3 tips for earning life long customer loyalty

Happy customers are the best advocates for your business. They assure referrals, repeat business and great word-of-mouth marketing. But how do you get to that point if you are a new business? While this may seem like a daunting task, you can utilize a few tips to enhance your customers' experience and create lifetime brand advocates. Here are a few ideas to inspire your company today that are designed to meet the needs and concerns of all your clients, across all generations:

Interact with your customers the way they prefer
Getting to know your customer is the best way to make sure you are meeting all their needs, so do your research to determine how to reach them. By connecting with your customers through the channels they prefer, you are more likely to reach your intended audience. Digital communication is a growing industry, but many older consumers prefer traditional methods of communicating, like using mailers or print ads to get their attention. Younger customers may respond more to modern sources like ads on their favorite online radio station, or banner ads on Facebook. Utilizing the preferred channels for different generations also makes it much easier for consumers to share information about your brand with their family and friends. 

Engage your audience with meaningful messages
We're bombarded with ads all day long: on our commute, during our favorite TV shows and on the radio. So how do you get your message to stand out? Deliver customer experiences through your marketing team that touches your target demographic and makes them want to learn more about you. Here are a few guidelines to follow based on different generational traits:

• Customers who are 67-90 years old are usually considered to be traditionalists who value quality products as well as loyalty. They tend to depend on familiar brands and services.
• Customers who are 48-66 years old are called baby boomers and are interested in companies that promote stability, value, security and timesaving solutions. They are often motivated by perks and bonuses.
• Customers who are 35 to 47 years old are members of Generation X and they love researching and fact checking before making a purchase. Quality in brands tend to matter to them.
• Customers who are 18 to 34 years old are known as millennials and they really appreciate companies that are forward thinking, innovative and fun. They are usually very technologically savvy.

Learn your target customer's values and you'll be able to design the perfect e-blast, print ad or guerrilla marketing campaign that will make your customers feel important and encourage them to tell their friends.

Provide stellar customer service
The key to a successful business is good customer service. If you attend to every one of your clients' needs, they will feel special, supported and important, and will keep coming back for more. If customers have a problem they will know you are there to help. Offer a feedback option on your website to get customers' input. Appoint a customer service rep to answer calls and delegate action to the proper department. You want to be sure you have an answer for all your clients' questions before they ask them, so you will be the only authority they need in your industry.