We often find ourselves using family analogies when discussing our small businesses. In the case of discussing how to market to existing customers, we want to use you – the small business owner – as the parent figure. You’ve just had a new baby girl. You spent months preparing for this baby and you want to give her all your attention and care. But she’s not your first baby. You have another one who just turned 5. If you’re focusing all attention, expense, and effort on the new baby, what happens to the 5-year old? You see where this is going.
As a small business owner, you might have a tendency to focus all your attention on growing your client base. But in the meantime, your existing one starts to feel the neglect. There has to be a balance in the focus. So we’ve provided some tips on great ways to continue the marketing effort on attention on existing customers.
Use analytics to get to know them
There are several channels like Facebook, Twitter, Google, etc. that give you invaluable information for free! What time of day your customers are looking at your product? Are they interested in music, movies, DIY projects? The data is limitless and you can use all this to better focus your marketing efforts.
Make them remember you.
Brand awareness marketing efforts are for new customers. What are you doing to keep your service or products in front of existing customers? You have to remind them why they shopped with you in the first place. E-newsletters are a cost-effective way of doing this.
Create a VIP effort.
Give customers who have been regular with you for a year a special discount. Give those who have shared your social media posts and written great reviews an after-hours sale event. Make them feel special.
Celebrate their special days.
If they have a business of their own, send them a card on their work anniversary. Send an e-blast on their birthday.
Make them feel a part of your success.
Ask for their feedback when it’s time to refresh your brand or revitalize a product/service. If they’ve invested a small amount of time in launching something for you that succeeds, they’re more likely to stay loyal to that brand and refer their friends.
