So you’ve created a business and it’s on the rise – great! There’s a lot of hard work and sleepless nights that go into creating a successful business, but luckily, there are small things you can do to help you stay on top.
Why Should You Stay In Touch?
Long gone are the days of hoping that selling your products and service was enough. With a market saturated with just about everything you can think (and even dream) of, you’re going to need a way to stand out from the crowd.
You may be thinking that you just simply don’t have the time, or that you just don’t want to, and that’s fair enough. If you’re happy to float along.
But if you’re really wanting to push your business and get your name out there, it’s vital that you deal with the customer service aspect of things.
If you’re still not convinced, here are 3 reasons why:
It Helps Them Feel Heard
I think everyone can agree, there’s nothing more frustrating than not feeling heard. Unsurprisingly, this feeling is definitely not restricted to your personal life.
Yes, you may be listening to your audience and what they want. But it’s not enough to merely listen anymore. You need to let them know!
It Keeps Your Audience Engaged
Have you ever tried talking to a brick wall? Would you like to sit and spend your precious time talking to a brick wall? Exactly. And your audience doesn’t want to either.
Your audience needs something to bounce off so they know that you haven’t fallen off the face of the Earth.
Did you know that nearly 3 out of 5 customers said that good customer service is vital for them to feel loyalty towards a brand? Trust me, if you don’t put your time and energy into checking your audience every now and then and keeping them engaged, someone else will. And just like that, goodbye loyal audience.
It Puts A Face To The Business
If you’ve ever been lucky enough to be in a job where you’ve taken complaints both in person and over the phone, you may have noticed there can be quite a big discrepancy on how the complaint is… explained. It’s no coincidence that complaints can be harsher when the complainer can’t put a face to a name.
By reaching out and keeping in touch with your audience, you can not only remove the faceless corporation mask, but if done well, you can even add a personable touch to your business.
How Can You Stay In Touch?
Hopefully, you’ve now been convinced that there is merit to getting in touch with your audience. But how do you do this you ask?
A simple way of being heard is by – funnily enough – reaching out to your audience and making yourself heard.
This doesn’t have to be anything difficult, and it can be done in a number of different ways.
Keeping An Up To Date Blog
If you already have a website – this is a no brainer!
There are many benefits to having a blog or news section on your website, and it can be used for many different things. Not only is it good for keeping your audience up to date with the latest in the business, but it also has SEO value, as Google eats up original, fresh content.
From opening hours updates to a simple Merry Christmas – Sound Inc always makes sure that their audience knows exactly what’s going on, all of the time.
Sending Out Newsletters
If you don’t have access to any form of blog, sending out newsletters also gets the job done.
With plenty of free software options (Mailchimp being a big player here), it would almost be rude not to indulge.
As well as keeping them up to date, sending out newsletters to your audience lets them know that hey, you’re still alive and kicking – so that product/service that they nearly bought last week? Why not go ahead and treat yourself.
Staying Active On Social Media
Hand down the easiest and quickest way of reaching out to your audience is via social media.
It’s something that you’re most likely using already – but are you using it to your advantage?
Social Media can be a great way to connect with your followers. With Instagram story features such as polls and comment boxes, there really is no excuse to not connect.
In Conclusion
It’s important for any business that you stay in touch with your consumer base. Whether you’re a one person band in your business or you’ve got 10,000 employees, how you choose to come across to your audience and how you choose to each out to them can make or break a business.
Just remember: a happy audience is a happy business!
