Four Ways to Make Your Customer Happy Through Inbound Marketing
There is no lack of attractive offers by businesses attempting to snag new customers, but they should also focus on keeping customers already there, happy.[fn]Prathiksha Thayil, Zyxware (online), “What Is Customer Acquisition? How to Analyze and Optimize Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)?” Published 2021 November 09, Link retrieved on 2022 May 13. https://www.zyxware.com/article/a-guide-to-understanding-customer-acquisition-strategy-for-2022 [/fn]
The cost of obtaining new customers is five times higher than that of retaining existing customers.[fn]Author unspecified, Finances Online (online), “70 Customer Retention Statistics for 2022: Loyalty Programs & Strategies,” Dateline not provided, Link retrieved on 2022 May 04. https://financesonline.com/customer-retention-statistics/ [/fn]
A happy customer is a loyal customer. Keeping customers happy helps businesses attract new customers and retain those they already have. Inbound marketing can put businesses ten light years ahead of the competition. Inbound marketing, at its core, acknowledges how important the customer is and how to keep them happy.
This article will discuss four ways businesses can use inbound marketing to keep customers happy. Read on as we elaborate.
What Does Inbound Marketing Entail?
Inbound marketing is a specialised marketing strategy that focuses on the customer’s particular needs. It is unlike outbound marketing which can sometimes bombard the customer with irrelevant information. All the content used for inbound marketing is targeted and tailored to the customer’s exact needs.
Inbound marketing helps the customer find your business. Conversely, it helps provide specific solutions to problems faced by the customer. Thus it leads to a win-win situation where everybody is happy.
Inbound marketing generates 54% more leads than traditional marketing methods.[fn]Author unspecified, Hubspot (online), “The Ultimate List of Marketing Statistics for 2022,” Dateline not provided, Link retrieved on 2022 May 04. https://www.hubspot.com/marketing-statistics [/fn]
Businesses can use inbound marketing to attract new customers and retain high-quality customers. Inbound marketing can include content marketing, excellent customer service, surveys, etc.[fn]Prathiksha Thayil, Zyxware (online), “What Is Customer Acquisition? How to Analyze and Optimize Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)?” Published 2021 November 09, Link retrieved on 2022 May 13. https://www.zyxware.com/article/a-guide-to-understanding-customer-acquisition-strategy-for-2022 [/fn]
Ways To Keep Your Customer Happy Through Inbound Marketing
We have touched on why businesses need to keep customers happy. Now let us highlight a few ways companies can use to make this a reality.
1. Request for Customer Feedback and Provide Excellent Customer Support
Asking for customer feedback and providing good customer support are points that seem pretty straightforward. Most businesses do not do as much as they should in these areas. Intuitive customer support tools and online survey tools like SoGo Survey will help companies understand their customers’ needs and meet them.[fn]Home Page, SoGoSurvey (online), “Create Exceptional Experiences,” Dateline immaterial. Link retrieved on 2022 May 04. https://www.sogosurvey.com/ [/fn]. Email and social media can also be excellent ways to reach out to customers in their comfort zones and keep them happy if your business is working on a budget.
87% of B2B marketers have adopted social media use and are using it as a tool to reach out to customers and distribute content.[fn]Author unspecified, Demand Metric (Infographic/online), “A Guide to Marketing Genius: Content Marketing,” Dateline not provided, Link retrieved on 2022 May 04. https://www.demandmetric.com/content/content-marketing-infographic[/fn]
Engage with customers on social media platforms and monitor their responses.[fn]Prathiksha Thayil, Zyxware (online), “Best Social Media Management Tools of 2022,” Published 2022 April 22, Link retrieved on 2022 May 13. https://www.zyxware.com/article/best-social-media-management-tools-of-2022 [/fn]
A perfect illustration of social media-based customer support and monitoring is what Airbnb did with their Twitter handle @AirbnbHelp. It allowed them to provide quick customer support on a popular platform.
You can arrange customer surveys at regular intervals throughout the business year. You can also make your customers feel included by letting them know the purpose of the study and making sure they understand what the feedback will be used for.
2. Pay Attention to Analytics
Although social media monitoring is helpful, it does not give businesses all the data to anticipate customer needs and keep them content. Social media monitoring works better when coupled with hardcore data. This data can range from the number of views, click-through rates, and conversion rates. Businesses can also use email tracking software to keep track of email open rates.
“Many companies have forgotten they sell to actual people. Humans care about the entire experience, not just the marketing or sales or service. To really win in the modern age, you must solve for humans.” - Dharmesh Shah|| CTO & Co-Founder, HubSpot
So how do analytics help businesses to keep customers happy?
Analytics may highlight a trend or information that businesses would not get from analysing reviews on social media. More in-depth information lets companies provide services or adjustments that clients didn’t yet know they needed. The power to anticipate customer needs will put businesses far ahead of competitors.
