Your pet industry business is on a mission to get new customers every day, and it takes a LOT of effort, right?
Well, now that you’ve spent all that time, effort, and money turning prospects into customers for your business…
What keeps them as loyal as a Golden Retriever, staying with your business?
After all, acquiring new customers is five times more expensive than retaining customers.
[Source: https://blog.hubspot.com/service/statistics-on-customer-retention]
BUT it’s a sad fact that many companies focus on acquiring new customers way more than keeping the customers they already have!
Losing a customer can be a real drag in the long run as you miss out on their future purchases. And you possibly risk a ding on your company’s reputation as exiting customers may share their unhappy reviews.
So let’s think about that for a moment with this question:
How does your pet or veterinary business continuously provide exceptional experiences, so customers stick around, buy more, and refer their friends?
In other words, what’s your ongoing retention effort?
Outstanding customer service is the most important customer-retention effort, of course. If your team is delivering an easy, helpful user experience backed by excellent support, you’re 80% of the way there! I made up that statistic, but you get my point.
Assuming you offer great service … it’s time to do a gut-check on the other critical 20% retention efforts.
Whether your business is B2C or B2B, consider how you may or may not be using these 5 powerful ways to keep customers happy, buying more, and providing your business with a terrific lifetime value:
-
Newsletters (aka e-newsletters)
Maintain customer loyalty by sharing useful (amazing) information on an ongoing basis and showing that you care
According to 40% of surveyed B2B marketers, email newsletters rank as the foremost tactic within their content-marketing strategy. Wow! Effective e-newsletters demonstrate an authentic concern for customer success and include any or all of these elements:
-
- Insider tips
- Regular updates on products and services
- Success stories and testimonials
- Seasonal or special product/service offers
- Meet a staff member
- Company support for a charity (pet rescue)
-
Emails
With over 4 billion email users globally, use email’s strength to communicate with customers on a 1-on-1 basis
[Source: https://www.getresponse.com/blog/email-importance]
Once a customer has opted in for emails from a company they like and trust, emails are welcome and expected. You can make the most of email through the following messages. Also, personalized messages lift response in a huge way!
-
- Welcome! (The highest open rate by far is welcome emails)
- Onboarding series, showing customers how to use the product/service they just bought
- Exclusive offers just for customers
- “First to know” new products/services
-
Exclusive Insider Content
Help your customers feel special by giving them extra helpful perks only for them
Customers should be getting your very best “members only” content that shows how you value their business. This content may include:
-
- White papers and survey reports
- Videos
- Podcasts
- Guides
- Demos
- Case studies
-
Invitation-only Live Events
Strengthen relationships by giving customers a chance to meet you, hear new tips and strategies, and ask questions
Nothing beats live interactions to connect with your customers, give them special insights, and let them ask your team their burning questions on the spot. Live content may include:
-
- Webinars
- Ask Us Anything sessions
- Town Hall sessions
-
Exclusive Community
Help customers feel connected with like-minded fans through a lively, shared experience
A members-only community can spark a feeling of being part of the best crowd: fellow customers who are excited about success with your products and services. And if your team is there to recognize and encourage customer interactions, all the better. Your brand will become human to them … and authenticity is huge these days when it comes to retention.
How did you do with your gut-check? Is your pet business on top of these retention efforts?
If you’re missing any of these ways to retain customers and turn them into loyal, raving fans, I can help.
Together we can create a wicked smart communication strategy for all of these … and I can write your content as well.
Could you use some help to do more or strengthen results? Or know any colleagues who could use help? Let me know what you think by contacting me!
As always, here’s to a prosperous pet industry business –
Pam Foster
PetCopywriter.com