Communication is the key to any good relationship—including the relationship between businesses and customers. If you don’t communicate with your customers, then how can you know what they’re looking for and how you can help them? Fortunately, the digital landscape creates opportunities for businesses of all sizes to talk to their customers on a regular basis. Make sure your business is talking to customers by using these modern tools:
If your business isn’t on social media, then you’re missing out on a chance to connect with your customers. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram offer incomparable marketing opportunities as well as the chance to speak directly with your current customers and potential new ones. Your customers can “Like” and “Follow” your social media profiles to see your updates, photos, and any other content you share. They can contact you either on your public profiles or through direct messages, giving you the chance to answer questions, take in criticism, and offer excellent customer service. You can encourage your fans and followers to interact with your business on social media by including calls-to-action in your posts. If you’re sharing a link to a blog, ask readers to share their thoughts in the comment section. If you’re posting visuals, encourage readers to post their own relevant pictures. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram also provide advertising services that make it easier than ever to get your ads seen by the people who are most likely to be interested in what your business offers.
While social media has become one of the most popular ways to market and connect with customers, email still plays an important role for businesses of all sizes. According to eMarketer, 80% of professionals working in retail believe that email marketing is the most effective practice for customer retention. Sending customers emails is a great way to show off new products and services, offer special deals, and keep your brand in customers’ minds. It’s always a great way to communicate with your customers to find out what they like, what they don’t, and what you can do to provide a better experience. You can determine what types of emails are most effective by how many people open them, how many people click through to links listed in the email, and how many people stay subscribed to your email marketing list. It is also important to make sure someone is checking your business’s primary contact email multiple times a day so you can respond to any questions, comments, or concerns that customers send your way. Whomever is responding to customer emails should maintain a polite and helpful tone, no matter what topic they are discussing. This is important for keeping customers comfortable and maintaining professionalism.
Live Chat
Have you ever visited a website and had a chat bubble with a message like, “Hi! How can I help you?” pop up? If so, then you’ve already experienced a live chat tool. Including this type of feature on your website can be highly beneficial, as it can offer visitors the help they need right away. If customers must search through your website to find any sort of contact information, then they might leave and turn to your competitors. Even with an easy-to-find “Contact” page, your customers might still want to find a more direct way to get answers to their questions before deciding whether to make a purchase. There are many different live chat tools to choose from, so it’s important to find the right feature for your website and your brand. This website addition will help customers get the information they want while also providing your company with another opportunity to communicate.
Review Sites
One of the most important elements of communication is listening. You need to listen to what your customers are saying if you want to provide the best products or services to meet their needs. Review sites likes Yelp and Angie’s List provide a platform where consumers can share their experiences, offer ratings, and encourage others to use the companies they like. It’s a good idea to check review sites to see what people are saying about your business. Positive reviews will let you see what people like and what you should keep doing. Negative reviews will give you a chance to see what customers don’t like about your product, services, and other elements of your brand. You can also respond to any reviews posted on these sites, showing your customers that you care about their opinions and appreciate their feedback. Even a negative review can become a positive interaction when you take the time to follow up with the customer to make things right.
Getting started with any of these tools is easier when you have the right help. At Pennington Creative, our Tucson content marketing team specializes in helping small- and medium-sized businesses create stronger online presences with blog copy, social media posts, infographics, and more. Contact us today to set up a discovery call, or continue exploring our website for a closer look at our services.
