Strong client relationships can be summed up in one word: loyalty. Whether you’re fundraising, trying to develop business, providing better services, or gaining more significant market share, inbound marketing is the method you should use to build strong client relationships and reach your goals. After all, if you spend all your time on outbound marketing and none on inbound, you’re like a doctor who uses bloodletting to cure a headache. The technique may date back further, but it’s much less effective than modern-day solutions.
Consider these inbound marketing approaches that help you build strong client relationships:
Develop a Campaign That Addresses a Need
Never attempt to tell clients what they want. Instead, strive to better understand a specific pain point and build a campaign to relieve the symptoms. The trick is to publish the right content in the right place at the right time so prospective clients will come to you for continued relief when they seek the solutions you offer through online research.
Unlike a traditional campaign, inbound campaigns consider how visitors learn and engage with your company online. These methods align your marketing channels with your business development goals to create a better experience for prospective clients. When prospects receive and open your email, they should see the message on your blog, website, and social media. When your message is consistent across all channels, you will encourage conversion.
Don’t Sell -- Make People Want to Work With You
Strive to educate or entertain your clients to establish yourself as a knowledgeable firm they want to associate with. Create content that your audiences will love. Providing educational or helpful information through free downloads, academic blog posts, webinars, or how-to videos will help you begin to provide much-needed relief to your problems.
To get started, develop a compelling offer you think your clients cannot resist. Place this offer on your website. Promote your request via email, blog posts, and social media channels. Then measure the results. Always think about developing a client relationship for the long term. Remember, connections do not happen overnight – it takes time to advance your intentions and be consistent with your efforts. You will find your efforts will be well worth the journey.
Nurturing Strong Relationships
Situations where the client gets what they want and your client makes a profit cannot be called a mutually beneficial relationship. Sure, it’s a mutually beneficial transaction, but it has no relationship. Like a one-night stand, the client could just as quickly blow you off and select your main competitor tomorrow if you haven’t established a relationship.
That’s why you must harbor trust and build strong client relationships with everyone who works with you. Make your clients feel like business partners so they're less inclined to up and leave you. Do this by consistently nurturing leads with helpful information explicitly targeted at them. Developing trust will pave the way for repeat business, referrals, and long-term contracts.
Are you beginning to understand how traditional and inbound marketing differ? Inbound marketing is really about engaging with your audiences. When you produce a compelling offer, promote this offer through your marketing channels, and measure the response, you begin to fit together the pieces to your client puzzle. Once you develop a more apparent client profile, you will have the components for creating content that your prospective clients will love.
For more tips on how to build strong client relationships through inbound marketing, contact Colosi Marketing today.
Image via Dollar Photo Club.
