Customers are the best resource for promoting your brand, as consumers tend to trust customer feedback more than any other marketing source. Studies show that nine out of ten consumers attempt to read online reviews before purchasing a product.
Additionally, four out of five consumers state that they trust reviews as much as personal recommendations. And 93% of consumers state they trust recommendations from family and friends more than any other source.
So, while you can go on and on about how great your brand is, no one will buy your product unless you have the backing of a loyal customer base. The good news is that there are many strategies you can employ to get your customers to promote your brand (sometimes for free!). Read this Spa Week guide to learn the top ways to get your customers to promote your brand.
Related: Corporate Gifting: The Key To Lifetime Value
1. Cultivate Loyalty
To get your customers to promote your brand, you first need to gather a loyal customer base. Here’s how to cultivate customer loyalty:
Offer Fun Perks and Rewards
Customers love fun perks and rewards, no matter how small. You can throw in a free gift with purchase for your customers to build loyalty. For example, if you run a gym, you can offer customers free water bottles or spa gift cards when they sign up for a membership.
Create a Customer Loyalty Program
Customers will be more likely to do repeat business with you if there is an incentive to do so. This is why we recommend creating a customer loyalty program. These programs tend to have established criteria in exchange for rewards. For example, a customer needs to make X amount of purchases to receive one free purchase. Or, a customer needs to spend X amount of money to receive a ten percent discount.
You can offer various loyalty programs, including credit card programs, point systems, and punch cards. For example, Starbucks has a loyalty program where you earn points every time you purchase something from one of their coffee shops. After building up a certain number of points, you can receive a free item.
Engage With Customers on Social Media
Social media is an excellent tool for interacting and building relationships with your customers. Encourage your customers to leave comments on your posts and to DM you with any concerns they might have.
Also, make sure you’re posting content that encourages natural interaction. For example, if you run a clothing store, you can post different outfit-of-the-day options in your stories and have your customers choose which look they like best.
Or, you can create various polls and quizzes around your products and services.
Maintain a Warm Tone at Every Touch Point
Customers are more likely to display loyalty to brands that are warm and welcoming. Make sure that every interaction with a customer is a positive one. If you run a brick-and-mortar shop, always greet your customers with a greeting and a smile.
When speaking with customers online, always thank them for reaching out and maintain a warm tone throughout the interaction. When speaking with customers on the phone, sympathize with their needs and concerns.
Doing all of these things will help you build a loyal customer base that’s eager to spread the message about your brand!
Related: Co-Branded Digital Gift Cards
2. Encourage and Display Reviews and Testimonials
As evidenced by the statistics at the beginning of the article, reviews are a powerful tool for growing your customer base. Garnering customer reviews can feel awkward, but there are several things you can do to make it easier to get reviews:
- Start by simply asking: Ask for reviews after every checkout, be it online or in-person
- Set up profiles on multiple review sites, so your customers know where to turn
- Offer small incentives for leaving reviews (such as free monthly giveaways)
- Provide review templates to make things easier for your customers
- Engage with your existing reviews, so your customers know you care
Once you have some positive reviews stocked up, share them like crazy. You should share reviews on your social channels, website, and in your emails. You can even display reviews in your store on a message board!
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3. Leverage Customer-Generated Content
Many companies turn to influencers to generate social media content. However, more and more people are posting about companies they love for free! Any time a customer shares something positive about your company and tags you on social media, make sure to re-share their content.
User-generated content can improve your online presence and help potential customers trust your brand. Also, make sure to kindly remind customers to tag your brand when posting about your product or service to help spread the word!
4. Create Referral Campaigns
Referral campaigns are another excellent way to get customers to promote your brand. Referral programs are a simple word-of-mouth marketing tactic that encourages customers to advocate on behalf of your company.
Instead of writing reviews online, these programs allow customers to share their experience with your brand with their social circle. The best referral programs are two-sided, where both the old and new customers get a reward.
For example, you can set up a program where current customers can share referral codes with prospective customers. When the prospective customer buys something from your business, both the current and prospective customers receive a discount.
Conclusion
Your current customer base is a powerful marketing tool. After you’ve established a loyal customer base, tap into your network to get them to promote your brand. Soon, your business will grow like never before!
Check out our co-branded gift cards to discover another great way to promote your brand!
