Are you a raving fan of another business? Maybe you go to the same coffee shop every morning because they make it just the way you like it each day without fail, and they know your name and order by heart.
Or maybe, like my husband, you go to the same bicycle shop because he feels like more than just a customer there. He stops in there when he doesn’t even have to buy anything for his bike just to talk to the people who work there. They share a common interest and they care about him and his cycling and he feels that.
Do your customers feel the same way about your business?
No? Ever wonder how you can build these types of loyal, engaged clients who love your business and recommend you to everyone?
Social Media Marketing recently shared some ideas that make a lot of sense.
First, they recommend that you be yourself — your authentic self. This is your foundation. We are all human and vulnerable; open up and invite people into your world. It’s OK not to be perfect; nobody is. But if you work with and communicate with clients in an open and honest manner, people will trust you more — even if you fail once in a while.
Next, share experiences with people who aren’t accessible to everyone. This makes them feel special. Like a restaurant might share a secret menu with its fans, you can share a secret lawn care tip to make their lawn the envy of their neighbors.
In your communications, remember to always speak your customer’s language. Make sure you engage with a few customers each month and have conversations with them so you can hear their struggles in their own words. Then you can use this language to continue to communicate with them as well as future clients.
Provide your new followers or potential customers with a small, quick win to hook them in. Maybe, for instance, you have a blog and your customers are reading it but they aren’t hooked yet. If you gave them a tip they could use — say it’s something they can do in five minutes to greatly improve their curb appeal — that small, invaluable tip could make that potential customer a fan for life, one who continues to read your information, knowing you provide valuable nuggets of data.
Another way to build raving fans, Social Media Marketing recommends, is to foster a sense of community with your customers as a result of their shared connection with you. You can use Facebook groups or an annual event to invite people together to a small, social gathering to talk about landscaping or just get to know each other. If they enjoy it, people will build excitement around a connection like this and put it on their calendars and talk about it to their friends afterward.
Just like those favorite businesses of yours, you too can engage your audience and build a loyal following in some simple and unique ways. Start simple, be yourself and make connections. These connections will build and grow and so, too, will your business.
