual brand strategy, get back to basics. What was the purpose when you started this company? What did you want to accomplish? Who did you want to reach? That’s what will make you stand out from the crowd. Don’t just post to post. Don’t just send a newsletter because you think you should. Offer value in your content, gather customer feedback, and respond accordingly AKA give the people what they want!
Relationships vs Connections
Current customers are your most likely base for buying new products. They already know your brand and like it. There are people behind those screens, and those people have to stay engaged for your business to work. Engaged customers are likely to spend more than non-engaged customers, too, so putting in the time to engage them will be worth it.
Frame all you do around long-term relationships. In the age of instant gratification and a constant stream of content, we often forget that Rome wasn’t built in a day. Connections are quick and easy to come by, but relationships are built over time and take commitment.
Commit to your customers by offering more than just products. Reward their loyalty and treat them like friends, not just part of your bottom line. Welcome back, we missed you, let’s chat, thanks…these are all great phrases to use when communicating.
How to Build a Great Customer Relationship
First and foremost - be honest. After all, isn’t every great relationship built on trust? Don’t just say you’re trustworthy - show it through your actions.
Be yourself. Show your personality! You’re already communicating through a computer; you don’t want to actual seem like a robot. Inject your personality (that is, your brand personality) into all you do.
Offer a great customer experience. Focus on each interaction being positive, whether it is a direct chat with your company, the online buying experience, or anything else. Make things easy, efficient, and excellent.
Be part of the community. Give your customers a clear way to community and offer feedback. Make it simple for them to talk and show them that you really listen.
Profit isn’t a purpose. It’s a result. To have purpose means the things we do are of real value to others.
-Simon Sinek, TED Talk
At the end of the day, your business isn’t just about the product - it’s the experience. Implementing a holistic approach - from the buying experience and the products to the after-purchase experience and the everyday communication - will ensure you provide a personal and positive experience that benefits you and your customers.