I hear often when I bring up social media, “We aren’t the social media types, We don’t think social media can help retain our clients.” I disagree, but don’t take my word for it. The numbers speak for themselves. Before I dive into how to foster client retention through social media, consider these statistics from TruScribe:
- There are over 3 billion social media users worldwide.
- Acquiring a new client is seven times more expensive than retaining an existing one.
- 37% of marketers see social media as the most effective medium for client retention.
- The probability of selling to an existing client is 60-70%.
- The average cost of a lost client is $243.
- An existing client is 50% more likely to try new products and spend 31% more than a new client.
- 90% of consumers believe social media can connect people, while 78% want brands to bring them together using social media.
Now that I’ve covered why social media is right for you, let’s talk about how to make it work for you. Use these five proven methods to help your brand retain clients.
1. Personalized Engagement
To build meaningful engagement, brands must listen and communicate with their clients. Create content that is valuable to your clients without being overly promotional. Clients who talk about your brand on social media are raising awareness of your brand for free. Identify and reward these clients with incentives. Ensure they have a reason to keep doing so with deals, social media-specific promotions, birthday wishes, anniversary celebrations, life milestones and more.
2. Make It Speedy
Addressing your clients’ concerns in real-time can help build loyalty. Be alert and prompt in sharing, liking, or saying thanks when your client shares a positive post about your brand. If appropriate, reciprocate with a mention about your client or client’s business.
3. Reputation Management
Proactively manage your online reputation by listening to what your clients say about you online. When possible, engage your audience in discussions. Get their feedback on new product ideas with a poll, or dig deeper into a complicated issue by inviting your audience to join an Instagram Live where they can ask questions. Then, make sure to tell them when customer feedback leads to change.
Paying attention can allow you to truly delight and surprise your clients. For example, a recent client of ours heard from a customer that their local store was out of stock of items she desperately wanted for her daughter’s birthday. Our client drove the items to the customer’s home in time for the big birthday celebration. Had they not been paying attention, this would have ended with an upset customer and a very disappointed little girl. Instead, they made a loyal customer for life.
4. Go Behind the Curtain
Behind-the-scenes posts allow your followers to see what daily operations look like. Don’t be afraid to let your followers see the people and passion behind your brand. This is a good opportunity to answer questions your followers may have about your services as well as add insight into the expertise your team brings to the table.
5. Focus on the Right Platform
Not all social media users are present on all platforms. For instance, if a majority of your audience is not Twitter-focused, then that’s not a platform where you’ll need to maintain a major presence. If, on the other hand, they seem to prefer Facebook and Instagram, you should be visible on both and participate actively. Meet them where they are.
According to the blog “21 Surprising Customer Retention Statistics For 2021,” almost 65% of a company’s business comes from repeat clients while focusing on increasing client retention by 5% can increase profits by 25% to 95%. While the process of gaining new clients is important it is more expensive than using social media to leverage client retention. A happy client will write a positive review, post a positive testimonial on social media, participate in case studies, and refer you to others. The extra business you get from these brand ambassadors costs you little or nothing.
If you want to organize your marketing efforts, aJuxt Media Group offers custom marketing plans. We’re excited to help you build your brand! Click here to contact us.
Written by Lynsie Slachetka || Chief Executive Juxtaposition Officer & Founder