Activate your customers to create advocates

Preferred Channels: Social, CRM Programs, Email,  Reviews

Social Media

Social media is an extremely effective tool to continue engaging brand advocates. Research shows that customers want to share their experiences with the products and services that have helped them.  Additionally, the best customers want to contribute to the brand experience. Building trust and nurturing these relationships in social media is a great way to activate the customer community to share their experiences, help potential buyers with questions and even motivate them to contribute their own content (user generated content or UGC). These testimonials, word of mouth endorsements and authentic brand passion can reach,  influence and motivate potential buyers in the consideration phase. 

CRM & Email Marketing

Customer relationship management (CRM) and email marketing are essential tools to manage and nurture the relationship with customers as they migrate throughout the customer lifecycle. Effective CRM marketing programs can improve and grow customer relationships, in ways that increase customer loyalty, retention, revenue and customer lifetime value. The caveat is that more is definitely not better, otherwise brands risk being labeled as SPAM HAM.  The most effective CRM & Email marketing programs Are all about creating valuable connections and ongoing, meaningful contact. 

Customer lifecycle marketing

Communicating with the customer where they are in their journey is the most effective way to increase on-going conversions. Creative and messages should tailor to support customers on their path: before, during and after purchase. Activated through the right CRM/email program, Customer lifecycle marketing programs can be a dynamic and engaging way to support  the consumer on their journey, increasing the likelihood of conversion 

On-boarding and customer engagement 

First impressions are everything, and that’s no exception when it comes to your brand. From their first exposure, consumers form an opinion on your brand that shapes their entire experience, so hitting it off right matters. Engaging potential customers and providing them with the knowledge to increase understanding of the business and the product not only has the potential to build trust, it can also increase the perceived value of the product and the price they are willing to pay for it. For customers that have already converted, this is also true – product demonstrations, walkthroughs, and access provide a variety of ways to elevate a customer’s experience. 

Loyalty program design, and performance assessments

The old saying that “loyalty cannot be bought” has never been more true than today. Brands can earn loyalty by consistently delivering on the benefits that a brand promises and through the value that products and services deliver. Loyalty programs provide brands the opportunity to create fun ways to keep customers engaged between purchases and to reinforce the pillars of loyalty: trust and value.  In addition, an effective loyalty program can help offset the impact of a negative customer experience. 

There are typically two aspects of building an effective loyalty program: A framework of behaviors that nurture and can lead to customer loyalty, and a system of rewards to reinforce the behaviors that increase loyalty and customer value. Since customer loyalty is impacted by nearly every step in the purchasing process, every interaction can be an opportunity to nurture the relationship. Brands can recognize customers in the form of perks, exclusive access, gifts, status, as well as tried and true deals, discounts & freebies.

Reviews & user generated content  (UGC)

Reviews and user generated content  (UGC) can be exceedingly valuable to a brand. Nearly 90% of consumers browse product reviews before purchasing a product according to Trustpilot, making reviews an essential step in the consideration process, but it is critical to cultivate reviews in the post-purchase process as well. Engaging customers and asking them to leave reviews after purchase can serve to support a new customer’s purchase decision with an unbiased perspective on your product’s quality or service’s utility. 

Utilizing UGC and customer feedback in your marketing plan can also be a productive tactic to promote brand value and reasons to buy. Social integration of UGC is an excellent way to take advantage of this type of earned media, demonstrating to potential consumers that existing consumers are pleased with their experience and the product. A key differentiator between owned and earned content is the sense of authenticity. Consumers trust what other consumers have to say, far more than how brands present themselves in the market. It’s the principle of “show, don’t tell” in action. Demonstrating customer satisfaction is tangible and speaks volumes about actual product quality. 

Understanding and leveraging the power of loyalty brand advocates can be an effective and often underutilized tactic in the marketing mix. Growing customer relationships in positive and effective ways not only increase retention and produce repeat sales but activate existing customers to become a catalyst for new customer acquisition. We encourage you to reach out  to Digital Amplification to learn more about how we work with clients to implement programs to turn customers into advocates.