5 Ways Your Brand Can Get Personal with Your Customers

Customers are the lifeblood of every brand and business owner. Without loyal customers, companies can't grow or evolve. This is why it's vital to build lasting relationships with your customers and connect with them on a personal level. Related: The subtle art of using emotion in your visual content These days, nearly every brand is trying a personal, emotional approach with their customers. This shouldn't come as a surprise, since studies show that this approach beats all others when it comes to customer satisfaction and retention. To help your brand get more personal with your customers, follow these five tactics. 1. Be friendly One way your brand can develop personal relationships with customers is to interact with them on a person-to-person basis. Talking to your customers directly shows that you're people, just like them, rather than a faceless entity. In fact, according to researchers, nearly 80% of customers prefer brands that offer personalized experiences, rather than the same response to every message. [Click to tweet ] Being genuine in your messages shows that you actually care about their needs and emotions. Whenever you email, direct message, or private chat with customers, make sure to use detailed and personalized messages that prove you're listening. Mention their name throughout the conversation. Consider having team members use profile pictures on forums and social media. This helps your customers connect on a more personal level. When they can picture a face behind the words they're reading, it's easier to have a real conversation and build a connection. 2. Respect your customers When it comes to growing your business, word of mouth really matters. A single negative experience can seriously impact your business, because once shared, it can sway people who might have otherwise engaged with your brand. Be patient with your customers. Enter every conversation with empathy, kindness and respect. Sometimes, people just want to feel heard and understood. Making your customers feel comfortable when they're having a bad day can turn the whole day around and secure their loyalty. 3. Get to know your customers by listening to them Generally speaking, the customer service experience is based on how well you support your customers. The more you can resolve your customers' issues or negative feelings, the better your brand's reputation will be. Good communication is only possible with good listening. You must truly listen to your customers' questions and concerns so you can help them effectively. By the way, these questions and concerns don't always get reported to you directly. Gather feedback from focus groups, customer service calls, social media, emails, forums and communities. Automation software can help you sort through the noise and make sense of the data you get. Still, don't forget to reach out to customers one-on-one and strengthen those relationships. 4. Offer support and show appreciation As much as it's important to listen to your customers, it's equally important to offer them support and appreciation. Look for opportunities to show enthusiastic gratitude. For example, if you're trying to up-sell a customer, have a promotional discount code handy. If they're not ready, keep them updated about the latest specials until they're ready to buy. Show them that you care about getting them the best deal possible, not just closing the sale. If you have the chance to go above and beyond, take it. Sometimes your efforts have wide-reaching effects, like the time LEGO replied to a letter from a young boy who lost his favorite mini-figure. Not only did LEGO replace the lost toy, they sent him a one-of-a-kind character with accessories. Their response went viral on Twitter, with many people singing the brand's praises. Promotions can help you express appreciation to your customers on a much wider scale. Giveaways, contests, sweepstakes, and social media games give you plenty of opportunities to connect with your followers. As a bonus, all this extra attention can lead to more brand awareness, too. 5. Build trust with your customers No one likes a sneaky brand that hides from their customers. Especially in today's always-connected world, being evasive is a bad look. If your brand messes up, say so. Every company makes mistakes, but it's important to publicly acknowledge them and set things right. No healthy relationship is built on lies, and your relationship with your customers is no exception. Whenever you make a big change, read the feedback and make tweaks or updates if need be. Show transparency in dealing with feedback and implementing changes. If you don't, customers will struggle to trust your brand—and they might choose to go elsewhere. Key takeaway For your brand to be personally connected with your customers, you have to communicate personally with them. As you engage with customers, make an effort to mindfully listen to them, respect them, get to know them, and create solutions to their problems. Accept feedback graciously and communicate transparently, and you'll be on your way to building stronger personal relationships. Learn about the power of emotion & brand storytelling in our webinar with branding expert David Brier.