PR 20/20 Blog

How to Improve Customer Loyalty Through Content and Community

By Christy Barksdale | Posted Jul 22, 2010 | 0 Comment(s) | Filed in: Brand Marketing, Content Marketing, Social Media
Many B2B companies put a strong focus on generating leads. Marketers and sales teams are challenged to keep the lead pipeline full and close new business. But, what about your current customers? Are you putting enough focus on those that have already committed to your company, to ensure they don’t turn to the competition?

While companies should certainly expand their customer bases to help meet business growth goals, they must also capitalize on the opportunities that exist with current customers. According to Managing the Professional Service Firm by David H. Maister, existing clients make attractive business opportunities because you have already earned their trust and confidence. Plus, there are less financial and time resources needed to retain existing business, versus securing new clients.

Here are several ways to help build customer loyalty:

1. Differentiate your business from the competition

It is important to remember that a customer’s commitment to your company cannot be assumed or taken for granted, and the competition will always be there with another offer or a lower price. You can nurture client relationships and build loyalty through content marketing – providing valuable, relevant information to customers to help them solve their problems and improve their businesses.

Your content must work to differentiate your brand and consistently communicate your leadership position in the industry.

2. Provide value beyond products and services

Customers want you to make their lives easier. So, after they’ve purchased your product or service, consider what you can do to go the extra mile. You can do this by offering resources that help customers run their businesses more efficiently. For example:
- Develop a how-to eBook relevant to your industry. Repurpose for each vertical market you serve.
- Create an online portal with curated industry articles and resources.
- Offer a web tool or mobile app.
By adding value through content, your company can become a trusted industry expert and a valued partner that customers just can’t part with.

3. Stay in touch and be proactive

Stay top of mind with customers by proactively communicating on a regular basis. For example:
- Distribute an enewsletter with original articles, important updates on products, recent blog posts, etc.
- Create a blog dedicated to each buyer persona. Contribute new content at least weekly.
- Send personal communications to customers when you have published or found a content piece you know they will be particularly interested in.
- Have regular conversations with customers about their industry’s hot topics to tap into customers’ changing needs and identify opportunities to develop new content.
4. Connect and engage

While providing great products and services is the foundation of your business, customers also like to develop a personal connection and build a trusted, mutually beneficial relationship with their business partners.
- Connect through social media to stay in touch with what is going on in your customers’ businesses and personal lives.
- Showcase exclusive premium content and product offers online and in social networks.
- Create a community around your business on social networks, such as a LinkedIn group, to foster discussions and encourage new peer connections.
It’s always about taking care of your customers first. Your current customers can be your organization’s biggest advocates, and present your greatest opportunities to generate more business. Sell your value every day.

We invite you to share ideas and strategies that have helped your business succeed at customer retention. Please leave your thoughts in the comments.

Related Resources
Christy Barksdale is content services manager and consultant for PR 20/20, a Cleveland-based inbound marketing agency and PR firm. Follow her on Twitter: @ChristyBarks.

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Enewsletter Programs: Tips and Best Practices

By Christy Barksdale | Posted Jun 30, 2010 | 2 Comment(s) | Filed in: Content Marketing
(This is part two in a two-part series on enewsletter programs.)

Yesterday we discussed some key considerations and benefits of enewsletter programs. For companies looking to effectively reach customers, leads and opt-in subscribers with high-quality content, enewsletters can be a highly effective ongoing touchpoint.

