[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
Well on the surface of it, strictly speaking, no.<\/span><\/p>\n But unless you have found a magic formula, a totally unique product or service, and a totally captive audience, the simple commercial reality we all face is that competition is fierce – regardless of the size of your business.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Moreover, a belief that you have little or no competition is a recipe for disaster, no matter how true that may feel at the moment. Because sooner rather than later, someone, somewhere is also going to start doing what you do, and unless you\u2019re extremely careful and very lucky, they might even do it better than you do too.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Of course, you will already have a series of well thought out and interlinked strategies in place across your business to help counter that eventuality, right?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n If your answer to what should have been a rhetorical question is \u201cnot really\u201d, stop reading this and <\/span>immediately<\/span><\/i> read our article on <\/span>Online Marketing Strategy<\/span><\/i><\/a> instead. When you\u2019re done there, come back and carry on reading this article.<\/span><\/p>\n So, you\u2019re all set now with your fundamental cross-business resilience-providing strategies?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Good.<\/span><\/p>\n Well, here\u2019s another gem to add to your portfolio of excellence.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n And it\u2019s a cracker.<\/span><\/p>\n Seriously, you do.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n No, it\u2019s not official, it\u2019s not strictly defined, and it doesn\u2019t have its own marketing and fulfilment team or its own logo or branding within your company.<\/span><\/p>\n But it\u2019s there.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Just look at all those returning customers eagerly engaging with your well-thought-out content across your digital touchpoints. All those people actively participating in your campaigns, opening your mails, responding to your text messages, clicking through to your offers, your quizzes and competitions, your video content, your blog, your downloads, your product catalogue.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n All those people <\/span>converting<\/span><\/i>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Consistently.<\/span><\/p>\n They\u2019re<\/span><\/i> your customer club.<\/span><\/p>\n And if you\u2019ve not created one for them, perhaps it\u2019s way past time you did.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n But how?<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s worth considering that the \u201cunofficial\u201d customer club described above consists essentially of two types of customer:<\/span><\/p>\n The frequently returning customer that actively and consistently chooses your products and services over the competition.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/b><\/p>\n Your brand ambassadors, the customers that are not only regular, but actively recommend your brand to their friends and family.<\/span><\/p>\n It is these two groups that sit at the heart of your business growth, and it is these two groups that will form the core of your Customer Club. As we discuss in our article about <\/span>Customer Loyalty<\/span><\/i>, building that loyalty is essential to your continued success and <\/span>research collated by Small Business Trends<\/span><\/a> makes this abundantly clear:<\/span><\/p>\n If your data reveals a consistent pattern of both regular and loyal customers visiting your shop, you\u2019ll know that you\u2019re already doing the right sort of things to generate loyalty. If not, then a Customer Club is not the solution. Alone, it will not solve the issues you are facing \u2013 you need to find out what <\/span>else<\/span><\/i> it is that you are not doing <\/span>first<\/span><\/i> in order to make your business fly.\u00a0<\/span> [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/marketingplatform.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/keep-on-keeping-on.jpg” alt=”Red sneakers on a wooden floor that looks like a part of a boat in front of a doormat that says %22WELCOME ON BOARD%22″ title_text=”keep-on-keeping-on” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.16″ width=”80%” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n All that said and done, a Customer Club is the logical extension of the very best of your existing marketing efforts. You will use it to further optimise engagement with your most <\/span>loyal customers<\/b>, to further nudge your <\/span>regular customers<\/b> into this loyalty niche, and together with all your other wares to catch the eye of the casual passer-by that\u2019s popped in merely to have a nose around.<\/span><\/p>\n Your Customer Club can draw on any number of ideas, depending on the nature of your business and the products or services you provide.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n How you combine them to create a successful club of your own is entirely up to you, and as with all things, this will necessitate a certain degree of trial and error. But, as the old adage goes, \u201cnothing ventured, nothing gained\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n There are many tools at our disposal that you can use in building your Customer Club, such as:<\/span><\/p>\n You don\u2019t have to use all of these; your business and your available resources will dictate what is appropriate. Nor is this a definitive and exhaustive list of the tools available to you \u2013 you will find your own twist and \u201cflavour\u201d to make your club perfectly reflect your users.<\/span><\/p>\n What is always important to bear in mind – and make abundantly clear to all your prospects and existing users – is that your Customer Club is <\/span>not merely your contact list<\/span><\/i>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n It is something <\/span>special<\/span><\/i>, something <\/span>unique<\/span><\/i>, something <\/span>worthwhile<\/span><\/i>, and, critically, something <\/span>desirable<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n From a purely practical point of view, in terms of enriching and using your data creatively, building a Customer Club is a first-class tool for gathering behavioural and qualitative data, so from this perspective alone it is a very worthwhile use of your time<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Never forget that loyal and engaged customers are much more likely to offer up their pearls of wisdom and offer feedback on where you are going both right <\/span>and<\/span><\/i> wrong with your products and services, and your sales and marketing efforts.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Of course they\u2019re not, but that said, creating a worthwhile and successful club will always benefit from following the same simple set-up guidelines:<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n As with anything, having a plan is the foundation of success. Of course, this plan may change over time, it would be amazing if it didn\u2019t, and this plan may vary given the specifics of your business, but you should include the following in your plan:<\/span><\/p>\n <\/b><\/p>\n<\/span><\/h1>\n
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You already have a Customer Club<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Understanding the basics<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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A Customer Club is a brilliant tool and implemented well it will help immensely with your bottom line and your brand reputation, but it is not the answer<\/i> to a poor product, poor marketing or poor service. <\/span><\/p>\nKeep on keeping on<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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No two Customer Clubs are entirely the same\u2026<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Plan<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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