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Using Social Media to Gain Customer Loyalty

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Using Social Media to Gain Customer Loyalty

 

 

 

In our current economy where recovery is gradual, everyone is still tightening their spending habits both personally and in business. As marketers continually search for new and more cost-effective ways to market and reach their target audience, social media is quickly in the forefront for building a company’s brand loyalty and reaching out to new and potential customers. Direct marketing and permission based email campaigns are being used in conjunction to acquire customers for loyalty programs which offer discounts and rewards for using their service. Marketers feel that if a customer feels more connected to a brand, they are more likely to be a loyal customer. Building loyalty online is a lot easier than building loyalty offline.

 

There are many different outlets to promote a business through social media, but it does take time and energy. Sites like Facebook Fan pages/Groups are growing in popularity as businesses are trying to engage visitors who are already on the popular site. Twitter is also a great tool to have two-way conversations with visitors, build relationships, change perceptions and provide customer service. YouTube is another great medium to visually communicate your message as videos provide a richer experience for the visitor.

 

Whether social media is for online reputation management, Search Engine Optimization tactics or a new element in the marketing mix, make sure your social media strategy follows the three basic steps.

  • Listen to what they are saying about your brand.
  • Be engaging and interactive as customers want to feel like they are being listened to. Engage in both positive and negative feedback. Why should they engage with your business? Does your business offer compelling content?
  • Measure. Is it effective? If not, change it. Repeat.

 

Social media has personality, be yourself, give readers insight into your company, give them relevant information, increase loyalty by providing polls, surveys and rewards. As every marketers dream, customers mainly interact with retailers on social sites to learn more about their products or services promotion. How effective is your social media presence?