Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
A list of easy, actionable ways businesses can emotionally engage with their customers beyond dollars and cents.
Citation preview
Veronica is Head of Content at mplifyr. She is a customer engagement expert focused on blogging and advice helping businesses build emotional engagement with their audiences to build ultimate brand loyalty.
Follow her on Twitter @veronika_moon.
About the author:Veronica Luna
Chapter 1:Give a personal touch.
Page 5
Photo Credit:http://www.flickr.com/photos/adrianclarkmbbs/3041954566/
101 Ways to Engage Customers to Build Ultimate Brand Loyalty
Page 6
1 Remember your customers’ names and stay in-tune to what they say to build personal relationships.
2 Keep a database to know what your customers want from you. Once you’re offering it, contact them and give them a special offer if they purchase in the next 5 days.
3 Send individual thank you cards to customers that make repeat purchases with you.
4 Name a product or service after your best customers.
5 Don’t send automated emails to thank customers for their purchase, send a hand-written post card.
6 If a customer returns an item, ask the reason and keep a log to remember why it was returned.
7 If customers make a purchase and it goes on sale a few days later, call to let them know you’ll give them the difference.
8 If it’s raining and customers arrive to your establishment wet, bring them a towel to dry off.
9 Offer to help carry items to a customer’s car and don’t accept a tip.
101 Ways to Engage Customers to Build Ultimate Brand Loyalty
Page 7
10 Ask customers what their name is and use it when you speak to them (this helps you remember it too!)
11 During the holidays, partner with a masseuse to offer customers 5 minute hand, neck and feet massages.
12 Send a handwritten note to your customers on their birthday, anniversary or other special event. If you can, include a little gift.
13 Offer customers a personal shopper service where you can email pictures and prices of what you offer. Hand-deliver items for a personal experience.
14 Capture customers’ attention by posting the benefits of your products & services. For example, “Light summer dresses on sale, perfect for an outdoor BBQ party!”
15 Get your customers involved and take pictures or video of them modeling or using your products (post on social media if they agree.)
16 If it’s raining, offer customers complimentary rain ponchos (with your logo or business name on them, of course).
17 Add value to your customers’ experience by displaying the top 10 best sellers. Engage customers by asking them to vote on their favorite.
101 Ways to Engage Your Customers to Build Ultimate Brand Loyalty
“
2/3 of customers say a positive customer experience caused them to spend more.
Page 8 ”Source: TheDrum.com 2013
Chapter 2:Build trust.
Page 9
Photo Credit:http://www.flickr.com/photos/zenonline/3437142845/
101 Ways to Engage Customers to Build Ultimate Brand Loyalty
18 If a customer has a problem, listen and empathize. Follow up with a personalized hand-written note to ensure the problem is resolved.
19 Instead of a tip jar, ask customers to put .25 cents into a jar for a donation to your local charity. Post a sign showing how much has been donated.
20 Offer new customers bonuses on their purchases to win them over and don’t forget above par customer service!
21 Engage customers in your buying process. Invite them to a special event and ask them what items they would like to see in your store for the upcoming season.
22 Have a mother/daughter, father/son event and blast it on your social media pages (do this around Mother’s & Father’s Day.)
23 Have a weekly event, like “Free First-Drink Fridays!”
24 Write a blog about a customer and include a picture/video of them and post it on social media (with their permission.)
25 Make your establishment a fun place for people to hang out (a la Starbucks) with free, fast Wi-Fi, comfortable seating and a cozy environment.
26 Reward customers for posting a review about your business.
Page 10
101 Ways to Engage Customers to Build Ultimate Brand Loyalty
Page 11
27 Respond to negative customer reviews in a professional manner ASAP and correct the mistake publicly.
28 If customers give you negative reviews, invite them to a special event to try to win them back.
29 Have customers give you feedback. Put what they say on your website and social media pages (if they approve.) Reward them for doing so.
30 Put a list of your best-selling items up for everyone to see. Mention they are available in limited quantities.
31 Respect customers’ privacy and don’t follow them around like a puppy. Just be available when they need you.
32 Create videos of your products/services and post on your YouTube channel. Show how it solves a problem and offer a special at the end of the video. Share it on your website, blog and social media sites.
