Strong client relationships can be summed up in one word: loyalty. Whether you’re fundraising, trying to develop business, providing better services or gaining greater 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 farther, 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 that will relieve the symptoms. The trick is to publish the right content in the right place at the right time so when prospective clients seek out the solutions you offer through online research – they will end up coming to you for continued relief.
Unlike a traditional campaign, inbound campaigns consider the way in which visitors are learning and engaging with your company online. These methods align your marketing channels with your business development goals with the intent to create a better experience for your prospective clients. When a prospect receives and opens an email from you, they should be seeing the message on your blog, website, 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 in the form of free downloads, educational blog posts, webinars or how-to videos will help you begin to provide the much needed relief to their problems.
To get started, develop a compelling offer you think your clients cannot resist. Place this offer on your website. Promote your offer via email, blog post, and social media channels. Then measure the results. Always think about developing a client relationship for the long-term. Remember, relationships do not happen overnight – it takes some 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 there’s no relationship in it. Like a one-night stand, the client could just as easily blow you off and select your main competitor tomorrow if you haven’t established a relationship.
That’s why you need to 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 targeted specifically at them. By developing trust, you 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 then measure the response, you begin to fit together the pieces to your client puzzle. Once you develop a clearer profile of your client, 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.
