Social media has become an essential tool for businesses, not only to promote their products and services, but also to build strong and lasting relationships with their customers. In this article, we will explore best practices and strategies to make the most of social media and increase customer loyalty.
1. Establish brand personality and voice
a. Define the brand personality
For customers to engage with a brand on social media, it is essential that the brand has its own personality and voice. The brand's personality should be aligned with the company's marketing and communication strategy, considering aspects such as its history, experience and corporate values. In addition, it is important that this personality is multidimensional, like that of real people.
b. Choosing the right tone of voice
The tone of voice with which the brand communicates on social media should be consistent with its personality and adapted to the characteristics of its audience. It is essential to maintain an attractive and quality profile design on all social media accounts, as this builds trust among followers and encourages greater interaction with the brand.
2. Encourage the involvement of supporters
a. Organise competitions and challenges
One creative way to maintain interaction with followers on social media is to organise contests and challenges. Marketing campaigns using this approach have proven to be effective in maintaining consumer interest in companies that promote such activities.
b. Invite supporters to share their opinions
Don't be afraid to ask your followers to share their opinions and concerns on social media. Responding to customer comments and concerns is key to building customer loyalty and maintaining a strong relationship with them.
3. Using storytelling to connect with customers
Stories on social media, such as Facebook and Instagram, are content that captures the attention of users. Many brands are successfully using storytelling to share real or fictional stories that reflect corporate values and connect with followers.
a. Share real brand stories
Telling stories about the brand's beginnings, the company's employees or how products have significantly changed customers' lives can be an effective strategy for building loyalty on social media.
b. Invite followers to tell about their experiences with the brand.
Encouraging followers to share their experiences with the brand on social media can generate a high degree of engagement and loyalty. In addition, these stories can be shared with family, friends and other followers, extending the brand's reach.
4. Maintain the conversation with followers and respond to their comments and concerns.
Brand loyalty is like friendship: it grows and consolidates over time. That is why it is essential to keep the conversation going with customers on social media. Posting targeted ads to customers who do not buy or have not visited the company's website for some time can be an effective strategy to remind them of the brand's existence and offer them products and services that interest them.
5. Identify and pamper brand ambassadors.
a. Define who the brand ambassadors are
Brand ambassadors are those customers who:
- They send traffic to the website or online shop.
- They write positive comments about products or services.
- They follow social media accounts and subscribe to the brand's newsletter.
b. Encourage the participation of ambassadors
Once potential ambassadors have been identified, it is important to encourage their participation in social media so that they become real ambassadors. To do this, you can use social listening tools such as Lithium or Hootsuite, which make it easy to interact with the audience and monitor conversations.
6. Create a rewards programme
a. Offer exclusive access to unique content
Creating exclusive social media groups where members (ambassadors) have access to exclusive content, such as behind-the-scenes videos, educational resources, definitive guides or study results, can be an effective strategy to build customer loyalty.
b. Award points for social media interaction
Incentivising ambassadors to earn points through their social media interaction can strengthen their loyalty to the brand. It is important to personalise offers and give them the opportunity to learn about upcoming promotions, so they can provide feedback and incorporate new ideas.
7. Measure and analyse customer feedback
An excellent way to track customer loyalty is through online customer satisfaction surveys. These provide valuable analysis to make decisions about the quality of after-sales service, the loyalty programme, and the improvement of products and services.
8. Offer benefits and discounts to existing customers
Offering benefits to customers who have already purchased from the company is an effective strategy to build customer loyalty. This makes them feel valued and privileged for having chosen the brand's products or services.
a. Offer discounts on products through social media.
One option is to offer discounts on products through Facebook or to propose competitions to users who have made purchases in the shop or used the services.
b. Use tools to create sweepstakes and contests.
Tools such as SocialTools make it easy to create sweepstakes and contests to delight followers on social media. For example, you can invite your audience to participate in a photo contest using your brand's products, and the winner could win a purchase order.
9. Share emotionally powerful content
Sharing touching content on social media can increase engagement with followers and retain customers. People enjoy getting emotional and experiencing feelings such as empathy, tenderness, joy and identification with other living beings.
10. Re-sharing the best content
This technique is highly effective, especially because it is backed by the facts: sharing the best content, those that have achieved the highest rates of interaction and favourable responses from the public, is a guarantee that there is something in them that attracts people. In this way, it is advisable to review on each of the social accounts which posts have been the best received by followers and to re-share them from time to time.
In short, social media is a powerful tool for building customer loyalty and maintaining strong customer relationships. By applying these strategies, companies can increase customer loyalty and improve their performance in the competitive business world.
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