5 Ways Content Can Boost Customer Loyalty

customer loyalty
It’s not uncommon to focus much more energy on lead-gen than on customer retention, but that means we may be leaving opportunities on the table, both in terms of sales dollars and the chance to build stronger relationships with the customers who already know us.
 
Most of us are familiar with the stats regarding the cost of acquiring new customers. It can cost five to 25 times more to win a new customer than it does to sell to an existing one. In fact, Frederick Reicheld of Bain & Company, creator of the net promoter score, found that increasing customer retention rates by just 5 percent increases profits by 25 percent to 95 percent.
 
So once you coax a lead into sales-ready status — or even better, convert that prospect to a sale — make sure you do what you can to keep them. Create the content and experiences that contribute to strengthening your base of loyal customers and support the customer advocacy that streamlines your lead-gen efforts.
 
Here are five ways you can increase customer retention with content and experience:
 

1. Events

Hosting an event doesn’t require an Adobe Summit-level budget. Start with local dinners or cocktail mixers for key accounts. Host a workshop to connect your best customers with product experts. Invite customers to network, share experiences and ask questions at a roundtable dinner. Virtual events can be a great connector as well, so look into hosting a digital meeting on your favorite web conferencing platform or a special invitation-only webinar with content that’s tailored to help existing customers learn more about their top interests. Whatever the event, take the time to listen to your customers’ pain points so that you can tap into new ways to be their hero.

2. Short-Form Content

Cheat sheets, FAQs and best-practices guides go the extra mile to help your customers learn more about what you offer and new ways that you can serve their needs. Consider producing them in a variety of formats, from static pdf documents to interactive quizzes and listicles. Empower every customer to step up and become a “power user.” Offer troubleshooting tips and helpful information about how they can take better advantage of your services. Offering up the content that will make their lives easier after they purchase from you is a great way to instill confidence and make customers feel how much you care about what matters to them.

3. Mine Feedback

When was the last time you picked the brains of your sales and service teams? These are folks who hear lots of customer feedback about their satisfaction levels and what they really want. You may already be tapping this feedback for ways to improve your solutions, but this kind of input may also provide the insights you need to create content. Learn what you can in person as well as from emails and social media interactions to identify trends and topics that you can transform into engaging content.

4. Spotlight Customers

As interest in influencer content continues to build, consider how you might feature high-value customers or key power users in your content. Set up meetings to pick their brains about the issues they care about in their businesses. Invite them to share their thoughts in a blog, a webinar, an event or a piece of content. Most people enjoy being asked for their opinions, and many customers welcome the opportunity to earn some positive public relations by putting their business front and center.

5. The VIP Treatment

Make your customers feel special whenever you can. Roll out the red carpet to offer them something special, with exclusive access for top-tier clients. Offer sneak peeks at your newest product or give them exclusive early access to content and events. VIP treatment is a great way to communicate how important your customers are to you and reassures them that they’ve chosen the right partner.

There are lots more ways to beef up your customer retention, loyalty and advocacy programs. Consider mining our 2019 Content Preferences Survey Report for insights on what your customers want from their content. And of course, let us know if you need a partner to help brainstorm or execute the strategies that will expand your roster of power users.

 

Holly Celeste Fisk is an accomplished marketing pro with 20+ years of experience in B2B and B2C. She’s responsible for Content4Demand’s internal marketing efforts, managing everything from content creation and email marketing to events and sponsorships, blog publishing, website management and social media presence. When she’s not working, you’ll find her sliding into third at softball, buried in a book or practicing her Italian. 

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