For as long as we can remember, the main goal of online marketeers has been to attract new customers into their sales funnel. However, it seems that there is a real change now and that the focus has shifted to the retention of existing customers, and re-engagement of previous ones. This means that new tactics and processes have to be found as well. A number of ways have already been determined that help in this process and it is very important to be aware of these if you also want to keep your marketing efforts up to date. Let’s take a look at some of the tools available to you.
Surveys
The first very important tool is the survey.
“While most companies have a survey on their cancellation page, don’t forget that you can also email past customers and request more feedback. You can ask them why they cancelled or what suggestions they might have for your company. Members that cancelled have a wealth of knowledge that can help steer your product and engineering efforts.”
The feedback you will receive from this is incredibly important. The added benefit is that you have an opportunity to just make customers aware of your existence once again. Perhaps they had found a different brand and forgotten about your benefits, for instance. By doing a survey like this, you will demonstrate that you really care about your customers. Naturally, make sure that the survey is short and to the point, and that they are thanked appropriately afterwards.
Share Results and Ask for Testimonials
If your previous customers are still on one of your email lists, it is very important that you use that to your advantage. Don’t simply send them a generic newsletter, but also share your results and ask for their testimonials.
“If your client is open to giving a testimonial, have someone call him or her for a quick interview and then draft some testimonials. These comments, once approved by the client, can be used in sales letters, in marketing materials, on your website and in customer stories.”
Once again, this allows you to do multiple things at the same time. Firstly, it helps you to open the lines of communication between yourself and a previous customer back up. Secondly, it helps you to attract new customers by having positive reviews.
Use Digital Footprints
Everybody leaves digital footprints and these are incredibly beneficial for you to follow. Actually, implementing this to re-engage previous customers can take some time, and it is for this reason that not enough internet marketers use it to their advantage. They also fear it is very expensive. This isn’t true. And you also have to consider that it is a very good way to see a return on investment. Hence, accept that you have to do a little bit of work and get stuck in.
“To apply data analysis to inactive users, start with an audit of all current email subscribers. These subscribers can be segmented by activity level, including how frequently they engage and when their most recent interaction occurred.”
The sales and purchasing cycle is the most important factor in this audit. This is because it will show you which customers are inactive, and which ones aren’t. For instance, if you sell a product in batches that last six months, then someone who hasn’t been on your site for the past few weeks is not inactive. If, however, you sell batches of one week, this same customer can actually be classed as inactive. By knowing whom you need to target, you will already make a huge deal of progress.
Re-Trial
One last option you have available to you is to ask customers to run a re-trial of your product. Here, you will send them a sample of a product they have previously used and ask them for a testimonial in return. This is a great way to remind customers about how great your product was in the first place, and you will at the very least receive a testimonial to show other customers. Again, it is about achieving two very important things.
“Not everyone that signs up will ultimately use your product but there is at least one campaign you should consider implementing today that can have an impact.”
You can also use this technique if you attracted your customer with a free trial that didn’t result in a sale. By offering them a second free trial, you are effectively offering them a second chance to come to you for a purchase. This is an opportunity not to be missed.