Digital customer appreciation is the best compliment! Nothing compares to the excitement small business owners feel when we receive positive feedback, reviews, testimonials, or shares. Social media shoutouts and Google gold stars launch a surge of pride that makes all the hard work worthwhile. Did you know these small tokens of digital customer appreciation can also translate to better traffic, engagement, and sales? Join GreenCup Digital as we share some of our favorite forms of digital love and detail how you can encourage customers to craft love notes of their own!
Testimonials
One of the most attractive facets of shopping small is a small business’s ability to provide dedicated customer support and individualized customer attention. Utilize these traits for your benefit by connecting with some of your repeat customers and asking them to provide you with a written description of their experiences. It helps to have a template, questionnaire, or example to share with them to help focus their thoughts and provide a basic framework around their perspective. Bonus points if your customers also own a small business; by sharing their testimonial with a link to their business, you’re forming a circle of digital customer appreciation with twice the love!
The GreenCup team jumped in – they understood my audience, wrote in my voice, and created compelling content that is timely, relevant, well researched, and more elevated, than anything I could do! I would recommend GreenCup Digital to people who need great content, social media management, and website creation!
Reviews
Online reviews are the bread and butter of consumer behavior and decision-making. They are incredibly important to your digital presence and provide a highly-desired feedback loop for potential customers. Asking for reviews can be tricky, but they are worth the effort! Start by requesting reviews from close customers, like trusted family and friends who use your products and services. Once you have a few stars under your belt, expand your review requests to all customers through e-newsletters, social media, or clever inserts in your packaging. You can also elicit the help of a few automated feedback tools that collect feedback data for you through online surveys.
Social Media Shout-Outs
Social media shares are the most thrilling forms of digital customer appreciation because of one very simple concept: the chance to go viral. Every share, mention, and tag begs the question, “Is this it? Am I going viral?” It’s incredibly easy to get swept away by the intoxicating possibility of becoming blue-check-certified and gaining millions of followers. Don’t forget, however, that even a single share magnifies your reach substantially and opens new windows into your business for potential customers.
Dr. Liz White, Peters Family Dentistry
A great strategy to use when trying to encourage social media shares is to lead by example. Don’t be afraid to shout out other small business owners and showcase your desire to form a collaborative community of makers and service providers. Similarly, be responsive and present with customers who take time out of their day to engage with your social media accounts. Reply to comments, answer questions, and provide quick and easy gestures of gratuity with a simple thank you. Nothing will close customers off quicker than a small business that doesn’t acknowledge digital customer appreciation!
Swag
What do you get when you mix one part physical swag with two parts digital promotion? Unlimited marketing possibilities! With $8.5 billion spent each year on billboard ads, we can’t yet discount the power of physical logo and brand recognition. Mix up your digital marketing by combining branded items with online promotion. Gift your customers and clients a branded mug, pen, sticker, or hat, and then ask your customers to snap a shot of the item in action! Publish these swag snaps across your social media accounts, blogs, and e-newsletters for further impact and to continue spreading the love across all platforms.
Courtney V., Boulder Longevity Institute
Don K., Grand Rapids Marathon
Digital customer appreciation is an exciting, motivating source of pride and joy for all small business owners. Ensure your customers can easily show their digital appreciation by eliciting support with creative marketing strategies. Need a sounding board to help get started? GreenCup Digital can get your social media accounts, website, and e-newsletters perfectly primed for digital customer appreciation. Connect with us here to learn more about our digital marketing service and how we can transform your customers’ words of thanks into future sales.
