Relationship marketing. You’ve often heard the term used, but were never really certain what it meant.
It does sound kind of touchy feely, doesn’t it?
Really all it means, however, is building good long term customer relations through interpersonal communication.
To turn your present marketing system into relationship marketing, you have to change your outlook somewhat. Traditionally, marketers have located their target market segments, presented their offer, and made the sales. It’s always been a single step process.
Relationship marketing looks at customers and clients over a longer term. It takes into account the lifetime value of a customer.
Many experts think it costs anywhere from six to ten times as much, to find a new customer, than to sell to an existing one. With those financial realities in mind, the approach makes some sense, and some real dollars.
Relationship marketing is based on the idea that people prefer to do business with people who they know and like. After all, it’s easier to buy from a friend, than from someone you’ve never heard of before. It’s a matter of building trust.
The focus is on a multi-step marketing system, built on conversation between the blogger and reader, that works for the lifetime of the customer.
It’s said that people need to hear an offer at least seven times before they buy. That concept certainly works against the single step marketing method.
That is where a business blog can be really helpful. A reader can be reached seven times with ease, and many more times besides, through the blogging interaction.
As you write your daily blog entries, your readers get to know you and your business on a more personal level. Your blog begins that all important relationship with your prospects and current customers. You have started a blogging conversation.
As they read about your daily business activities, your problem solving ideas, your business advice, and your various products, they begin to think of themselves as a part of the company.
In fact, they are!
The prospective buyers for your products and services begin to turn into long term customers over time. Since they already know about you and your organization, it naturally follows that they will buy from you.
Your existing customers will remain loyal to your business, through the regular personal contact of your blog. Your customers will not only stay loyal, but they will often bring tons of valuable referral business to your company. Happy customers are your best marketing friends.
They will become customer brand evangelists for your business and its products and services.
By creating a business blog, you can develop strong bonds with your existing and future customers. Instead of treating them as numbers, you have formed a long term relationship with them.
By means of the interaction created by the blog, you have helped them become part of the business process. They are not simply customers or consumers, but an integral part of the company. Their purchases, of your products and services, are a natural response to your blog entries.
It is certainly not a one step sales system!
Creating a relationship with your customers and clients doesn’t just pay off financially for your company. It is also rewarding personally for you; and for them.
Start your blog and build those long term relationships.
You’ll be glad you decided to utilize a business blog for your relationship marketing.
The results will last a lifetime.
Wayne Hurlbert provides insigtful information about marketing, promotions, search engine optimization and public relations for websites and business blogs on the popular Blog Business World.
Check out Blog Business World for yourself.
