THIS IS NOT A TIME TO PANIC. With this epidemic turned pandemic, if you want to remain a successful entrepreneur, I know you are thinking that your business may be in trouble. Honestly, you are probably right….IF and a major emphasis on “IF” you do NOT take advantage of the opportunity and downtime to connect with your customers and grow your customer base.

It has been very easy to connect with our audiences because of today’s technology and its rapid growth. Although there is a wide range of resources and platforms to use, it still can be stressful trying to make a personal connection with customers. With most of the world spending their time at home during this pandemic there is not a better opportunity to make these connections. Before you close your laptop today I want to leave you with a few effective ways to connect with your customer while simultaneously growing your customer base. 

Get to know them.

 Key Information To Grow Your Customer Base

• Income
• Demographics: Age, Sex, Location, Occupation
• Hobbies and Interest
• Shopping patterns
• Online Habits 
• Most importantly: Pain Points

How will this help me? I am glad you asked. When your customer provides you with this information you are able to tailor your content specifically. This will be needed when you are creating sales funnels, promotional advertising and marketing channels. Now it may sound weird to ask a customer directly how much do they make so you want to consider the research market on similar groups, send out surveys, read into your reviews, or listen for feedback on social media outlets. Another phenomenal and very helpful resource is Google Analytics. Google Analytics is the perfect assistant to helping you retrieve key pieces of customer demographics and other information needed to help you get to know them better. When you analyze customer data you are able to learn who they are, their interest, and their patterns which permits you to build a stronger connection with customers.

“Knowing your customers lets you in on the secrets of what your specific audience loves to see and what annoys them. It gives you an insider perspective on the type of marketing content you need, the media sources you should be using, the sales conventions needed on your website, and the kinds of products and services you should be developing.” – Unknown

Keep Customers Engaged

Nothing loses your audience faster than not keeping them engaged. Engagement strategies can vary from an introduction to your new product/service, promotional sales, or a blog post. Whatever you choose just make sure you are keeping your customer’s attention and away from the competition. Now before technology, reaching your customers may have posed a challenge, however reaching them now is extremely easy. Consider using platforms like MailChimp or Klaviyo to create newsletters and email campaigns to promote events and new products. Creating content and remembering to post on your social media account can be very tedious. Hootsuite would be a great tool to use for scheduling content to post to your account for multiple days at a time all in one sitting. Keeping your customers in the loop not only keeps them engaged but lets them know more about your business and how you can bring value into their lives. 

 Give Chick Fil A Customer Service

Chick Fil A sandwiches are amazing, however, their customer service is unmatched. Quoting an American Express Survey, “ 78% of consumers have bailed on a transaction or not made an intended purchase because of poor service experience.” From those two companies, I just mentioned you should notice that customer service is the central dogma in customer-based business.

Some examples of customer service includes, responding to customers in a timely manner via social handles and emails, responding promptly to inquiries, and addressing all concerns. Be a superhero, sometimes you will need to go beyond the call of duty. Nothing brings a customer back than personalizing their experience through great customer service. If you notice a customer complimenting your company socially, express gratitude publicly. If a customer leaves negative reviews privately or publicly then insist on making things right within reason. Remember, losing a customer is a lot more expensive than an item from inventory.

In-Person Connections

Let’s face it, we are in the digital age and though it may seem trivial to interact face to face with your customers it is needed. According to the SAS institute ‘face to face interactions will remain the most important customer engagement channel”. Rather you are meeting customers at your brick and mortar store (If you have one), pop-up shop, village market, trade show or engaging with them at a local meetup, make the face-to-face connection. The idea is for your customers to put a face to the brand. Online businesses can take advantage of this too. Don’t be afraid to share your day to day operations on your social platforms. People love doing business with other people, not just brands. 

More Tips To Grow Your Customer Base

This global “crisis” will soon come to an end and the world will soon have amnesia to this matter. Use this time wisely, connect with your customers.