Advertising and sales tactics have changed drastically with the rise of social media. It can be difficult to generate new leads and promote your company when people aren’t typically responding to traditional sales tactics. Consumers today tend to seek out brands they feel connected to on a personal level; brand promoters can help you bridge this gap.
Promoters are simply your most loyal and vocal customers. Promoters share your posts on social media, tell their friends about your company, defend your business if it gets a negative review, and much more–without you having to pay them a penny! Read on to discover how you can satisfy loyal customers and encourage them to share their positive experiences both online and in the real world.
Track and Measure Customer Satisfaction
Before you can start encouraging customers to become promoters, you have to do some research to gauge their overall satisfaction with your company. An array of different businesses use a metric called the Net Promoter Score, or NPS, to track and measure customers’ opinions of their brand. NPS involves one main task: simply ask clients how likely they are to recommend your products or business to their friends or family on a scale from 0-10. Once they’ve answered that question, you can get more information about how to improve customer satisfaction by asking a few follow-up questions, such as:
- What is the main reason for your score?
- What can we do to improve our business?
3 Big Steps For Delighting Customers
Research has shown that it costs an average of 6-7 times more to gain a new customer than to retain a previous customer. If you struggle with retaining customers or if you’d like to improve your NPS, follow these steps to create a better experience for your clients:
- Connect and engage with customers online. Top 10 Social Media Influencer Ted Coine once said, “Would you send someone else to a meeting wearing your suit? If not, then why would you have someone else run your social media account?” It’s important for business owners themselves to interact with their target demographic to understand their wants and needs and build a solid relationship.
- Offer special promotions or discounts. Everybody likes getting a deal and will be more likely to return to your company if you incentivize them. You can offer customers discounts or coupons if they sign up for a loyalty program, host giveaways on social media, or you could even send a small gift to say thank you to a client.
- Maintain excellent customer service. Being prompt, friendly, and reliable can prevent many customer complaints, but unfortunately, no business can be completely flawless. When you do receive a negative review or complaint, you can take steps to remedy the situation by responding quickly, apologizing, and offering solutions to the customer.
Promoters vs. Ambassadors
Once you’ve built a base of promoters for your company, you might want to consider turning some into brand ambassadors. Promoters and ambassadors have similar roles, but ambassadors are often people who already have a significant online presence and can influence their audience to check out your business. While some people may be willing to be ambassadors for free, others might expect free products or payment for their endorsements.
Pros and Cons of Brand Ambassadors
People often think of celebrities when they hear the term “brand ambassador,” but the perfect ambassador for your company might not necessarily be someone famous. An excellent brand ambassador can be anyone who’s positive and engaging. These people can create numerous benefits for your company, including:
- Increasing your online traffic and awareness. If you post or share something on your social media account, you can rely on your brand ambassador to spread the news to their own audience.
- Humanizing your brand. Ambassadors are often seen as the “face” of your company. People online may not respond to traditional methods of advertising or marketing, but seeing someone who loves your product can inspire them to try it out for themselves.
- Protecting your online reputation. Ambassadors can address negative reviews from customers, share their own experience with your company, and help others view your company in a more positive light.
However, not all ambassadors are created equal. You must be careful when you’re considering someone to be an ambassador for your brand due to the following risks:
- You can’t control what your ambassador says or does. If your ambassador posts something online that doesn’t match your company’s values or the public views them negatively, this can damage your brand’s reputation.
- Your choice for an ambassador might not be a good fit. If your ambassador isn’t credible or if their popularity overshadows your brand, you might not see any change in the growth of your business.
For more guidance, visit Wagento.com.
