Top 4 Customer Retention Strategies for 2023

After three years of being stuck in survival mode, brands around the world are now looking to expand and grow their businesses. But, not only are businesses evolving. So are their customers. Over the last three years, customers have adapted entirely to their new world. From the growth of AI and other technology, to work-from-home and more remote working options, customers are facing a new world post-COVID-19. 

Brands have the task of now evolving to keep up with them and to appeal to their new lifestyle. So, how do they do it? How do they ensure that they are still marketing and reaching their customers? How do they make sure that they are retaining them and bringing them back as loyal customers? We took a look. 

Heighten Your Touchpoints for Engagement 

The first thing to look at is how your clients and customers can engage with your brand. It is important to remember that different customers prefer different engagement methods. While some may prefer email and telephone, others prefer the more instant ways of communication. 

Look at your instant chat and chatbots within your company. While some may appear on your site directly, other customers prefer to speak to you through your socials. So, provide them with this method. Although this may seem highly resource intensive, especially to have a live chatbot for your customers, there are various ways of automating the process. 

Using customer service automation solutions allows you to instantly respond to customers with automated messages. This further allows you to answer some of the more general and frequently asked questions, and then manually handle any questions thereafter. Just don’t let the human element disappear completely. To maintain loyal customers, keep that human element in there. 

Use Social Channels to Your Advantage 

Your social channels are powerful tools that can allow you to reach and engage with audiences beyond the initial scope. When used effectively, you will need the right content and the right budget to reach and convert the right customers for your brand. So, what does it take?

Start by looking for the right channels. Not all channels are right for all brands. While some might thrive on Instagram and LinkedIn, others reach their audiences on TikTok. If you are unsure, try and test it until you get it right. 

You should also have a decent budget. You don’t have to spend a fortune, but if you are boosting your posts, and have a bit of money behind them, you will be able to reach more audience, more frequently. 

Don’t forget, you also need to create lots of great content. Keep that copy, those images, and those videos coming, and post them at the right times. Something that is posted at the optimal time for your audience will have a far higher likelihood of actually reaching them. Luckily, there is some great data out there about how to reach your followers at the right times. But, you can also try and test it yourself and see what works for you. 

Get Personal 

Personalization is certainly one of the biggest trends these last few years. Successful brands are taking the time to get to know their customers and understand that they are more than just a number. Instead, they dig deeper than just those basic demographics. What is the customer interested in? How do they behave online? What are they doing on social media?

With this data, you can create a marketing strategy that speaks directly to the customer. If you know where their interests lie, and how their buying pattern works, you can mold the right strategy to reach them. 

Personalize the messaging to them. Not all customers want the same products. Not all want the same services. They don’t all respond to the same message. So, look at segmenting your customers and sending them different messages and communication. Again, this might be resource intensive, but your conversions will rapidly increase. 

Re-Look at your Customer Journey 

In three years, your customers have evolved entirely. They are now savvier, and more focused on technology. Things like same day delivery is now not only possible but expected. They want you to know what they want before they know what they want. AI is everywhere, most, if not all of your platforms can be automated and technology can be used in every aspect of your customer journey. 

From the moment they enter your site to the moment they start going through the sales funnel, your customer journey needs to be carefully planned. UX design is not just for the outset of your website, these exercises can be done regularly to constantly improve on your site. 

Try and test everything in your business. Create A/B testing platforms for your site as well as your marketing channels. What CTA works better for conversions? What images work to convert people on social media? Your customer journey should be a constantly evolving and growing strategy. So, keep your eye on trends and what your competitors are doing, and keep that journey fresh and interesting. 

The Bottom Line 

One of the most important things to keep in mind to keep customers coming back is to know them. What do they want? What motivates them? Where do their interests lie? The more you know about them, the more you can mold strategies around them and the more chance you have of bringing them back again.