When preparing to launch an enewsletter program, keep the following tips and best practices in mind:
1. Develop and organize your lists. It’s important to keep in mind that anyone you distribute your email newsletter to should have previously requested information from your company. This means they have opted in via a newsletter sign up, they are existing customers or they are qualified leads. Also, organize your lists in a logical way, perhaps by product segment or vertical market, allowing you to easily develop and distribute content targeted specifically for each group.
2. Activate an email system account. Email marketing platforms, such as Constant Contact or Mail Chimp, have systems in place to help organizations abide by applicable email laws (see #3), allow for better rendering of HTML and effectively track performance.
3. Take privacy seriously. The Federal Trade Commission developed the CAN/SPAM Act in order to establish rules and requirements for commercial emailing, including promoting content on commercial websites. Review the requirements and take them seriously to avoid hefty fines. Also, be sure to link to your company’s own privacy policy and include a link to opt-out of the enewsletter.
4. Establish a publishing calendar and stick to it. Over time, your customers will expect to receive your enewsletter according to schedule. Plan your production process ahead of time by establishing a distribution schedule and internal deadlines for content development, design and review. Also, be sure to post your publishing frequency and a description of your newsletter's content when subscribers opt in, so they know exactly what to expect.
5. Offer something fresh. While existing blog posts and other content should be featured in your enewsletters, be sure to include at least one new article in order to provide clear value, entice readers and give them a reason to keep opening your messages. This content should be hosted in a designated area of your site (blog, industry articles, etc.), and should go live just prior to sending your enewsletter.
6. Keep the design simple and scannable. All text should be short and to the point by including only a headline, abstract and URL that links to the full-text article. Include images to help break up copy and make the issue pleasing to the eye.
7. Attract readers with a catchy subject line. Use a descriptive, editorial-focused subject line that tells recipients what’s inside. Avoid using general subject lines, such as “PR Agency Enewsletter, Issue 2.”
8. Include a “Forward to a Friend” option. By giving readers the opportunity to forward your enewsletter to their peers, you can build your subscriber list over time, and have the potential to generate new leads.
9. Analyze and adjust. Use the analytics software in your email system, as well as your website’s analytics program, to gauge what people are reading, and what they are not. If your customers are consistently reading articles related to a particular topic, offer more content on that subject. Avoid repeating topics that are not of interest to your readership.
If your marketing tactics aren’t producing the results you desire, or you’re seeking a new way to more regularly communicate, perhaps an enewsletter program is a good fit for your company as part of your content strategy. The regular touchpoints achieved with enewsletters nurture relationships, both new and established, and help to keep your company top of mind with two important audiences – your customers and leads.

Does your company have an enewsletter program? Tell us your enewsletter success story.

Read part one: Enewsletter Programs: Five Key Benefits

Christy Barksdale is content services manager and consultant for PR 20/20, a Cleveland-based inbound marketing agency and PR firm. Follow her on Twitter: @ChristyBarks.

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Enewsletter Programs: Five Key Benefits

By Christy Barksdale | Posted Jun 29, 2010 | 2 Comment(s) | Filed in: Content Marketing
(This is part one in a two-part series on enewsletter programs.)

Enewsletters enable organizations to reach the right people with the content they are interested in receiving.

By using your company’s self-published content to stay in front of opt-in subscribers, customers and qualified leads that have requested to receive information from your company, you can demonstrate value beyond products and services, and become a trusted partner.

Further, by segmenting your lists by the type of subscriber, or perhaps by your company’s product sections or vertical markets, you can distribute content specifically targeted to each audience segment.

According to Junta42’s 2010 Content Marketing Spending Report, 63% of marketers are currently using enewsletters to engage audiences (see chart above at right).

Thinking about getting started with an enewsletter program? Here are five key benefits to consider:
1. Enewsletters provide a regular customer touchpoint. Regardless of your industry, it is important for your company to stay top of mind with current and potential customers. Enewsletters provide great content directly to customers on a regular basis, thus nurturing client relationships and establishing your company as a valuable resource.
2. Enewsletters drive website traffic. Because enewsletter content frequently links to content hosted on your company’s website, you can have a direct impact on website visitors. If your customers like what they read, they may be encouraged to browse the rest of your site for new product and service information.
3. Enewsletters build thought leadership. Like all content marketing initiatives, by offering valuable, buyer-persona-focused content in your enewsletter, you can establish your company as an industry leader. Most importantly, you help to solidify your expertise with customers, reducing the chance that they’ll look for an alternate provider.
4. Enewsletters are cost effective. Generally, enewsletters require minimal upfront costs to create and fit into most marketing budgets. Print newsletters and other direct mail pieces require graphic design, printing and postage costs, which can add up quickly. Most email services are available for a minimal monthly fee based on the number of emails in your list, and offer a variety of customizable templates.
5. Enewsletters are fully measurable. Unlike traditional print newsletters and direct mail, enewsletters can be tracked and analyzed using your email system’s reporting software and your website analytics. Data such as open rates, bounces and click-throughs are readily available, allowing you to gauge what content resonates with your readers, and giving further understanding of your current and potential buyers’ needs so you can reach them more effectively.
Part two: Enewsletter Programs: Tips and Best Practices

Christy Barksdale is content services manager and consultant for PR 20/20, a Cleveland-based inbound marketing agency and PR firm. Follow her on Twitter: @ChristyBarks.