33 Connect with influential bloggers in your industry. Maybe they’ll write about you and give you an SEO boost and exposure. Be sure you’re providing value to the blogger!
34 Return customers’ phone calls, follow up and let them know you’re listening to their concerns.
101 Ways to Engage Customers to Build Ultimate Brand Loyalty
Page 12
35 Start a brand ambassador program.
36 If customers need something you don’t provide, give them alternatives, even if you send them to a competitor. To go above and beyond, call the competitor to see if they have the item for the customer.
37 Keep a list of what your customers’ fears may be and find ways to ease that fear with your products and services.
38 Encourage employees to not “sell” to customers. Rather have them engage in conversations and fulfill their needs.
39 Follow customers on Twitter and engage with them on Facebook.
40 Engage employees by rewarding them with special treatment, invite them to special events or give them extra rewards. Happy employees = happy customers!
8 out of 10 customers would pay up to 25% more for a superior customer service.Source: TheDrum.com 2013
Page 13
101 Ways to Engage Your Customers to Build Ultimate Brand Loyalty
Chapter 3:Make them feel like VIPs.
Page 14Photo Credit:http://www.flickr.com/photos/yodelanecdotal/2177619795/
101 Ways to Engage Customers to Build Ultimate Brand Loyalty
Page 15
41 Delight customers by offering them early access to sought-after merchandise or best-selling items before providing it to the public.
42 Send special invitations to your most loyal customers and invite them to a VIP-only event after hours.
43 Offer your best customers free concierge service.
44 Get customers to subscribe to your email list by letting them know if they sign up they are invited to an invite-only special event.
45 Give preferred customers the “best seat in the house” or a “free glass of premium wine” every time they visit.
46 Let your most loyal customers skip the line and enter through a VIP entrance.
47 If you own a retail store, have a fashion show where your customers model/demo your products and services. Make it an invite-only event after hours. Post it on YouTube.
48 Give your preferred customers access to insider information and let them demo your products/services before every one else.
101 Ways to Engage Customers to Build Ultimate Brand Loyalty
Page 16
49 Have a separate section of your establishment for VIP customers and send an email to them to let them know it’s available for them.
50 Have a DJ spin tunes and offer cocktails (non-alcoholic too) for people to sip on while they browse.
51 For customers that refer your business to friends and family, invite them to a members-only event.
52 Host a special event outside business hours, get to know your customers and ask them to bring a friend. Take pictures and ask attendees to tag themselves in your pictures on your Facebook page.
53 Invite customers to a special event where they can help you decide what items you should stock next.
54 Host a cocktail party with your best customers and ask them to invite a friend.
55 Incentivize your customers to write comments on your blog by offering them a valuable reward in your customer loyalty program.
56 Have a customer appreciation day and offer customers something special like free cupcakes or goody bags with mystery items.
101 Ways to Engage Customers to Build Ultimate Brand Loyalty
Page 17
57 If you’re thinking of introducing a new feature, product or service, ask your brand ambassadors to join you for a roundtable discussion and offer refreshments for coming.
58 WOW your customers and call or email them if you receive something in your store you think they may like.
59 Host a Teacher Appreciation Day and offer something special to all the great teachers out there.
60 Allow customers in your customer loyalty program to earn status that gives them greater benefits.
61 Have a special event on Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Veteran’s Day, etc. offering these audiences a promotion.
62 Invite your best customers to a red carpet event.
Build a professional customer loyalty program to rival programs that supermarkets and banks have, but at a fraction of the cost.
Page 18
101 Ways to Engage Your Customers to Build Ultimate Brand Loyalty
Amplify your business.
Engage and incentivize employees &VIPsThe first patented Global Universal Point systemPortions of your earnings can go to schoolsYour own vanity URL for an SEO boost Reach a global audience
and more…tat a fraction of the cost.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sierratierra/8222219622/
Chapter 4:Ask what they think.
Page 19
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sierratierra/8222219622/
101 Ways to Engage Customers to Build Ultimate Brand Loyalty
Page 20
63 Send customers a survey with no more than 5 questions (with pictures) to get feedback on your business.
64 Ask your best customers if they’re willing to be in a YouTube video to say what they like about your business and share it on your social networks. Give a special offer for participating.
65 Let customers know you care about them by asking them if there is anything your business or staff can provide for them and follow through.
