It’s a great thing for a brand when customers choose to purchase with them. But the relationship doesn’t have to stop there. A great brand has a large following of customers who not only return for repeat purchases, but love to rave about how great the products and services are. This can do wonders for a brand’s development.
In fact, according to Syncapse, a majority of people who are fans of brands on Facebook, recommend those brands to others. So how do you get your customers to talk about you more and become brand ambassadors? Check out these three quick tips to start getting the results you’re looking for.
1. Offer a Loyalty Program
The premise behind a company loyalty program is fairly straightforward: if a customer is receiving extra benefit by repeatedly purchasing with you, then it makes sense to not switch to your competitor. However, according to the 2015 Colloquy Customer Loyalty Census, the average American household has 29 memberships but only actively uses 12 of them.
The takeaway: try to keep your program simple so that it’s easy to understand how benefits will be realized. Usually, this involves keeping track of points and dollars spent so that for each dollar spent, they receive one point. Or, you could try a card stamp system so customers can easily keep track of how many more purchases are needed before they receive a reward.
Another great perk you can add to your loyalty program is a referral system. For each person who customers tell about your brand who make a purchase, the referring customer will receive a reward. Uber continues to do this with their rideshare and food delivery services, and it’s a great way to quickly turn customers into brand ambassadors.
2. Engage Them with Online Competitions
The internet makes it so easy for marketers to spread the word about their brand. In the same way, it makes it simple for customers to talk about you too, and become brand ambassadors.
Start social media competitions that involve sharing something about your brand, in return for a reward. Instagram photo competitions are a great example of this. You could request that followers post a photo of them with your product or service and include a specific hashtag to earn a chance to win a voucher or a free product. Not only will it engage audiences to think about your brand, but you’ll reach more of your target market.
3. Send Them Customer-Specific Offers
Creating awesome brand ambassadors means that customers first have to be excited and passionate about your brand. How can you make this happen? Customer-specific offers that suit their interests and previous purchase history can be very effective. Encourage customers to provide information on their interests to help you better target your efforts.
For instance, Cabela’s lists a variety of offers that customers can sign up for, covering a host of specific products and matching different interests. This way, customers are able to find something that appeals to them, making them more likely to utilize the offer and continue to purchase with the same company.
Turning customers into brand ambassadors can be tricky but equally beneficial. Try formulating programs and initiatives that engage customers, encourage them to talk about your brand, and then reward them for spreading the word. It becomes less of a chore to them, and you’ll see many more people chatting about your brand. And you’ll start drawing in new clientele.
