What is customer marketing?
Customer marketing refers to specific marketing activities or campaigns designed to appeal to existing customers instead of new prospects. Companies create these activities and campaigns to boost customer loyalty, drive retention, improve advocacy, increase community participation, and enrich the overall customer experience.
Customer-to-customer (C2C) community marketing software provides space for customers to engage with other users and helps organizations build stronger communities.
Customer Marketing Software
Software that mention customer marketing as a feature or term.
Types of customer marketing activities
Customer marketing activities can take many forms depending on an organization’s goals and strategy. Below are examples to consider:
- Build brand advocates. A brand advocate is a customer who elevates a brand by sharing their own experiences and through word-of-mouth marketing. These customers might send emails expressing how much they enjoy a product or service, leave a positive review online, or send prospects to the sales team. Once identified, consider using brand advocates to generate case studies, testimonials, online reviews, and webinar guest appearances.
- Create a referral program. Empower happy customers to share the organization’s product or service through a referral program that offers rewards. Rewards might include company-branded swag, discounts, or payments.
- Host events for customers. Businesses can use customer events to build stronger relationships, reward customers for their business, and enable them to network with other consumers. Examples of customer events include dinners, virtual or in-person happy hours, conferences, or exclusive webinars.
- Publish customer testimonials and success stories. Positive testimonials and success stories paint an attractive image of a company and allow customers to enjoy time in the spotlight. Both can persuade prospects to become customers.
- Create a loyalty program. Reward customers for making repeat purchases and being a valued part of the business. Loyalty programs can include birthday coupons, exclusive discount codes, punch cards, and anniversary rewards. A loyalty program is an easy way to show customers they are appreciated. Companies can organize these programs using loyalty management software.
- Ask for online reviews. Reviews are essential for understanding how current customers feel about an organization’s products and services. Ask satisfied customers if they would be willing to leave a candid review. If a dissatisfied customer leaves a negative review, follow up on it and make note of any constructive criticism.
- Distribute a customer newsletter. Businesses can use customer newsletters for ongoing communication with customers. Use the newsletter to keep the current customer base up to date on company news, offer exclusive deals and discounts, and highlight customers.
- Create online community groups. Many tools are available for creating spaces where customers can connect and engage online. Whether through a social network platform, events platform, or other community engagement programs, choose a tool that encourages customers to connect and interact with one another.
Benefits of customer marketing
Implementing customer marketing activities into an overall marketing strategy can benefit an organization, such as:
- Increased customer retention and brand loyalty. When executed correctly, a customer marketing strategy can improve the customer experience, thus leading to higher retention rates and a stronger sense of brand loyalty. Engaging with and listening to customers keeps them around for the long haul.
- More brand advocates and referrals. Customer marketing allows organizations to identify and recognize brand advocates. These individuals are essential for driving referrals and gaining business through word-of-mouth marketing. Businesses may experience even more positive results with a fully-developed referral program.
- Higher revenue. While customer marketing strategies focus on current customers, these activities and long-term relationships with customers can lead to more purchases from new customers. A customer marketing strategy is a great way to show customers they are appreciated while boosting an organization’s revenue.
- More social proof. Through reviews, testimonials, recommendations, and success stories, customers provide social evidence for businesses. Social proof adds up and influences prospective customers. A well-thought-out customer marketing strategy includes specific strategies for gaining more social proof.
Customer marketing best practices
Businesses should follow a few general best practices to create a compelling and successful customer marketing strategy.
- Segment customers for more personalized experiences. Avoid assuming all customers fall in the same category. Instead, segment customers into different groups and create more personalized experiences for each group's needs. Customer research helps businesses understand their customers better and create segments that make sense.
- Ask customers what they want. Appealing to customers may not always be as easy as it sounds. Instead of guessing what customers want, ask for feedback and input when developing customer marketing strategies. Incorporate their suggestions as much as possible.
- Keep the little things top of mind. Small gestures, such as sending a handwritten note or small gifts to valued customers, let them know how much they’re appreciated. It also creates a good impression and strengthens relationships with customers. Build an intentional customer marketing strategy, but don’t forget to find ways to give customers a top-notch experience through small actions.
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Alyssa Towns
Alyssa Towns works in communications and change management and is a freelance writer for G2. She mainly writes SaaS, productivity, and career-adjacent content. In her spare time, Alyssa is either enjoying a new restaurant with her husband, playing with her Bengal cats Yeti and Yowie, adventuring outdoors, or reading a book from her TBR list.
