How to Get Your Customers to Market Your Business for You. You need to know how to convert your customers into your brand advocates. In fact, 90% of people trust brand recommendations from friends, and 70% rely on consumer opinions. Considering that many marketers are consistently missing their targets, it’s a great idea to tap into your customers’ influence. Your customers can help with that! That’s way more than you can say about strategies like influencer marketing. More importantly, be sure that there’s even a market for you. Step #3: Identify your customer advocates What makes an ideal customer advocate? There are a few ways to calculate this cost, but here’s a basic formula. What strategies do you use to encourage customers to market your business for you?
Can I let you in on a secret?
You’re sitting on your most influential marketing force.
No marketing campaign – paid or organic – can quite measure up to its power.
I’m talking, of course, about your customers.
They can be your greatest champion, your most prolific sales team, and your most persuasive mouthpieces.
The best part? You don’t have to pay them a dime.
But there is one condition.
You need to know how to convert your customers into your brand advocates.
Jay Baer describes a brand advocate as a “volunteer marketer – a customer that proactively uses their time and social capital to promote a company or cause.”
Is advocacy difficult to foster? Not at all.
But it does require a solid strategy.
And it might take time to develop.
In this article, I’ll show you how to build, engage, and mobilize an army of customer advocates.
Before we jump in, let’s talk about why your customers are so powerful.
The power of customer advocacy
Today’s customer has more choice, more information, and more power than ever before.
The result?
The way that buyers research, engage with brands, and evaluate their purchase decisions has shifted dramatically.
What was once a very simple and linear customer journey is now far more complex.
What was once choosing between the two stores on Main Street is now a choice that spans thousands of options across the entire planet!
Here’s what the path to a purchase decision looks like today:
Why the shift?
Attention has become currency in the online space.
This means that brands have no choice but to provide more value at every step of the customer journey.
Where many businesses miss a golden opportunity is in failing to capitalize on the investment that customers have made in their brands.
No doubt, it’s infinitely more difficult to convert a customer.
But the value of that customer has also increased by many factors. A resounding 77% of people surveyed were considered to be brand loyal.
To top it off, these repeat customers have a 65% chance of converting as opposed to the 13% chance of conversion for new prospects.
It gets better.
The opinions of your customers posted online carry the most weight with new prospects.
These potential customers are influenced by real people way more easily than they are by advertisements and branded messages.
In fact, 90% of people trust brand recommendations from friends, and 70% rely on consumer opinions.
What does this mean for your business?
Your customers are your greatest assets.
Here are some of the major benefits of getting your customers to market your business for you.
1. You can significantly lower your customer acquisition costs (CAC). This refers to the cost incurred when acquiring a new customer.
Your ability to keep these costs low has everything to do with how profitable your business will be.
The great news?
If your customers are driving conversions for you, it means your CAC will be minimal.
2. You can drive massive demand for your products and services. As more of your customers advocate for your brand, the interest and demand for your offers go up.
The result? More sales and revenue for your business.
3. You can multiply your social capital. When customers use their social networks to promote your business, their sphere of influence automatically becomes yours.
They will be utilizing their online assets to drive brand awareness, distribute your content, and power your overall marketing efforts.
Considering that many marketers are consistently missing their targets, it’s a great idea to tap into your customers’ influence.
Did you know that 79% of leads never convert to a sale? Your customers can help with that!
4. You can have one of the most sustainable marketing models. Customer advocacy is an evergreen marketing strategy.
It means that it will keep bearing fruit for years down the line. That’s way more than you can say about strategies like influencer marketing.
Sure, you may experience a massive boost when an influencer promotes your brand.
But how committed are these outsiders to your business? Compared to your customers, they’re no match.
It looks like consumers agree.
A whopping 92% trust brand advocates over influencers!
Now that you understand what your customers can do to elevate your marketing, let’s look at how you can turn them into brand advocates.
Step #1: Come up with a strategy for your customer marketing campaign
Naturally, the first thing you’ll need is a plan.
Consider the following questions.
- What’s the current state of your marketing?
- What are you hoping to achieve with this marketing campaign?
These are the only elements that you need to come up with a solid strategy.
Let’s get into each of them.
What’s the current state of your marketing? This is where you’ll pinpoint any problems that you’d like to fix.
You may also decide that something is working well for your business and you’d like to maximize the results.
Either way, this step is all about getting an overview of your marketing landscape. Look for gaps, challenges, and missed opportunities.
For example, you may decide that it costs too much for you to acquire a new customer.
Your goals moving forward will be geared towards fixing that.
What are you hoping to achieve with your customer marketing campaign? It’s time to set your objectives.
Here are some of the goals that you may consider.
- Boost overall brand awareness.
- Mobilize your customers to promote a specific sales project.
- Encourage a new brand narrative.
- Increase your presence in a new subset of the market.
Ideally, your goals should be measurable and number-driven.
Why?
This specificity can increase your chances of achieving your goal…
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