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How to build a community of loyal customers? It's a question that likely haunts entrepreneurs and marketing managers. Here's the truth: It's easier than you think.
I grew a sports card trading YouTube channel with over 11,500 subscribers right in my college dorm room. Every morning, I went live on YouTube to over 3,000 card collectors as we waited for Target to release more sports trading cards on its site. We would chat, open packs of cards, play games, and more as the clock struck 9 a.m. when the new sports card boxes were released.
It was a shared experience. Card collectors would even donate to me to amuse everyone. Sometimes, I could earn $100–200 per live stream just from donations from my audience – simple tips.
It was when I first realized how powerful a community of loyal fans could be. If you can create a community of customers who are fans of your brand, your business can take off. The lessons and experience of that YouTube community led me to create my own venture, Build your marketingto help companies build and grow vibrant communities of loyal customers.
We have found great success with three different channels. Here's how you can use social media, email newsletters, and press release campaigns to increase customer retention and LOYALTY and drives word-of-mouth marketing.
Related: Build long-term customer loyalty with these 3 relationship marketing strategies
Social media
LinkedIn personal
Your personal LinkedIn site is one of the most powerful social media tools to grow your customer base, especially if you are a B2B founder.
One of my favorite moments was when I was on a sales call with a new client to help them with content marketing and the founder mentioned that she was impressed with my content on LinkedIn and how it built her trust. for us to drive her company's content strategy. Just the simple act of creating LinkedIn content on my site built someone's trust, so I didn't have to make any sales.
Posting on your personal LinkedIn page has many benefits beyond the sale, including:
- Builds trust with your network
- Strengthens the credibility of your industry
- Invitations to special events, dinners, communities, etc.
- Creates and maintains relationships with your professional circle
- Increases brand awareness
Sure, it makes sense for me to post on LinkedIn because I specialize in content marketing, but every entrepreneur and founder can take advantage and build their own communities.
Anastasia Yefimenkoa classmate and client of mine, is the founder of a line of sustainable home care products, Elcove, that supports hotel sustainability efforts. In the spring, she launched a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo and was able to raise some of the funds directly from her LinkedIn network (including people she didn't know) because they had followed her journey building the business and wanted to they supported
We posted stories of her early entrepreneurial career, milestones she's reached, such as press features or winning field contests, and some thought-leadership posts about the problem she's solving, which not only boosted her credibility, but also helped build relationships with people.
They bought her products simply because she consistently shared her story and inspired and motivated people who wanted to support her mission.
Facebook groups
On the other hand, if you are a B2C brand, LinkedIn personal branding may not help you as much, but local Facebook groups can increase your income in minutes. Many cities have Facebook groups made up of local residents to chat about city events, news and more. Existing online communities are great places to share your story.
An example is to create a post thanking the community for their support and help in growing your business, but don't directly advertise your services.
We work with a junk removal company in Virginia and wrote about the first official anniversary of these two college founders starting their business. We shared the post in over 30 local Facebook groups from the founder's personal Facebook page and drove thousands of reactions, comments and shares.
One of the posts, in a group of 1124 members, received just over 714 reactions. Most importantly, this translated directly into litter removal work for the boys. They fully booked themselves for three weeks after these posts appeared in local groups after trying to book full days of business in a crowded market.
The best part is that it is ad-free. We're not asking people to hire them or refer neighbors – we just posted a thank you and people booked them because they wanted to. Posting compelling and useful content about your company in Facebook groups works well because you're not advertising – or even asking people REFERRALS. You are participating in the community (like with a simple thank you) and building a relationship.
Email newsletters
Business Update Newsletter
Newsletters it can be a great way to keep your business network informed of what's going on in your business and get people involved in growing your business.
You can share milestones and sneak peeks, ask for feedback/tips, or just keep people informed that you're updating your marketing strategy. This makes the people who receive the newsletter feel like they have a stake in your business, and it makes many people want to help you grow your business.
We've seen successful results from newsletters with a variety of content, including:
- Warm pitch with a retailer for a B2C brand
- Investor meetings booked by potential investors for a local tech company
- Customer feedback is provided on the new packaging options
- Referrals from current customers
These newsletters can create transparency and personal connections with your company, and they often prove to be a powerful way to use the network effect.
Related: 5 Ways to Build High Value Brand Loyalty
Public relations
Press release campaign
What's better than a media outlet that writes about you and your company's story? She instantly increases your credibilitybrings you in front of new potential customers and helps you with your website's search engine optimization (SEO).
For example, we launched a press campaign for Maxie's Delicatessen in Stoughton, Massachusetts (which is now closed because the owner wanted to retire) and brought thousands of new customers to the restaurant. Steve Robbins and Joyce Ann Silva ran Maxie's Deli for more than 30 years, keeping the old Jewish traditions alive through their recipes. We shared this story with several local reporters, and Maxie's Deli was soon featured Boston Globe. This was followed by features in 20 other media outlets, including local and even national news sites.
Once they launched these items, business skyrocketed, bringing in thousands of customers and increasing sales within days. Many first-time customers came back a second, third, and even fifth time to enjoy Maxie's meal.
A PR campaign can change the nature of your business and you can start by simply emailing a local journalist who writes about businesses or industries similar to yours.
Creating a community of fans around your brand is extremely important to the longevity of your company. And, it doesn't need to be complicated or difficult. Startups can make a visible impact with simple marketing initiatives with social media, newspapers and media.
If you can create a group of loyal customers who are passionate about your brand and feel a connection to it, then you will always have motivated people to help you grow.