Have you ever done something nice for a person, just for the heck of it? Maybe it’s buying their lunch one day, or opening the door for them. It could also be something as simple as complimenting them and telling them how much they are appreciated. Now, have you ever thought about trying that same strategy on a customer?

Recently, FGmarket received an unexpected gift from a company named Shortstack. The specialize in building engaging social media contests and marketing campaigns. I mentioned their name, and linked to their website, in a previous blog post about social media campaigns. They responded by sending our company some free swag in the mail!

Shortstack T-Shirt

Personalized Message

Shortstack Sticker

Why does this concern you, and why are we bragging about all our cool new gear? It’s simple: customers love to feel appreciated, and they love the unexpected things you can do for them.

Customers Love To Feel Appreciated

You don’t have to replicate what Shortstack did in order to show customers you care. Not everyone can afford to send out free gifts in the mail, but there are a lot of other things you can do instead. For example, why not send out an email coupon for a certain percentage off of one of your products?

Or what about sending a cheap sticker in the mail, with your logo on it? Most people love stickers, and they can put it on their vehicle, laptop, or some other public area to advertise your company to hundreds of other people they might meet every day! It’s an inexpensive and effective way to show you care.

Customers Who Feel Appreciated Are More Likely To Stick With You

Before Shortstack sent their swag to us, I had very little idea about who they were. Now, I’m looking into their software to see if it’s something I could use in the future!

When you do something nice and unexpected for a customer, they’re more likely to stick with you rather than your competitors. And if they’re unaware of who you were before, you might pique their curiosity, which could generate new sales leads! It’s a win-win situation for both parties involved.

You Can Increase Your Social Media Fan Base This Way

When you do a giveaway, whether it be through the traditional mail system or through email, always make sure you include your most important information with your message, including links to your social media pages. If it’s an email, include direct links to your profile pages. If it’s through snail mail, include the URL of your pages, or tell people what username to search for online.

Customers are likely to look you up online once they receive your giveaway. Directing them to your social media pages increase your likes and followers, which in turn generates new sales for your company. Keep in mind that not everyone who likes your Facebook page, or follows you on Twitter, is a current customer; they might be a curious buyer who’s waiting to see how you interact with customers online before they commit to you. More and more customers these days are concerned with consumer-to-business interactions.

Don’t be afraid to show your customers you care! Even the smallest gift is a great way to show your appreciation for their business.

Creating Brand Advocates

According to Hootsuite’s 2015 Social Media Glossary, “a brand advocate is a customer that is so satisfied with your product that they go out of their way to help you market it. They do work on their own, but often become an even more valuable resource when you connect with them, engage them and empower them.”

Wow. I don’t know about you, but I could always use a little more help marketing what I’m trying to sell to customers. Not to mention, help from people who will basically do it for free!

The big question remains though: How do you create brand advocates? Luckily, we’ve got some great tips to get people to start becoming more than just customers to your business.

Make Yourself Known

The first step in creating loyal brand advocates is more easily said than done. You have to stand out from the rest of the competition in your market if you hope to have any chance of getting good advocates. That means, promoting yourself through advertising, promotions, social media, and maybe even charity work that people care about. Just get out there, and make yourself known to your target demographic.

Be Memorable To Consumers

Being memorable doesn’t necessarily mean finding a gimmick that will set you apart from everyone else. It simply means to think outside of the box, whether that be through the tone of your advertising copy or social media posts, or the way you package your products (hint, think more modern appeal). Customers love to promote products and companies that they think are cool or hip to the current trends.

Relationships, Not Money

Creating brand advocates isn’t about providing the best deals to your customers, it’s actually more about creating meaningful relationships with them. Sure, customers DO love getting a good deal, but they can probably get a deal that’s just as great from your competition. Get to know your customers. Find out their interests, wants, needs, and passions. You’ll find that customers are more likely to freely promote you if they have a solid relationship with you.

Encourage Sharing

Sharing is caring, right? (okay, I’ll admit, that was pretty lame. Do better next time, Caleb!) But seriously, if you have customers that are willing to share your products, whether it be through social media or old-fashioned word-of-mouth marketing, then you’re on the right track for creating brand advocates. You want brand advocates to share your content without even having to ask them to do it, but it never hurts to encourage people to tell everyone they know about you!

Treat Your Customers Right

Never stop working on your customer service. I promise you, if I’m contacting a company with a problem I have, and they don’t speak to me with kindness and understanding, I will never come back to that company. Conversely, if a company does treat me right, I’ll most likely be back time and time again. If a customer calls, emails, or tweets at you with a negative comment, resist the urge to fire back at them. This only creates more hate and negativity directed toward you. Treat your customers right, and they’ll want to tell other people about your kindness.

Engage With Your Audience

Do your customers like to leave comments on your blog posts, tweet at you, or leave comments on your Facebook page? Don’t ignore them, engage them! Customers love to see brands “like” their comments or tweets. And if you have someone with a wonderful sense of humor running your social media accounts, let them use that humor to your advantage! Brands like Babybel, The Belk Bowl (football), Taco Bell, Old Spice, and Oreo handle humor with professionalism and relatability.

Brand advocates can be some of the most helpful customers that you can have, and they are more than willing to promote your business. Follow these tips and start recruiting some brand advocates of your own!