Effective Marketing
6 Ways Your Customers Can Promote Your Business
As a business owner, you will understand the need to market your product or service. You won’t get very many customers if you neglect this essential part of your to-do list, and your business won’t profit.
But here’s the thing.
You don’t have to promote your business alone. You can benefit from an in-house marketing team or an outsourced firm, and you can also rely on your customers.
Of course, to encourage your customers to promote your business on your behalf, you do have to give them a reason to do so.
You might offer them a physical incentive, for example, such as a gift voucher for your store or a free item.
You also need to give them a reason to talk about your business. You can do this by improving your operations, perhaps by going green or by creating better products than your competition.
By following these steps, your customers could become your best marketers, as people are more likely to listen to what they have to say if they have had first-hand experience of your business.
So, what can your customers do to promote your business? Well, here are some suggestions that we hope you find useful.
1: Your customers can carry your brand around with them
You can brand almost anything these days, from t-shirts and hooded tops to bags, mugs, and keyrings. For more ideas, take a look at these uniquely designed Aboriginal Flag Products.
Branded items are often given away at industry events as a way to ensure people won’t forget your business in a hurry. They can also be given to your customers, as they could carry your brand with them, wherever they go. So, if you are looking to buy gifts for your best customers this year, or if you are considering handing out freebies, perhaps as an incentive for them to talk about your business, slap your logo on them. This way, whether they discuss your business with others or not, other people will take notice of your business when they see your customers carrying your brand.
2: Your customers can influence their YouTube followers
Never underestimate the power of a YouTube influencer. Many of them have them thousands of subscribers, so it’s in your best efforts to find a YouTube influencer for your business. Follow the previous link for some useful suggestions.
Hopefully, you will have people within your customer base who have their own YouTube following. It’s worth finding out because if you do, they could promote your product online. They could give a tutorial on how to use your product, for example, or they could simply unbox your product to give their followers a closer look at your item. So, while it is possible to find influencers who have no other affiliation with your business at all, you might still look to your customer base when trying to find a YouTube advocate for your business. After all, they will know your product better than others.
3: Your customers can write testimonials for your business
Do you have a testimonial page on your website? You really should as customer testimonials can improve the credibility and trustworthiness of your business. So, ask your customers to leave a positive word about whatever it is you are selling, or ask them to leave a word about the other benefits of your business. If they’re willing, you might want to include a photo of them too or even a video testimonial, as these might generate more interest from potential new customers.
4: Your customers can write positive reviews about your business
What do you do before buying a new product or using a new service? Chances are, you probably look for reviews about the businesses and brands you are considering. If you read a good review, you will be more likely to buy whatever it is they are selling, so this is something you need to consider about your customers.
Now, your customers will naturally write good reviews about your business if you have done something to please them. If your product is good, or if your customer service is excellent, they might naturally gravitate to customer review sites to write about your business. However, you can also ask them to write reviews for your business as part of a customer incentive program, perhaps with the offer of a discount on your product if they share a good word about you
5: Your customers can share your posts on social media
If you haven’t considered social media marketing yet, you really should start to get a handle on it. Not only is it a cost-effective way to market your business, but you can reach the masses too. You see, your posts can travel further than your customers’ social media pages. If you give them an incentive to share your posts with their networks, you could reach thousands if not millions of new people!
When talking about incentives, we aren’t just talking about discounts or gift vouchers either. If your social media post is interesting to the reader, perhaps because its funny, topical, or even a little controversial, your customers might naturally share it with others anyway. It might even go viral! Check out these viral marketing tips to find out more about the kind of posts you should consider.
6: Your customers can highlight your business in other places online
Do your customers have their own blog? If so, they could provide a link to your business in the posts they write online. Do they sell products from their websites? These products could include the items you sell, so consider collaborating with them. Do they visit forums that are related to your business? Ask your customers to mention your business when talking to others. The internet is wide and large and full of possibilities, so encourage your customers to highlight your business in whatever capacity is relevant to you and them.
So, consider our suggestions, and try to think of other ways your customers may be able to promote your business for you. If they are happy with your product or service, you should have little trouble encouraging them to do so.
