How To Create A Community Of Loyal Customers

Finding customers is one of the most difficult aspects of running a business; retaining them is considerably more difficult. Good customer service is essential, but alone it is simply not enough. So, how can a small business hope to stand out? By building a community of loyal consumers. Customer loyalty extends beyond maintaining customer satisfaction.? The desired outcome is for a consumer to become a brand advocate. Here’s some steps you can take to build your community!

1. Make Yourself Seen…EVERYWHERE

Internationally, "researching goods to buy" is an increasingly popular trend within social media use. ? In the UK, 28% of internet users use social media to conduct brand research. This emphasises the significance of social shopping. As users undertake brand research via social media platforms, directing customers to necessary landing pages is becoming increasingly crucial. Aim to get your brand on all the relevant social platforms and tailor your social strategy for each one. Your prospects on LinkedIn may look very different from those on TikTok. Social proof is everything in today’s digital world.?

2. Show That You Care

There's not enough focus on the importance of being in tune with your audience. If you're not on their level, how can you provide content that they truly value? A key component of this is hiring employees who genuinely care. When you recruit people who prioritise attending to your customers, you further build customer loyalty. Additionally, a great way to show your customers that you care about meeting their needs is by conducting social listening. Social listening allows you to be in tune with your audience’s needs and gain a deeper understanding of what they interact with online. Take a read of our recent social listening article or have a quick watch of our Youtube video explaining how to conduct social listening.

3. Capture and Utilise Customer Feedback

I’m sure you’ve heard the famous phrase, “Feedback is the breakfast of champions”. It’s essential to put your ego aside and continuously ask for feedback. Continuously being the keyword. Customer feedback is imperative for directing decision-making and influencing product or service development. The only way to actually build a community of loyal customers is to do more of what your customers LOVE.

4. Little Acts Of Love

On the topic of love, it’s all about those little acts. Think back to a time when somebody did something really nice for you. Chances are, it was quite a small act of kindness right? Wish a long-standing customer a happy birthday, interact with your consumer social media pages or send them a gift on their customer anniversary! These little acts of love rarely cost a lot but can help boost customer loyalty hugely!

5. Interaction Is Everything

Now that you’ve nailed the relationship building, you need to take action to build your community. You can do this by sending personalised invites to exclusive groups on platforms such as Facebook or simply taking the time to reply to your customer’s questions and comments. If you’re feeling extra brave, get sliding into their DMs! Don’t be afraid to create conversation.?

If you take anything away from this, remember not to neglect long-term clients while marketing to new ones. A successful organisation strikes a balance between recruiting new customers and offering excellent customer care to existing ones. You can do the same by using the suggestions made above!

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