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5 Ways to Improve Customer Retention with You Digital Marketing Strategy

art@marlikgroup.com (Art M) — Fri, 09 Nov 2018 21:33:21 GMT

Introduction

You've built a great digital strategy. With a variety of channels and powerful messaging in place, you are beginning to acquire new customers in a successful and sustainable way.

But what about retention?

When it comes to digital marketing, too many businesses prioritize customer acquisition over retention. And while it's undoubtedly important to build your customer base, convincing them to stay with you matters just as much - if not even more.

In fact, even increasing the customers who stay with you by 5 percent can increase your profits by up to 95 percent. That's because retaining your existing customers is both cheaper and has a significantly higher chance of success. To get you started, here are 5 ways you can leverage your digital strategy to improve customer retention.

1. Retarget From Customer Pages

Retargeting is an excellent tool to keep your brand top of mind for your audience. Through Google, Facebook, or a variety of other digital channels, you can show ads specifically to members of your target audience who have visited your website in the recent past.

The fit for your retention efforts is obvious. If you retarget your ads from pages exclusively visible to existing customers, you can focus your message specifically on the reasons they should stay with you. If your website doesn't include these pages, you can upload a list of your existing customers to Google AdWords or Facebook Ads Manager to accomplish the same goal.

2. Offer Customer Exclusive Content

A large part of getting your customers to stick with you consist of giving them a continuous stream of reasons why. The more indispensable your product or service, the less likely they'll be to leave.

You probably know about the many benefits of content marketing. But you might not know that you can leverage these same benefits for retention, as well. For example, offer webinars and whitepapers exclusive to current customers that showcase anything from product tutorials to industry trends.

3. Provide Outstanding Digital Customer Service

At this point, the benefits of social media for customer service are well known. So is the importance of customer service for retention: the more problems you can solve and questions you can answer, the more likely you are to turn unhappy customers into brand loyalists.

On social media, that means a dedication to customer service. Set up social listening mechanisms to catch brand mentions and solve problems. On your website, meanwhile, live chat can become a core tool to open communication channels with your existing customers. If you are a local business, make sure to invest in improving your online customer reviews.

4. Build Retention Email Workflows

To believe that automated emails can only be good for lead nurturing is a mistake. Instead, the same system - automated series of emails based on specific actions by your contacts - can be just as essential in elevating your retention rates.

For instance, you can set up a workflow set to kick off directly after an initial purchase, with a few emails thanking the new customer, providing additional resources, and inviting them into your brand community. Another option is to reach out to customers at a time they might need your product or service again, reminding them of the option to go with you.

5. Offer Retention Incentives

Finally, don't underestimate the simple power of incentives to convince your customers that staying with you makes sense for them. Loyalty programs, especially, have become a core tool of aiding customer retention.

Despite popular belief, loyalty programs are not generation-specific. In fact, 80 percent of Generation Z customers would be willing to sign onto a program in exchange for incentives. But 85 percent of your customers will want access to their loyalty program online, making it a core part of your digital retention strategy.

Conclusion

Does your digital strategy account for retention efforts? It should; according to Forbes , brands that up their spending on retention efforts increase their chances of gaining market share by 200 percent. Fortunately, the above can get you started in building a retention strategy that is poised to achieve sustainable growth and maximize your bottom line.

Partnering with a Marketing Company: 5 Key Risks of Low-Ballers

negar@marlikgroup.com (Nicole Marsh) — Thu, 11 Oct 2018 12:41:27 GMT

INTRODUCTION:

When pilot Chuck Yeager was asked about his thoughts prior to taking a flight that was intended to break the sound barrier for the first time, his reply was, "My biggest fear is that any part of my plane was built by the lowest bidder!" While this quote draws a good chuckle from many people, the truth remains: when you're considering a partnership with any company, the lowest-cost option isn't always the best one for you. Partnering with a marketing company carries with it five key risks associated with low-ballers, and being aware of those risks can help you avoid those pitfalls and make wiser choices for your company.

Risk #1: Low-Ballers Can't Hold Top Talent

The best talent in any industry knows exactly what they bring to the table--including what they're worth. A marketing company that is able to keep their prices well below others in the industry isn't able to attract and keep that top talent. If they're lucky, they'll have a brief association with a handful of rising stars who quickly move on to their next job. You want a complete, competent team that's ready to stand together and put together a fantastic marketing plan every time.

Risk #2: Low-Ballers Lack Motivation

Let's face it: a big price tag is a huge motivating factor for many marketing professionals to give each job their all. When they're working for pennies on the dollar compared to what other agencies are making, the employees within the marketing company aren't going to be ready to dig in and work hard. They'll slip out of work late, find themselves checking their email when they should be working on a big project, and in general simply lack the motivation to take your marketing campaign to the next level.

Risk #3: Low-Ballers are Stretched Too Thin

Chances are, low-ballers have too many projects on their plates. They have to keep plenty of small projects going at any given moment to keep the business afloat, and that means that they can't give their full time, energy, and attention to your business and your brand. Their minds will rarely be focused specifically on your product; instead, they'll be considering what they can do for all of their clients at once. If something isn't quite right, they'll be less likely to give it the attention to detail it deserves, because they simply don't have the time.

