Branding and Customer Loyalty
Branding and Customer Loyalty – Retaining Clients How important is a formal branding/marketing strategy? A marketing plan helps you define your market, establish your message and measure results. Make adjustments if needed. Without a marketing plan it’s like throwing spaghetti against wall & hope something sticks. Don’t confuse the market. your marketing should be concise and consistent. You can’t be all things 2 all people. Brand should project your company’s value proposition. and your marketing messages should be consistent with UR brand. An absolute must. you have a brand either by design or default. be in control. Your brand defines your biz. What should I do to retain customers ? Realize complaints are opportunities to turn a dissatisfied customer into a raving fan. Deal with it professionally. Say thank you. sometimes we forget those two little words. always let them know how much you appreciate their biz. Make customers feel like a vip not a number. respond quickly. remember names, birthdays, personal info. Under promise & over deliver is First thing. And a communicate if something goes wrong. customers appreciate honesty. Don’t forget customer loyalty programs. reward them for their business. E-newsletters that R informative R good way to keep connected. & once again Social media keeps communication open. I think face-to-face contact is important. Lunch, coffee, Make it about building rapport not selling. Build the bond. Customer advisory councils also good way 2 learn what customers think & how U can enhance service even add new products. There are survey resources online. Some free, but my favorite is Constant Contact. Offer an incentive 4 participating. Customer surveys are an excellent way to understand and connect to your customers. Learn what they are...
PA CYBER- U can B
U can B taught at East Liberty, Erie, Wexford, Allentown, Philadelphia, and Harrisburg. Each Thursday from 3 to 4 p.m. over a 15-week period that began Jan. 15, participants gathered at seven PA Cyber support centers and satellite offices across the state for live, interactive online sessions on specific topics including entrepreneurship, website and graphic design, government and politics, jobs in the “green” sector, film, and trade careers. The live online sessions in this series originated from PA Cyber’s office in Pittsburgh’s East Liberty business district. They were streamed using Google software to offices at Greensburg, Erie, Wexford, Allentown, Philadelphia, and Harrisburg. Hissam and Brian Boothby, a facilitator in the gifted-talented program, are simultaneously streamed the sessions to other PA Cyber students at home on their laptops, using the same Collaborate meeting software students use to attend their regular PA Cyber virtual classes. In the second session, for example, Tom Kubilius of Bally Designs of Pittsburgh explained what entrepreneurship is, what entrepreneurs have in common, choices to be made in starting a business, creating a business plan, what a small business looks like, and why having a passion for what you do is important. Jill Valentine, Director of Admissions and Marketing, 724.888-7814,...
Text Messaging – Does it Still Work ?
How exactly can you take advantage of this amazing opportunity? Here are a few easy steps. 1. If you’re not doing so already, start collecting the cell phone numbers of customers, prospects, and friends. Use this list when you set up an account with a text messaging service. Alternatively, work with your text messaging service to build your list (see #2 below) by getting people to text a keyword to the company’s short code (a 5 or 6 digit number that receives text messages). When a person sends your keyword, their phone number is added to your database, so you can message them in the future. 2. Either instead of, or in addition to the above, create a campaign to build your list. Select a giveaway or come up with an offer that is simple, attractive, and free. Advertise on printed materials, your website, your social media profiles, paid ads, and in any other media available, describing your offer. People then can text your keyword to your service provider’s short code, and subsequently receive your offer. (You can elect to have your own short code, though the process takes many weeks and costs thousands.) 3. An important protocol of SMS is not to send too many messages. You want your recipients to be excited about what you’re sending. If you text them several times a week, they will soon tune you out. So plan your summer campaign carefully. After a few weeks of your special free offer, you might send a message to your accumulated list asking for their opinion, or their vote on something. Again, you are respecting them and even providing a little fun. This cultivation of relationships is key. Once you’ve won them over, it will become appropriate to send them personalized reminders (“It’s time for an oil change,” or “Spaghetti dinners are 2 for 1 tonight, and we know you love our pasta!”) 4. At a carefully planned time, send to your list an offer – a sale, discount, special item, new item, coupon, or other promotion. There are three parts to your 160-character message: the offer, its benefits for the buyer, and your call to action. (Certain disclaimers are also necessary on a text message – this article has a good explanation of these.) 5. Be sure to send texts thanking people who opt in or purchase. The best use of text messaging is to employ it as a way to stay in touch with people on an ongoing basis. Emphasize human relationship factors in SMS. (If you want the quick sell, use broadcast marketing.) Think of ways you might use text messages to make existing customers feel extra special. Wishing you fun and great success with your text message...