66 Ask customers to give you advice on how you could do something differently.
67 Start conversations with customers and find out what their needs are, track it and inform your employees.
68 Create a section on your website where customers can write reviews of your products/services. This can make the decision process easier for people that aren’t familiar with what you offer. Offer your top reviewers discounted rates on shipping or make them brand ambassadors.
69 Once customers make a purchase, ask if it’s ok if you contact them in a few weeks to invite them to give you a review of the product. Share the review on your website and your social media pages.
101 Ways to Engage Customers to Build Ultimate Brand Loyalty
Page 21
70 Ask customers if they’ll guest blog on your website. It gets them involved with your business and you can reward them for doing so in a way that’s valuable to them.
71 Ask customers to join a tweet chat on Twitter to ask them for their feedback during a specific time and use a custom hashtag to generate some publicity for your business.
72 Gather testimonials by asking customers to fill out a comment card with only one question. Give them a little something for doing so in your customer loyalty program.
Chapter 5:Surprise them.
Page 22
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gabrielizalo/5214170331/
101 Ways to Engage Customers to Build Ultimate Brand Loyalty
Page 23
73 Give free samples to customers upon arrival.
74 On a cold day offer complimentary hot tea or coffee.
75 Put two items in front of your customers and ask them to vote on the one they like better and post the results on Facebook. It’s a great way to get feedback!
76 Have a treasure hunt! Lead customers to items you would like to promote and offer prizes or points in your customer loyalty program.
77 Offer customers a glass of champagne while they browse your store every Friday and put on some upbeat music.
78 Surprise customers and give everyone at a specific point in time something special, like an unexpected discount.
79 Create a fun contest and reward customers through your customer loyalty program for participating.
80 Blast on social media a special promotion offering customers rewards for a limited time only.
81 Send a text message to customers that have purchased with you, make it personal and include an exclusive benefit they can receive for coming back.
101 Ways to Engage Customers to Build Ultimate Brand Loyalty82 Give gold star stickers to customers. (Remember how
good it felt when you received them in school?)
83 Have a giveaway – offer more points in your customer loyalty program, a personalized shopping service or name a product or service after a customer for a month.
84 Go above and beyond and hand-deliver an item to a customer instead of having them pay shipping.
85 If you ship items to a customer, throw in an extra little gift or a personal thank you card to thank them for their purchase.
86 Blast on social media a secret phrase for customers to say when they’re at your business and a reward for doing so.
87 Generate excitement with customers and offer a “mystery” item and donate some of the proceeds to a customer or charity in need.
88 During the holidays, offer free gift-wrapping services and a seating area where customers can rest and sip on a hot beverage while they wait.
89 Partner with an establishment that attracts a similar customer base and hold an event together to gain more customers.
Page 24
101 Ways to Engage Customers to Build Ultimate Brand Loyalty
Page 25
90 Play a game with your customers. For example, have a raffle for customers to receive a best-selling item. To be in the drawing they must give their email address.
91 Create ambience in your establishment (if appropriate, add candles or flowers to tap into people’s senses.)
92 Do something your competitors don’t do (ex: let customers return used merchandise, random giveaways, etc.)
93 If your business can allow it, make your establishment animal-friendly and offer pets water and treats.
94 Don’t send emails that are full of boring text. Keep them engaged with pictures, videos and infographics.
95 Surprise a select group of customers with free upgrades.
96 Give children a free balloon to entertain them while their parents shop.
97 Collaborate with a local artist to draw pictures of customers for fun engagement.
101 Ways to Engage Customers to Build Ultimate Brand Loyalty
Page 26
98 Send preferred customers a box of samples with new product offerings before every else gets an opportunity to purchase them. Ask customers to fill out a feedback form on what they think.
99 Give customers virtual badges to thank them for being an asset to your business. Do this with gamified programs like mplifyr and Foursquare.
100 Around Valentine’s Day, send customers cute Valentine’s Day cards.
101Give customers a special treat when they arrive (ex: a small piece of chocolate, a bottle of water, etc.) to make them happy.
Are you ready to engage?
For an affordable, all-inclusive platform that allows you to engage, incentivize and reward
your customers for all 101 of these things, visit mplifyr and get started for free:
https://www.mplifyr.com/business
Page 27
