I have been working in the world of digital marketing since 2014, using channels such as Email and SMS. Too often people ask me how I managed to stay in this field all this time. Well, here I am to answer!
In this brief blog post I will demystify the possibility of creating lasting relationships with our customers, why it is essential to create these relationships and finally some of the best examples of how to create these types of relationships.
Is it possible to create lasting relationships with customers using Email and SMS Marketing?
Obviously yes! What first comes to people’s minds when we produce the set of words “email marketing” is more or less the following.
E-mail marketing? I remember one time I entered my email address in a pop-up to receive an Ebook about creating ads on TikTok and the next day my Inbox was full of emails with completely irrelevant courses and services, I didn’t wait long…
– Someone in my group of friends
Yes… a good part of the experiences reported when I refer to such a set of words comes down to this! Still, I assure you that it is perfectly possible to create good relationships with customers and/or subscribers using Email and SMS Marketing.
Email and SMS are two very accessible channels, the first due to the price, as in most cases sending emails is completely free of cost or has a very low cost when we want to appear more professional or need to send a large volume of messages. The second has a slightly higher price than Email, but is still very affordable.
Very low costs translate into low barriers to entry, which leads to the emergence of actors in the world of digital marketing with little knowledge on how to survive in this business.
In digital marketing, whether through the Email or SMS channel, what really matters for each message sent is that it is relevant and timely for the recipient.
People love to be informed about the topics they are interested in and are completely open to creating emotional bonds that provide them with relevant and timely information.
Why build customer relationships using Email and SMS Marketing
Because it is absolutely necessary for sustained growth and the success of your business!
Selling to a new customer is much less likely than selling to an existing customer. A new customer costs about five times the amount of retaining an existing one.
A solid relationship increases customer lifetime value (CLV) and translates into less customer churn.
A strong relationship with the customer is synonymous with loyalty. Once loyal, this customer will prefer to buy from you than from someone else.
It’s because it’s very cheap to do all this using email and sms.
Creating lasting relationships with Email and SMS Marketing
In fact, there is a method to be followed to create long-term relationships with customers and subscribers and it is made up of 6 major topics.
- Consistency in communication
- Surgical communication at key moments
- Segmentation of the contact list to personalize messages
- Communicating relevant and timely content
- Promoting two-way communication
- Assigning exclusive offers and promotions
Consistency in communication
Before beginning efforts in Email and SMS Marketing communications, we must create materials such as templates, images and communication styles to be used.
Consistency in Email and SMS Marketing is very important for building relationships that last over time. This mainly conveys familiarity to the recipient, which is the basis for creating trust, leading them to feel comfortable with our brand’s communications.
Surgical communication at key moments
I place this point in second place because it is one of the simplest to implement and the return on its implementation is immense.
In relation to “surgical communications at key moments”, I am referring to automations via email or SMS sent when certain events occur. Sending a sequence of emails when a customer or subscriber registers on our platform or newsletter, birthday congratulations, celebrating the one-year anniversary of the first order or first contract, a merry Christmas, a happy new year, a good Easter and so on.
Other more specific events for each sector of activity are possible to include. In ecommerce, it is quite common to have automated communications via email or SMS when a customer abandons the shopping cart, as well as post-purchase emails where the customer is informed of the shipping status of their order or even how to use a specific product they have just purchased.
Other categories of events are possible to add, here imagination is the limit. Pay attention to privacy issues and, above all, common sense in the type of events in which emails are sent.
I consider this point to be simple to implement due to the fact that there is no segmentation (a point we will talk about later) but rather an event that will cause an email or SMS to be sent.
Segmentation of the contact list to personalize messages
It is at this point that we find our gateway to creating close relationships with customers and subscribers.
The most complicated thing about contact list segmentation is dealing with the lack of relevant data to be able to segment. Most of the time, an initial communication strategy is necessary using questionnaires as a way of obtaining more information from our customers and subscribers.
After obtaining relevant data, we will then have our door open to creating long-term relationships.
The segmentation of the contact list must take into account preferences, behaviors and demographics. Address customers and subscribers by their name and only deliver content that takes their interests into account.
The degree of personalization of emails and SMS should be able to demonstrate that their real needs are understood to the point of making them more likely to interact with the brand.
This point will have a medium difficulty of implementation, as there will be a need to be able to balance the available data to create large enough segments with content delivery that makes sense from an economic point of view.
Communicating relevant and timely content
To achieve rapport with the customer or subscriber, it will be necessary to deliver content of real value.
Content may take different forms. From blog posts with extensive information, tips with less extensive information delivered only by email, podcasts with other professionals in the field or even exclusive content delivered by email or sms.
These contents must have little commercial intention, remember that the aim is to build a lasting relationship, so you will have all the time in the world for communications with a more commercial intention.
Their intention with this type of communications is above all to assume an authoritative role in relation to the topics covered in order to remain in the minds of the recipients.
Promoting two-way communication
To be successful in long-term relationships, it is absolutely necessary to promote interaction. Promote feedback, ask questions and seek answers. This is essential to deepen the relationship and gain the trust of the customer or subscriber, as well as to ultimately obtain their loyalty.
In the background, this interaction will allow obtaining more relevant data for the segmentation and personalization process.
Practical examples of two-way communication. In the communication email of a new blog post, promote criticism. Send relevant questionnaires to customers, ask them to find out their level of satisfaction with a product or service or even in relation to after-sales support or their level of satisfaction when sending an order. Openly promote the submission of suggestions for improvement.
Assigning exclusive offers and promotions
Reward customer loyalty in order to create strong bonds with them. Use email and SMS to send offers, discounts and loyalty programs in return for your support of the brand.
In these return communications, make an effort to personalize the messages. Personalization reinforces the sense of exclusivity and strengthens bonds.
Conclusion
Yes! Not only is it perfectly possible to use Email and SMS Marketing to create long-term relationships with customers, but it is also absolutely necessary to do so. The success of your business depends on creating these types of relationships.
Email and SMS are excellent channels from an economic point of view as both are extremely cheap to use.
The process of creating lasting relationships using Email and SMS Marketing is a tested process based on 6 pillars or topics. Consistency in communication, surgical communication at key moments, segmentation of the contact list to personalize messages, communication of relevant and timely content, promotion of two-way communication and allocation of exclusive offers and promotions.