Risk #4: Low-Ballers Juggle Between Accounts

Instead of being able to give a single account their attention for as long as it takes, low-ballers are constantly juggling their accounts. They'll be harder to pin down for meetings, take longer to answer emails, and struggle to implement changes in a timely manner. They must constantly weigh the priority of one client against another, and sooner or later, your company is going to be the one that's shorted because of it.

Risk #5: Low-Ballers are Forced to Cut Corners

The only way to make drastic cuts to the client's price is by making drastic cuts across the board. That's not just in the office or in the talent that's been hired. It's also in the effort they're able to put into each brand, the passion that they bring to the table, and even the materials that they have available for your marketing campaign. Low-ballers are more concerned with getting it done fast than they are with getting it done right, and your brand will suffer as a result.

CONCLUSION:

When it comes to marketing, you can't afford to go with the low-ball option. Working with a quality marketing company will ensure that your brand gets the time and attention it deserves. You'll get quality materials, quality effort, and quality professionals who are ready to give it their all.

10 Reasons You Should Love Blogging

art@marlikgroup.com (Art M) — Mon, 09 Jul 2018 19:21:01 GMT

Blog posts are a great way to get recognized within your community and share your voice. Here are the top 10 reasons you should love writing blog posts.

Anyone can make one:
For better or worse, anyone can write a blog post about anything they want. Everyone has a voice and the best voices will rise to the top.

The writer can show their personality:
In blog posts, the writer has more leeway to add in their voice and personality than other types of writing.

Blogs are a great form of mass communication:
You can help people, learn new things, entertain your audience-the possibilities are endless and amazing. Blogging opens up all of these to a very wide audience.

You can make money:
Get the right blog going and you can make a lot of money through advertising and sponsored posts.

It allows people to craft better thoughts:
Instead of reading haphazard, uneducated Facebook statuses, it's much better to see people's thought process in a well-written blog post.

You can establish a community:
Blogging allows you to connect with other individuals who share the same interests. Sharing ideas and opinions within your community helps establish yourself as a thought leader.

Good for SEO:
Keeping content on your site fresh and relevant, you can use your blog to boost the search engine ranking (SEO) of your site and your business.

It brings people back to your site:
If your blog is strong enough and updated regularly, people will come back looking for more and bring traffic back to your site as well.

It's free:
It costs you a grand total of zero dollars to post to the blog, so if you have something to say, there's nothing to stop you.

You can establish yourself as a thought leader:
A blog is a great place for your original thoughts, and it can be a wonderful way to show off your individuality. If people like your ideas, you can become a thought leader in your industry!

What else do you love about blogs? Let me know!

SEO Ranking: How It Can Help Your Business Grow

art@marlikgroup.com (Art M) — Tue, 04 Jul 2017 17:23:00 GMT

When you're ready to start marketing your business, you'll hear a lot about search engine ranking. This critical tool is one of the best ways to improve your inbound marketing strategy, increase awareness of your business, and improve the odds that people will be able to find you when they're looking for a business with your expertise. If you don't understand SEO, however, you may find yourself wondering whether or not it's really a valid tool that will help improve your odds of successfully attracting more customers to your business.

5 Ways to Improve Customer Retention w Your Digital Marketing Strategy

art@marlikgroup.com (Art M) — Mon, 19 Jun 2017 14:56:00 GMT

INTRODUCTION: You've built a great digital strategy. With a variety of channels and powerful messaging in place, you are beginning to acquire new customers in a successful and sustainable way. But what about retention? When it comes to digital marketing, too many businesses prioritize customer acquisition over retention. And while it's undoubtedly important to build your customer base, convincing them to stay with you matters just as much - if not even more. In fact, even increasing the customers who stay with you by 5 percent can increase your profits by up to 95 percent. That's because retaining your existing customers is both cheaper and has a significantly higher chance of success. To get you started, here are 5 ways you can leverage your digital strategy to improve customer retention.

8 Key Considerations for Creating a Professional Logo Design

art@marlikgroup.com (Art M) — Mon, 05 Jun 2017 14:48:00 GMT

Developing a strong and recognizable logo or brand is valuable if you want your business to command a foothold in its segment. An effective logo will build repeat clients and make your business instantly memorable in a crowded marketplace. There are some very basic, but crucial points to consider when designing a logo. Not everyone is endowed with the creativity and knowledge to develop effective branding. Using a professional with proven success in design will greatly improve your success.

The Advantage of Inbound Marketing for Sales Pros: Less Chasing, More Closing

art@marlikgroup.com (Art M) — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 16:51:00 GMT

INTRODUCTION: If you're a sales professional, your goal is to spend less time chasing and more time closing. Traditional legacy sales tactics involve many time-consuming and intrusive practices such as cold calling and unsolicited emails. These strategies are less effective all the time as recipients are so overwhelmed with unwanted offers that they tune them out. Inbound marketing provides a refreshing alternative to this approach, letting your marketing team capture targeted leads, people who actually care about what you're selling. Let's look at the advantage of inbound marketing for sales pros: less chasing, more closing.