You’ve probably heard of the saying ‘the customer is always right’. Well, while that may not mean you need to listen to the customer every single time, it does mean you need to consider their likes and dislikes every time you make a marketing decision. Why? Because your customers are the center of your brand. Every decision you make, every action you take, is focused on pleasing your customers and encouraging them to commit to a long-term relationship with your brand.
This, in simple words, is known as customer-centric marketing. This marketing approach focuses on highlighting customer needs and desires and holding them as the basis for your marketing efforts. Why is customer centric marketing important? Here are a few reasons:
- Putting customers at the center of your marketing efforts shows that you genuinely care about their needs and preferences. This leads to greater customer satisfaction, as they feel valued and understood. Satisfied customers are more likely to become loyal advocates, returning for repeat purchases and recommending your brand to others, thereby driving organic growth.
- Word-of-mouth marketing is powerful. Happy customers are more inclined to share their positive experiences with friends and family, as well as through online reviews and social media. This kind of organic promotion boosts your brand’s reputation and credibility, making it more attractive to potential customers.
- Personalization and relevant messaging significantly impact conversion rates. When customers receive offers and content that resonate with their interests, they are more likely to engage and convert. Customized marketing experiences boost the effectiveness of campaigns and lead to higher ROI.
Luckily, customer-centric marketing isn’t that difficult to try out. Here are a few customer-centric marketing strategies you can use to make your customers feel appreciated, valued, and loved by your business.
1) Start a loyalty program
We all love being rewarded for our deeds. And our customers are no different. There’s nothing a customer loves more than to be recognized and appreciated for their business. And what better way to do that than through a loyalty program?
A good loyalty program is a powerful tool in customer-centric marketing that rewards and incentivizes customers for their continued support. Loyalty programs encourage customers to interact more with your brand. As they earn points or rewards for purchases, referrals, or social media engagement, customers feel motivated to participate actively, increasing their engagement with your products or services.
Starbucks started up a very successful loyalty program which offers free products and special discounts to customers on their birthday. Not only that, but the program stands out from others because it allows customers to order and pay before arriving at the restaurant. In 2019, Starbucks attributed 40% of sales to this loyalty program.
2) Take advantage of user-generated content
A lot of times, our customers are our best source of marketing. Why? Because customers give us their genuine, unfiltered feedback through user-generated content. What is user-generated content? It’s essentially a free way to get authentic testimonials for your business. UGC is a way for businesses to encourage customers to create content in the form of reviews, feedback, testimonials and more.
By leveraging UGC, you not only get to amplify your brand message but also demonstrate a genuine appreciation for what your customers have to say about you. UGC is also a great way to establish social proof, because it focuses on building trust and credibility among potential buyers who see real people endorsing your brand online.
The great thing about user-generated content? It takes little-to-no effort to try it out! All you have to do is encourage your customers to create content that you can then reshare on your social media. You can start up a hashtag campaign, ask customers to show you ways they use your product, or ask them to share their opinions on your brand. Offer them an incentive to encourage participation, and share your UGC on social media! To personalize the content to your brand image, you can create a standard brand template using PosterMyWall and embed your UGC into that template.
Coca Cola’s ‘Share A Coke’ campaign is the perfect example of UGC and how to get your customers to create content for your brand. This campaign asked customers to share moments where they share a Coke with someone, which led to an influx of selfies, videos, posts, and so much more for Coca Cola.
3) Employ personalization
Everyone enjoys an experience that is personalized to fit their needs. And when it comes to customers, who doesn’t love being catered to based on their own likes and dislikes?
Personalization is a human-centric marketing strategy that focuses specifically on what the customer wants and personalizes their shopping experience accordingly. Personalization can be done in a number of ways:
- Use AI and technology to analyze customer needs and personalize their online experiences.
- Provide regular customers with personal shoppers to aid their buying experience and make things easier for them.
- Create customer segments and show ads and offers in accordance with what each segment responds to.
A great example of personalized marketing is Nordstorm, a brand that achieved personalized shopping experiences by establishing an analytical platform that uses AI to use natural language conversations, predict customer preferences, and offer personalized products in accordance with the data gathered. How does this help? Well, this shows the customer that the brand cares about them enough to cater to their individual needs, which encourages deeper loyalty.
You don’t need to spend this much on personalization tactics if you’re just starting out though.
Start your personalization campaign by sending a personalized email campaign, using Google ads and AB testing for various discount deals.
Your turn
Your customers are an integral part of your brand strategy, which is why it’s vital for you to consider them at every step of your marketing campaign.
Know about their likes and dislikes, see what they prefer and react to, and focus on giving them the perfect, customer-centric marketing experience.