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Photo credit: Junta42
Client Relationship Lessons for Sweetest Day

By Tracy DiMarino | Posted Oct 15, 2009 | 0 Comment(s) | Filed in: Management
Saturday is Sweetest Day, a holiday for lovers that is said to have originated in Cleveland in 1922. This year it falls just three days after mine and my boyfriend’s five year anniversary. So, being the overly analytical, somewhat hopeless-romantic girlfriend that I am, I spent the other night reliving our relationship in my mind … the highs, the lows and everything in between.

In doing so, I came up with a few reasons why I think our relationship has survived thus far — a list that can actually apply to any relationship, including relationships with clients.

Therefore, in honor of the holiday, here are a few of the lessons my “sweetheart” taught me and how they can help you build loyalty with your clients.

Be Open and Honest.

In a romantic relationship, honesty is key. If you don’t trust your partner to tell you the truth, your relationship is going to go nowhere fast. The same applies for client relationships. Your clients should trust you and you should trust your clients.

For this to happen, you must be genuine. Make sure both parties set realistic expectations. Tell your clients when something isn’t working out, and let them know when things are going really well. If you communicate openly and honestly to them, they will be more likely to be open and honest with you.

Listen to Their Problems and Respond When Appropriate.

I’ll admit I like to vent my problems, especially when I’ve been having a bad day. When this happens, the best thing my boyfriend can do is listen and, when appropriate, react.

If a client is unhappy about something, do the same. Listen to what is bothering them (even if it’s not something you caused or have control over). Then, if you can, devise a solution to fix it. Sometimes, just being there to listen is enough to calm frustrations.

Do What You Say You’ll Do. Be Where You Say You’ll Be.

Keep your promises and your word. There’s nothing worse than thinking someone is going to do something or be somewhere, only to be disappointed. Therefore, whether it’s a date, a business meeting, cleaning the house or submitting a proposal, follow through. Make it so people can count on you and you’ll be much more successful.

And, if you have to cancel or won’t be able to get something completed, at least have the decency to warn the other person in a timely manner.

Make Time, Even if You Have None

If there’s anything I’ve learned from dating an accountant, it’s that they are the busiest people in the world from January 1 until April 15 — the dreaded tax season. However, even with long hours at work, my boyfriend makes it a point to spend time with me.

Consider this in terms of your clients. How many times have they called you at the last minute with a project or an emergency? What was your response? I hope you made time, no matter how busy you were. For a relationship to work, you have to be there when the other person needs you.

Admit When You’re Wrong and Apologize.

Face it. Eventually one person in the relationship is going to make a mistake, no matter how hard you both try not to. If it’s you, own up to it. Admit you were wrong, apologize and make it up to the person. Your client, just like a significant other, will appreciate that you took responsibility for your actions.

Go Out of Your Way to Make Them Happy.

Show you care in your everyday actions. It’s the little things my boyfriend does that I like the most. For example: buying me my favorite beer (Miller Light), letting me borrow his sweatshirt when I’m cold or sitting through a chick flick because I just “couldn’t wait to see it.”

Keep the little things in mind with your clients as well. Email them interesting articles, wish them a happy birthday, take them out to lunch or introduce them to like-minded people. Go above and beyond their expectations for customer service and they’re bound to be clients for life.

So, what are your tips for maintaining strong, loyal relationships? Share with me what’s worked for you and what hasn’t.

Tracy DiMarino is an associate consultant at PR 20/20, a Cleveland-based inbound marketing agency and PR firm. Follow Tracy on Twitter @TracyDiMarino.

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Photo Credit: Bob.Fornal