3. Show Customers and Prospects Relevant Content
Excellent and relevant content forms the building blocks of inbound marketing. 90% of organisations use the content as part of their marketing.[fn]Author unspecified, Demand Metric (Infographic/online), “A Guide to Marketing Genius: Content Marketing,” Dateline not provided, Link retrieved on 2022 May 04. https://www.demandmetric.com/content/content-marketing-infographic[/fn]
Businesses are constantly trying to obtain new customers, but creating engaging and relevant content for existing customers is essential. It helps companies keep their customers in the loop about the offered products and services.
About 68% of people make an effort to read up on brands they find interesting.[fn]Author unspecified, Demand Metric (Infographic/online), “A Guide to Marketing Genius: Content Marketing,” Dateline not provided, Link retrieved on 2022 May 04. https://www.demandmetric.com/content/content-marketing-infographic[/fn]
Well-informed customers who understand the value of a product are most likely to be loyal.
Businesses can keep their customers informed through methods that include:
- Product-specific blog posts
- Answering FAQs
- Videos or webinar training sessions that are designed specifically for customers
- Testimonials from other customers
- Sharing any current updates about your product
Content marketing costs about 62% less than the traditional forms of marketing, but it generates three times as many leads as traditional marketing.[fn]Author unspecified, Demand Metric (Infographic/online), “A Guide to Marketing Genius: Content Marketing,” Dateline not provided, Link retrieved on 2022 May 04. https://www.demandmetric.com/content/content-marketing-infographic[/fn]
Excellent content and customer engagement will increase engagement post-purchase, which means higher customer retention.
4. Make Use of Smart CTAs
Having a Call-to-Action (CTA) on every page of a business’ website will help direct the prospect or customer to the next level in the conversion journey.
Why use CTAs?
CTAs are the difference between a visitor clicking on a website and disappearing into thin air and a business establishing future communication with them.
Using Smart CTAs helps businesses present each customer with content tailored to them and is at the right level in their buying journey. Smart CTAs let companies propose different offers to different users. The recommendations will depend on information like location and where each customer is in the buying journey.
Existing customers are directed towards information that is valuable to them. It can include updates about a new product, information about promotions, and more. Interacting with existing customers in this manner will keep them in the loop and help them develop a sense of familiarity and loyalty to a brand.
A five per cent boost in customer retention helps businesses to double their revenue.[fn]Author unspecified, Finances Online (online), “70 Customer Retention Statistics for 2022: Loyalty Programs & Strategies,” Dateline not provided, Link retrieved on 2022 May 04. https://financesonline.com/customer-retention-statistics/ [/fn]
Inbound marketing provides businesses with tools to keep their customers happy and retain them. Customer retention will, in turn, increase revenue.
Final Word
With each day, customers have more and more options to pick from. Keeping them loyal to a business requires conscious effort to keep them happy and content. Companies can achieve this objective through an inbound marketing plan that includes everything from analysing reviews and surveys to using content marketing strategies. Keeping customers in the loop and giving them precisely what they need at each point in the buying journey will place the business steps ahead of its competitors.
Other Sources: [fn]Remington Begg, Impulse Creative (online), “4 ways to use inbound marketing to keep your customers happy,” Published 2016 February 22, Link retrieved on 2022 January 11. https://impulsecreative.com/blog/4-ways-to-use-inbound-marketing-to-keep-your-customers-happy [/fn], [fn]Oren Smith, Precision Marketing Group (online), “12 Inbound Marketing Statistics That Should Matter To B2B Marketers,” Published 2015 April 24, Link retrieved 2020 January 11, https://www.precisionmarketinggroup.com/blog/12-inbound-marketing-statistics-that-should-matter-to-b2b-marketers [/fn], [fn]Matt Shealy, G2 Learn Hub (online), “5 Ways To Keep Happy Customers,” Published 2019 September 16, Link retrieved on 2022 January 11, https://learn.g2.com/happy-customers [/fn], [fn]Dan Duke, Rellify (online), “10 Ways Content Marketing Efforts Can Drive Sales,” Published 2021 October 18, Link retrieved on 2022 January 10, https://rellify.com/marketing-efforts/ [/fn], [fn]Katie Hughes, Equinet Media (online), “4 Inbound Marketing Tactics to Delight and Retain Your Customers,” Published 2017 September 19, Link retrieved on 2022 January 10, https://www.equinetmedia.com/inbound-marketing-age-blog/4-inbound-marketing-tactics-to-delight-and-retain-your-customers [/fn] & [fn]Kristen Baker, Hubspot (online), “The Ultimate List of Marketing Quotes for Digital Inspiration,” Published 2019 April 12, Link retrieved on 2022 January 11, https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/marketing-quotes [/fn]
