Let’s say that you have a Los Angeles-area company that has been in existence for a while. Possibly you have a physical location, or more than one. Maybe you’re all about e-commerce, and you don’t have an actual storefront that people can visit. In either case, you’ve hired an internet marketing agency, and you’re going over some strategies with them on how you can get repeat business from your customers.
Let’s think about that for a moment. Whenever you can get someone to buy a product or service from you for the first time, that’s great. But your bread-and-butter, what you’re really looking for, is brand loyalty, the customer who will keep coming back again and again. How do you find those people? There are different ways that you can reach out to them, and we’ll look at some of them here.
Email Marketing
Your internet marketing agency will probably speak to you about the importance of building up an email list, and they’re right to do so. If you had someone come into your store and buy something, what you should have done was to give them an opportunity to sign up for your email newsletter. Some people are reluctant to do that, and the promise that you’re not going to sell their email to anyone isn’t going to convince them.
What’s more likely to do the trick is you saying that if they give you the email address they’ll be entered into a drawing for a gift certificate, or they’ll get an exclusive two-for-one coupon. Now you have their email address, and you can add it to the list. Don’t send out too many emails. Once a week might be effective. Mention your new products and services as they come out, and offer exclusive content to those on the list. It will be a reminder that they bought from you in the past, and may want to do so again in the future.
Social Media
There are many different social media channels, and you’ll need to speak to your internet marketing agency and figure out which ones you should be focused on, Los Angeles. Whichever it is, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or whatever else, you should interact with your followers frequently. It could be that your followers already buy from you regularly, or maybe they like the aesthetics of your brand. When you reach out to them on a daily basis, it shows that you value their feedback and you want their business. Try to humanize your company this way. It’s how you go from being some faceless brand to a cottage industry in the eyes of your fans.
Personal Outreach
The other way that you build repeat customers is by physically getting out in the community and making yourself and your brand known. This may be impractical if you are strictly e-commerce, but if you have a brick-and-mortar location it pays to sponsor charity events, have a booth at street fairs or carnivals, or any other local activity where there is going to be fan interaction and media coverage. If someone learns about your brand that way and falls in love with it, they are likely to become regular customers.
These are some of the ways to build lasting relationships with your followers and fans. Always try to reach out and forge a connection. Financial dividends will come next.