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Effective marketing strategies to engage customers
The goal of marketing is to attract and retain customers and to connect customers with a particular product. Consumers are bombarded with marketing messages every day. The challenge for marketing professionals is to devise effective marketing strategies that capture the attention of potential customers. The natural response is to gradually tune out the messages and limit the effectiveness of marketing
Traditional marketing practices seldom encourage active involvement of customers. The marketers often are satisfied with the regular purchase of the product by the customers and the level of engagement with the customers is limited to handling queries, handling complaints and loyalty programs.
The new economy has necessitated marketers to think beyond the typical purchase/sales orientation to a more pro-active customer engagement orientation. The web 2.0 and the rising popularity of social media have created a new cost effective platform for marketers to build and maintain customer engagement programs
Here are 5 things to get your hustle started…
(Listed in order of time/money investment.)
1. Social Media
It’s free! For those of you who like to “do-it-yourself,” it only takes about 5-10 minutes a day to post 1 relevant link to your network. For those too busy to care about social media—you can automate everything! Did I mention that it’s free?
What’s so important about social media (besides the fact that it’s free)?
Answer this question;
“Where do you get the majority of your business?”
Most people will answer current customers or referrals.
What better way to keep your current customers up-to-date on how awesome you are AND give them an easy way to share your awesomeness with their friends than through social media?
Make posting an article link, a thought, or an update about your business a priority. Let clients and prospects know what you’re up to and more importantly that you’re hustling for their business. Engage them…they will respond!
2. Email
Email marketing has become the true standard for companies who want to deliver value, stay in contact, AND have a targeted group of people to market to. Focus on building your list and continually adding value to your subscribers! Stop finding excuses not to implement an email marketing plan. People want your email.
3. Content
Adding value by offering your content through a blog or in product downloads such as ebooks or white papers shows your current and future customers that you have your finger on the pulse of what’s important to them. This kind of proactive effort is effective at building rapport and keeping you on the minds of everyone in your market. Remember, if you’re going to offer a free download, don’t give it away without asking for at least the name and email of the visitor (i.e.; integrate with your email marketing).
4. Webinars
Webinars should be renamed AUTHORITY MAKERS. Webinars help establish you as the expert and you can immediately become the authority on whatever subject you are speaking about. In some cases it might more more appropriate for your sales rep to do the presentations but either way you should be planning on putting a webinar together. Sales-type of webinars can be presented often (some present as much as once a week) and other special presentations can be offered once a quarter. Invite everyone and use all of your tools to promote the event. These are fantastic ways to personalize the customer experience and can be an extremely effective lead generation tool.
5. Promotions and Sweepstakes
Promotions and sweepstakes are a great way to provide an ongoing “Thank You” to current and future customers. These can range from a monthly sweepstakes on your Facebook page to a time-sensitive offer like those found on Groupon or Yelp. Make sure you invest the necessary effort into creating a plan and outlining your expectations.
Note about promotions and sweepstakes:
When you use promotions or sweepstakes on Facebook to get more fans, make sure you’re offering something that ONLY customers would want. If you try to offer something cool like an iPod or iPad you’ll end up getting a bunch of bogus entries that will skew your fan base. Focus on quality and not quantity.
If you decide to go with a Groupon/Yelp deal make sure you’re not giving away the farm. (see: The ugly truth about Groupon…)
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