A cursory online search would provide local company owners with a great deal of marketing strategies. Absent from many of these lists, though, is the thought of using your current clients as marketing tools themselves. The general public are twice as likely to mention poor purchase experiences to their friends over great ones, so word of mouth cannot always be trusted. Thankfully, you have a a number of other methods that will make brand advocates out of your clients.
Provide Social Media Marketing Offers
It is rare that customers will realize that they are acting as brand advocates. Sure they recognize this if they are wearing a branded t-shirt, but most advocacy is not this obvious. Providing a social media discount does not fall into this category. Everyone who shares a post that promises a discount knows that they are simply getting the word out. If the incentive is a great one, though, they will do it with pride and without hesitation.
Provide Discounts for Special Occasions
Email marketing is the central aspect of making loyal customers, and to do this, companies need to get a bit of information from their clientele. Once you have this information, it can be used as a marketing tool.
Someone have a birthday coming up? Restaurants, entertainment companies and a variety of other businesses can offer a free gift to the birthday girl or boy. When they come to celebrate, though, they will definitely bring friends along. This means more profit and the potential for new customers.
Pay Customers to Market for You
You obviously cannot put your customers on the payroll to recruit new clients. At that point, they would be employees. You can, nevertheless, set up a referral program. Let loyal customers know that, if someone mentions their name on their very first visit, you will reward them with a gift card, credit to their bill or some other compensation.
Marketing is not all about social media and email. Your clients can be just as effective as any of those tactics. By utilizing the aforementioned guidelines, your best clients will become your foremost brand advocates.
