We’re sure you know that loyal customers are better than one-timers. But did you know that it costs five times as much to attract new customers as it does to re-engage existing ones? Or that the probability of selling to an existing customer is between 60& and 70%, a number that plummets to between 5% and 20% for new prospects?
The stats don’t lie; loyal customers have the potential to sustain your business, especially when acquisition is challenging. On our journey through the sales funnel, leads have been lost at every stage. So, at the final stage, the customers you’ve guided through to the end are the people you need to turn your attention to.
The question is: how do you make sure new customers become loyal, repeat customers?
Incentivising them with loyalty programmes is a popular approach, and one which is often successful, but your content also goes a long way to securing their allegiance.
Don’t disappear after the sale
At the end of our last post, we highlighted the importance of staying in touch with customers after the sale to make the purchase a pleasant experience. Being present once the deal is done is even more essential for gaining the customer’s loyalty.
Going off the grid as soon as you have taken the customer’s money is a sure-fire way to make sure they’ll never buy from you again. But that doesn’t mean it’ll take a lot of time to stay in their good graces.
A templated email is all you need to come across as courteous and grateful. Be sure to include:
- A ‘thank you’ for their purchase.
- A link to any content you have written about the product.
- A reminder that you’re there to help them.
- Your support team’s contact details.
Make customers feel valued
Customers want to feel valued by businesses. As reported by Forbes, the top reason for customers switching brands is because they feel underappreciated. By demonstrating how grateful you are for their custom, you foster a stronger relationship between your customers and your company.
Making the customer aware of just how much you appreciate them should be the goal of any content you create with the intention of inspiring their loyalty. One way you can achieve this is to show you value their opinions.
Ask for feedback, not just reviews
Every time you make a purchase, it’s only a matter of time before an email asking you to leave a review finds its way into your inbox. The cynics among us know these reviews are for the business’s benefit. After all, we looked at the importance of positive reviews in our review of the ‘evaluation’ stage.
What if, instead of asking for a review, you asked customers for their feedback? Opinions that are used for their benefit, not yours. That’s the approach of a company that cares what their customers think.
You could do this by replacing your ‘leave a review’ email with a ‘send us your feedback’ substitute. But, to maximise its impact, why not tell your customers exactly how their feedback will be used.
Write content that explains your feedback process; and if you don’t have one, now is the time to establish one. Explain to customers:
- How you encourage and receive feedback.
- Where the feedback is sent.
- Who reviews the feedback.
- How the feedback translates into measurable improvements.
- Examples of customer feedback being used to make progress.
Your customers will not only understand that their opinions are valued, but also appreciate your honesty and commitment to improvement. In turn, you’ll receive truthful, helpful feedback and increase the likelihood of your customers buying from you again.
Show customers how their money is being used
Customers aren’t interested in hearing how their money has improved your bottom line. But, if you’re putting their money to good use in other ways, you should definitely shout about it.
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is an increasingly common tactic used by businesses to improve their image and inspire the loyalty of customers. That may sound underhanded, but it benefits so many charities and good causes and also helps companies be socially accountable.
Customers love knowing that, when they buy a product or service from a company, their money is contributing to a good cause. With research showing 75% of people are likely to start shopping at a company that supports an issue they agree with, CSR will help you with customer acquisition as well as retention.
So, where does your content come in? Well, to emphasise your CSR projects, you should do more than make passing references. In-depth blog posts and emails describing the support you offer to good causes will raise awareness of your work. A static page on your company website is also an effective way to promote your emphasis on CSR.
When it comes to writing the content, there is one crucial factor: make a clear connection between the customer’s money and the great work being done.
By bringing customers closer to the process, and emphasising the role they have, you strengthen their emotional connection to the cause and increase their desire to contribute more. How do they do that? By making a purchase from you again.
You’ve reached the end of the line … now what?
After six stages, a library of high-quality content, and a minimal amount of blood, sweat, and tears, you’ve reached the end of the sales funnel! It’s been a hectic journey, but you should now have a new batch of loyal, repeat customers you can rely on.
What now? For as long as you need new customers, the only thing to do is keep filling up the funnel, so it’s back to stage one.
If you don’t want to read our posts individually the next time you’re creating content for the sales funnel, we’ve got you covered. Soon, we’ll be producing an eBook containing all the important details we’ve covered in this series.
Until then, if you’d like some support with creating content that guides prospects from being unaware to becoming loyal customers, our expert writers would love to help. Get in touch with the friendly Prize Content team today to discuss exactly what you’re looking for.
