If you own a business, no matter if it’s big or small, it’s likely that you use some form of social media to engage with your customers, build a following and increase brand loyalty. Social media is a powerful tool that we businesses can harness to gain customers and communicate effectively with them, but how can you hang on to these customers so that in the future they see the interesting and engaging content that you are posting? Of course, it is so important to be generating this fantastic content but there isn’t much point if there is no one to see it! In order to help you strengthen these relationships, we’ve put together our top three ways that we believe you can increase customer retention with social media.
1. Be Real
It’s so important nowadays that your customers feel that they are engaging with a real human and not a modern-day robot. Don’t fall into the trap of believing that interacting with customers online is much different from meeting and talking to them in person. There is no difference! View your virtual audience as the real people they are and approach them with genuine conversation and compassion – they are not just another number on your follower's list.
2. Be Visible
You won’t generate and retain a social media following if no one can find your business on social media. In order to make sure people can find your page, make sure you are getting involved in a lot of platforms; this means creating a business page on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn as a bare minimum. Furthermore, you need to be remaining active on these pages as well as promoting your social media pages on your website and in your conversations with customers.
3. Share Content
As well as creating and sharing your own content, look out for customer testimonials or postings about your brand. According to research, 39% of adults have posted at least once on social media about a brand’s product or service they have tried. So have a search and see what comes up, then see if the customer would be happy with you sharing their content. This step is particularly effective if you run a fitness or food business.
Increasing customer retention is in your business’ best interest as it yields revenue; research has shown that its 6-7 times more expensive to acquire new customers than it is to retain the customers you already have. Therefore, as well as trying to convert new customers, you should dedicate your efforts to also trying to retain your existing customers which will yield a higher return on investment overall.
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