I see a lot of money and effort being spent on marketing and resources to acquire new customers. This can be effective, but it also can be a very saturated and costly space to spend your time and capital. Recently, I saw a retailer who was directing their message and efforts to their existing customer base and had created this strong community that was growing their business and spreading the retailer’s message for them.
Here are a few things I saw the floor covering retailer doing:
1. Offering referral rewards upon purchase.
2. Sending birthday notes.
3. Drawing for prizes for those who shared positive reviews, pictures and recommendations on social media.
4. Facilitating annual appreciation gatherings such as BBQs at the store.
5. Creating fun challenges like a community rock hunt with daily clues, maps and prizes.
Consumers are hit with such mass marketing and gimmicks that at times the purchasing process can be intimidating and uneventful. When it’s all said and done, we all seek to connect with people in our community and grow. This retailer had found a creative way to generate new connections/prospects through their existing customer base. They built a strong, engaged community willing to deliver their message for them.
– Trevor Parvinen