Thursday 9th of November 2017
The customer is the king of every business. They generate sales and consume the products offered
...by the entity despite having various other options...
The customer is the king of every business. They generate sales and consume the products offered by the entity despite having various other options from competitors. Thus, customers are highly valuable to businesses, as they enable them to stay afloat and continue growing. Every entrepreneur labours hard to build a solid customer base that stays loyal to the brand and helps increase profits. These loyalists help maintain stability during challenging times, such as economic downturns or market shifts. They are emotionally connected to the business and are incentivised for their continuous support.
While satisfied customers helped businesses with word of mouth publicity until a few years ago, they are now becoming digital marketers for their favourite brands. It is a common trend due to the rise in user generated content being consumed by people across all age groups. With social media activity and consumption on the rise, businesses are leveraging their loyal customers to gain traction and boost revenue without incurring significant advertising expenses. Here's how a business can turn its satisfied customers into its best marketers. It can help increase customer acquisition and loyalty affordably.
Video testimonials are gaining popularity due to the increasing consumption of video content on social media. Most people prefer viewing a marketing video to reading text because it adds more authenticity to the words. It becomes more relatable when real people discuss brands and share their personal experiences. It becomes easier to trust these testimonials when they are not scripted and showcase real emotions and customer feedback.
Since most new buyers check reviews and business websites before purchasing products, it is vital to utilise video testimonials. Entrepreneurs can request their loyal customers to record these videos and create a campaign by combining them. It can be published on social media channels and even broadcast on TV channels to increase brand credibility and popularity. It can help generate the best price when the brand is listed among South African businesses for sale due to its attractiveness to customers.
More than 41% of South Africans are actively using social media platforms, including WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. The number of users is expected to continue increasing in the future. Thus, it has become essential for businesses to promote their products on social channels through ads, regular posts, engagement and community building. Besides the usual branding and marketing efforts, entreprenuers can use brand advocates for positive comments and reviews on social media.
These positive words act as social proof and are viewed by a wide range of target audiences who can become customers. It builds a positive image and increases brand credibility.
Besides posting information about the brand on social channels, satisfied customers should be encouraged to create video content. Incentivising customers to create these videos can help increase their production and the effectiveness of the content. They must be asked to showcase genuine emotions and authentic feedback in these reviews to gain traction.
It builds a credible online reputation and increases brand awareness without requiring ad investments. Additionally, aspiring entrepreneurs seeking a business for sale in South Africa often opt for entities with a strong social media presence and following. It helps generate a return on investment even after the business is sold. Uploading positive reviews increases sales, as interested buyers take a cue from existing customers.
Analysing customer feedback is essential for every business to determine its effectiveness in meeting their needs. The response of buyers helps businesses identify weaknesses in their products, marketing campaigns and customer service. It provides them with an opportunity to review their own offerings and make necessary improvements.
Loyal customers must be encouraged to provide feedback through surveys, phone calls, Net Promoter Score cards, emails, and other means. They must be asked to compare the products with competitors and provide an assessment that can help enhance marketing efforts. It can broaden the horizons of the marketing team and provide them with new ideas to attract customers.
Individuals seeking business opportunities in South Africa must understand the importance of converting customers into marketers. One of the best ways to use them is to invite brand advocates to business events by sending customised invitations. They must be enticed to attend with VIP passes and seating arrangements.
They must be encouraged to interact with senior management during the event and share their experiences with the brand. They must be invited to speak on stage and attend question and answer sessions with thought leaders. Brands can ask them to share their event participation on social media and offer gifts and freebies for their presence. It strengthens their bond and helps boost trustworthiness among the target audience.
Loyalty programs have been around since the era of traditional marketing and remain highly effective in generating repeat sales. Businesses can offer loyalty program memberships to satisfied customers to make them stay with the brand and promote it organically. When they are offered special treatment and given discounts, they feel elated and promote the brand without being nudged.
Some of them even feel obligated to express gratitude through word of mouth publicity. It remains helpful even in the digital era, as many new customers do not actively use social media or search for products online. Loyalty programs and referrals help bring this audience segment to the stores without incurring marketing expenses.
Loyal customers are champions of the brand. Their experiences, stories, and feedback can be used by businesses to share during their thought leadership conversations. Satisfied customers can be invited to webinars and podcasts with industry veterans to showcase their prowess in the field and establish themselves as leaders in the domain.
Brands can use the case studies of loyal customers to create content that establishes them as thought leaders. They can use these stories to write guest blog posts, articles, social media posts, etc. They can use data from satisfied customers to showcase their performance and relationships. New entrepreneurs who have purchased businesses for sale in South Africa can use this technique to present themselves as authentic leaders.
Wrapping Up
Brand advocacy is a powerful tool that businesses can utilise to acquire new customers. Entrepreneurs must develop strategies to turn their satisfied customers into marketers who can generate leads and sales with minimal investment. The tips mentioned above can help achieve this goal effectively.
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