There are millions of marketing strategies out there, but there’s only one that will work every time, in any situation, and that’s word-of-mouth.
The glowing endorsement of a brand to a friend, colleague or family member is, put simply, the single easiest way to gain a new customer. It costs no advertising dollars, it requires no sales pitch, and it results in an almost immediate conversion and sale.
What more could you want?
Unfortunately, getting those word-of-mouth recommendations is harder than it looks. To get customers to recommend you, you first have to turn them into what we call “brand advocates” – people who love your brand and are passionately committed to buying from it time and time again.
Building up brand advocates is hard for B2C companies, but in the B2B world, doing so can be even more difficult than most bargain for. Luckily, we’ve helped hundreds of B2B clients strengthen their brands and gather armies of vocal, passionate brand advocates, so we have a few tips that can help:
- Focus on the customer experience from day 1 – You want every customer that comes through your doors to get the red-carpet treatment. Prioritize their needs, and see to it that they have a dedicated person helping them every step of the way. Answer their questions, be responsive, and deliver on time and as expected. Then, follow up and make sure they’re satisfied. Touch base often, and make sure you’ve met all their expectations and then some.
- Know what makes your brand valuable – Does your product increase safety for pilots? Does it cut down on operational costs? Is it easier to install or use? Do you simply have more experience than other brands in your sector? Know what makes your brand stand out, and make sure every customer you do business with does too. Show them what makes you different, and encourage them to get excited about those differences and share them with others.
- Put your branding out there – If you really want to build up your brand advocates, take your company online, on social media and in any venue you can think of to reach your customers. You want them to be surrounded by your brand and its voice – no matter what platform they’re on, whether it’s Facebook, Twitter or just the local tradeshow market.
- Stay in touch – Don’t let past customers fall by the wayside. Remind them that you’re there and that you once served them well. Check in regularly with email newsletters, connect with them on social media, or send them mailers with coupon codes or birthday messages. Show them you care about them, no matter how long ago you got their money.
- Get your entire team onboard – This is important in any branding effort, so make sure your entire team – from the mailroom employees up to the president – knows exactly what your goal is and what your brand stands for. They should be making that goal a priority in everything they do and, especially, in every interaction they have with a potential or current customer.
Need help building up passionate advocates for your B2B brand? Then contact Haley Aerospace today. Our B2B branding experts are here to help.
