After you’ve owned a business for some time, it’s easy to get disillusioned about your customer base. You’ll always face intense competition, no matter what the industry is, and it can feel like you just don’t have the same connection with customers that other companies do. Sometimes it takes a fresh perspective to shake things up. Follow these top tips so that you can successfully connect with your customers and keep reaching for your dreams.
Try the Traditional Phone Call
Though it might seem outdated, phone calls are a welcome aspect of doing business. You’ll be surprised at the kind of sales you can turn just by reaching out to your customers over the phone. If you’re worried that you won’t get through because of the prevalence of spam and robot calls, you could consider a branded call display so that your customers know when you call.
Depending on your industry, there are a number of valid reasons to call your customers. For example, you could remind someone to take advantage of a free service appointment or check-up. You could also call to let someone know they have a free birthday coupon waiting at your store. If you maintain the highest levels of professionalism and add value to the call, you’ll make a positive connection in no time.
Source Website Content From Your Community
A great way to connect with your local customers is to source content for your website from within your community. Building bridges within your community is a vital part of growing your business. Combine that with authentic website content and you have a match made in heaven.
By looking to your local community for inspiration, you can improve your SEO strategy and attract local customers at the same time. There are many ways you can engage with your local community to source content. Try any of the following strategies:
- Interview local industry experts for your blog
- Volunteer to photograph your local farmer’s market
- Learn about local non-profits in your area
- Publish a monthly calendar of local events
Take Your Time With Market Research
Sometimes the reason behind a consumer disconnect is a lack of proper market research. If you’re targeting an audience with a product that isn’t valuable to that segment, then it’s only going to frustrate you. That doesn’t mean you have to scrap your business plan and start from the beginning. Take time to reflect on what’s working and what isn’t as you formulate your future plans.
Before you launch a new service or product, be sure to complete thorough market research. Even if you hire an outside firm to do this critical task, you can always double-check the work that’s completed to make sure it’s legitimate.
Update Your Customer Loyalty Program
Connecting with your customers might just be as easy as rewarding them for their loyalty. If you’re a new business owner, now might be the perfect time to introduce a customer loyalty program. It can be as simple as offering a small free gift or discount after a certain amount of purchases, or you can craft something that is more complex, including segmented email campaigns for each season and so on.
If you’ve had a customer loyalty program for some time, check to see how effective it is for your business. It may be time to change your strategy and update your loyalty program to attract new and old customers back to your store.
Hire an Effective Social Media Manager
For so many people, social media is the standard when it comes to connection, and that means you need to hire an effective social media manager at your company. Consumers practically live online, especially the younger generations, which is why it pays to hire a professional to interact with your customers on your behalf. This should be someone who understands your brand identity and voice and can represent you positively in all online interactions.
Don’t let yourself get stuck in a rut with your business goals. Use these top tips to reconnect with your customer base so that you can do what you set out to do when you opened your business.
