Social media marketing has proven to be a very effective way of marketing as it generates quicker results. However, like other kinds of marketing systems, retaining a customer is equally as important as acquiring them. Customer retention and commitment is a place where most brands and organizations fall short. If you are spending a lot more time attracting customers compared to retaining them, then you must rethink your strategy. Before I give you 3 steps to increasing customer retention and commitment with social media marketing (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.), first let’s explore the main reasons you lose customers.
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Why you lose customers
- Tepid and slow response systems: Nothing riles a customer more than a slow response time for their queries. Many brands are offering the same service as you are out there. The customers know this, and this is why they can never be patient with you sleeping on their response. Also, they would take your slow response as being taken for granted. Everybody wants to be treated like a king on their money, and you shouldn’t give less. This is why your customer’s service must be swift and on time in responding to customer’s queries. Aside from being quick to their queries, you coming up with lackluster and tepid responses is a no-no. Take time to respond to their messages as if you are engaging with them personally. Every customer wants their responses personalized.
- Products falling below par: Most brands fall foul of this. During their social media marketing campaign, they put a lot into making their pilot products and services only for their customers to get a product not meeting their expectations. The best advice in this instance to brands is not creating a product or service standard that cannot sustain. If your customers catch you doing this, they will punish you by instantly fleeing.
- Poor engagement on social media platforms: Getting your customers through social media marketing is never enough, you have to work hard to retain on the same platform though proper engagements. Engaging your customers includes but not limited to purposeful customer chat, organizing meaningful discussions that contributing greatly to them without making turning into a spiel.
Now that you have known the reasons why your customers may be leaving you and jumping ship, here are therefore the three main steps to not only retain your customers but to increase their retention and commitment:
3 steps to increasing customer retention through social media
Offer Bonuses
Though this system of getting customers is quite old, it has not stopped generating results. Retaining customers with your social media marketing is easier when you organize giveaway campaigns. Whenever a brand does this, customers tend to trust the brans more, believing the brand is always after its profits alone even when the ulterior motive of the campaign is clear enough. Giving out bonuses to your customer is a big way of earning their long-term trust; and when you have the long-term trust of your customers, they are more fixated on your brand’s products and services.
Appreciate your customers’ reviews
This goes for both bad and good reviews. Appreciate them all. Appreciating your reviews is all about responding to things written about your products and services promptly. When you do not respond swiftly to reviews, your brand is seen as very officious and standoffish. In the case of a good review written on your social media platform, endearingly acknowledge the reviews. That gesture gives a great sense of belonging to the customers and makes them feel they are part of the process. It is indeed a great feeling you do not want to denial your customers. In the case of a very bad or caustic review, still respond promptly by simply asking how you could make the products or service better to meet their satisfaction. When managed well, a brand could turn a very bad review to its advantages.
The power of quality interactions
Interact greatly with your customers on your social media platforms. That is what your social media platform is for. Social media platforms are created for good social interactions. As a brand use your social media marketing to engage your customers in discussions they would find of great benefits. Also, your social media marketing could be used to creatively disrupt discussions in a way that makes the brand increase its customer retention and commitment.
Learning all there are to why your customers leave you and how you could use social media marketing to retain customers is an excellent way to spur a brand’s growth.
References
What is social media management – www.WebByWebb.biz
https://www.socialmediatoday.com/social-business/how-retain-customers-using-social-media
https://www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/2013/08/23/five-tips-for-retaining-customers/#76aba8b8694a