When you focus on your business marketing strategy, the chances are that customer service is not on your list. Instead, it’s easy to focus on social media, press releases and advertising campaigns to give our business the attention it deserves. However, good customer service is an essential part of your marketing mix, and when used effectively, can transform the success of your business.
Rely on social media
If you’re running a successful business-to-consumer (B2C) business, then the chances are that you already have a customer service strategy in place. This should, of course, include a presence on social media. After all, 67% of all consumers have used social media to get help from a company.
By removing the need for a telephone customer services department, you can engage with your customers wherever they are using Twitter and Facebook – and do so in the public eye.
Making sure that a member of your team is available to answer questions on social media is vital if you want to implement a successful customer service strategy as part of your digital marketing. The more easily accessible you are, and the more efficient you are at responding to customer queries, the more likely you are to get a positive response and a chance to show that you’re there to help.
Ask for testimonials
Customer testimonials are a powerful tool and can be effectively used as part of your digital marketing strategy. Whether that’s posting them on your website, featuring case studies on your blog or retweeting and sharing positive feedback on social media, you can quickly build a positive, engaging reputation for your customer service – and gain trust in the process.
Make your customer service part of your brand
Customer service can be used as a unique selling point for your business, so highlight the benefits of working with your brand and receiving a personalised experience. If you have unique forms of customer service, for example, a personal account manager or a private email address, then shout about them and make them part of your marketing messages.
Use customer service for retention
The cost of marketing to your existing customers can quickly add up, but retention strategies can be easily executed as part of your customer service. Whether that’s calling a client for a quick catch up, issuing a satisfaction survey to gather feedback, or rewarding your existing customers for their loyalty, there are lots of ways that you can implement customer service into your retention.
Ask for feedback
Feedback is essential for any business, but marketing your business around such feedback can be useful. Mobile operator Three’s advertising campaign is an excellent example of responding to negative customer feedback, putting customers at the forefront and delivering on its promises. Your business can implement a similar strategy, whether that’s asking for feedback on social media or making changes based off of a negative period in your business.
Growth, loyalty and positive word of mouth are all more important than posters and press releases will ever be, so focus on getting your customer service right. If you want to take your customer service to the next level, rely on the customer service training offered by Frosch Learning.