As a business, you always want to be growing your audience and customer base. No matter who you are or how great your customers are, no brand has ever said “That’s enough, no need for any more fans please.”
However, once you do have a loyal customer base established, it can sometimes feel like a balancing act between appealing to them, and appealing to potential new customers. Particularly when it comes to social media and digital marketing, how can you ensure you are keeping your fans interested while simultaneously widening your net to reel in new customers as well?
Luckily, there are some methods you can use that appeal to both new and old customers. Here are some ways to make sure you are not alienating your fans while still working to bring in some new faces.
Be Relatable
Warning: This does NOT mean just strike up conversations with customers you recognize to catch up and relate to them. It means, keep your content relatable in general. Talk in the way your target demographic talks, ask topical questions that your target demographic cares about, and set a tone your target demographic can appreciate. By doing this, you can relate to both current and potential new customers by feeling like a familiar voice. Making yourself relatable builds bonds with both new and old.
Share Personal Stories
This might seem like the type of thing that would only speak directly to the people you are sharing about, but it can definitely hold a wider appeal as well. Sharing the success story of a loyal customer makes not only them feel good, but shows a larger audience that you care about your customers, you know your customers, and you value them. You can foster feelings of goodwill amongst your loyal fans (“I am so proud to support this brand” “I knew I was a fan for a reason – they really care!”) and pique the curiosity of others (“This seems like the kind of brand I’d like to check out”).
Exclusive discounts
No one dislikes a sale. Offering a discount exclusively to people who see an advertisement or social post serves two different purposes for current and potential customers, but works well for both. A discount is an effective way to get someone in the door for the first time. Anyone who had been on the fence about purchasing is likely to finally commit when offered a discount, because the risk is less if they end up disliking the offering. As for current customers, sales provide a renewed excitement, and entice people who were potentially going to wait on their next purchase to go ahead and buy now while there is a discount.
It is important to note that this is a method that should be used sparingly – too many steep discounts can cheapen the feel of your brand. Plus, by offering too frequent of discounts to customers who are loyal and would likely continue to make purchases anyways, you’re losing out on a large chunk of potential revenue. Rare, unexpected discount offers are exciting enough to keep people coming back for more!
Balance your content
There is a lot of overlap, but when it comes down to it, not every single post or advertisement will be able to appeal to both new and established audiences. It is perfectly fine to share content that is aimed at one group or the other from time to time. Just remember to maintain balance – do not lean too heavily one way or the other. Make sure you do not have multiple posts in a row that exclude or don’t make sense to people who have never patronized your business before. When crafting advertisements, have separate sets for those who have and have not visited your site or made a purchase, and utilize them discerningly. As long as you are mindful of your content and don’t concentrate solely on either growth or maintenance of your fan base, you will avoid alienating anyone and be successful!
