What’s in this article:
- If you find your customer relationships falling short of expectations, look at your own company culture and seek ways to improve
- Make sure you use whatever social channels are at your disposal to keep the lines of communication open
It’s not enough to just respond to customer complaints; truly customer-centric brands must anticipate their users’ needs in advance.
The ultimate goal of marketing is to get your intended message to potential customers, so it should come as no surprise that customer-centric marketing is one of the most effective strategies available to brands today. By doing business in a way that prioritizes your customers during every single step of the process, you’ll foster an engaged, loyal community of happy customers, increasing sales and retention.
But how, exactly, does one shift to a customer-centric marketing approach? You may think you’re already putting the customer first, but it’s worth examining some more. We’ve listed a few examples of how modern companies are killing the marketing game with customer-centric strategies.
Start with your employees
Believe it or not, the customer-centric experience doesn’t start with customers — it starts with your employees. Like we’ve said before, authentic leadership is critical to the customer experience, and those policies should trickle all the way down. As Inc puts it, “employees are customers too.” In other words, no matter the size of your business, treat your staff like you’d want your customers to be treated by them. By creating a passionate team of experts, you’re ensuring that the same care and expertise put into building a positive company culture then reaches outward.
For a model of how customer-centric marketing begins from within, look no further than online retailer Zappos, which has been frequently praised for its company culture and top-notch customer service. In the words of Econsultancy, “Zappos believes that organizational silos can counteract a customer-centric mindset, and so it gives all employees a flexible structure, where nobody has a formal title and everybody works within a team that they are passionate about.” If you find your customer relationships falling short of expectations, looking at your own company culture is a great place to start.
Embrace your community
Here’s one more tip from the leadership experts at Econsultancy: “Another characteristic of a customer-centric brand is the ability to build a community, and to use it to bolster the long-term loyalty of customers.” In this case, they’re referring to Glossier, a disruptive beauty brand that’s received high praise for its marketing efforts. Like many successful customer-centric companies, Glossier effectively uses social media platforms to reach its customers directly, which makes fans feel more involved. Beauty retailer Sephora takes a similar approach; the company uses Facebook and Instagram to share photos, educate and provide tips, and even host live Q&A sessions.
You don’t have to be a major beauty brand to foster an inclusive, engaged community, of course! Make sure you use whatever social channels are at your disposal to keep the lines of communication open. Listen to community feedback. Provide useful information beyond just the name and features of your next big product. Embrace your community and customers will embrace you right back.
Provide proactive, industry-leading customer service
This might sound obvious but providing stellar customer service is easier said than done. It’s not enough to just respond to customer complaints; truly customer-centric brands must stay one step ahead, anticipating their users’ needs and constantly brainstorming new ways to improve the experience.
There are plenty of examples of this kind of proactive customer service, from smaller businesses like SnapTravel to tech giants like Apple. The former, a self-described “half-bot, half-human” travel app, not only helps customers find great travel deals; it then contacts hotels automatically to negotiate for free upgrades. Meanwhile, Apple provides intuitive, comprehensive resources both online, over the phone, and in stores, from educational classes to actual tech support. This is also a great example of using technology to enhance the customer experience.
Being a leader in customer-centric marketing isn’t easy, but it’s vital to maintaining long-term relationships with high LTV customers. Start from within, engage your community, and take a proactive approach, and you’ll see your efforts pay off in practically no time.