Once a company has succeeded in attracting its first customers, a new challenge arises – to build and continually expand the base of buyers attached to the products. How to properly present the offerings they deliver to the market, winning the sincere trust of consumers? Here are a few ways that will quickly create a slightly stronger relationship with the customer, further strengthening their emotional attachment to the brand.
Customer base – table of contents:
- What is a customer base?
- In search of the ideal
- Can they see me?
- Profitable attachment
- Growing your customer base – why is it worth it?
What is a customer base?
When starting a business, one often comes across the statement that the success of a company is greatly influenced by an expanded customer base. However, how should we understand this concept, and does every new purchase automatically entail an expansion of our base?
The term customer base most often denotes a group of the most loyal and committed customers associated with a given company. This group can therefore be identified with our target customers, who fit perfectly into the outline of the purchasing persona already created at earlier stages. We can often distinguish such buyers by an emotional attachment to the brand resulting, for example, from the company’s tradition and history, as well as the ideas and values guiding certain business activities.
In search of the ideal
For the customer base to perform its full function, facilitating an effective market presence, you should gradually expand it. Continuous development means that, even in more difficult periods resulting, for example, from the deterioration of the general economic situation, the company keeps secure by cooperation with customers loyal to its products.
An extremely important element, therefore, is to develop an effective strategy for expanding our base. At this stage, it is worth using the potential information about the target group of consumers, which should act as a basis. Accurately characterizing the silhouette of the ideal customer allows you to focus on key strategic activities, reducing unnecessary steps that often generate additional costs.
At the same time, it is worth using the SPIN method to facilitate a better understanding not only of the customers themselves but also of the meaning of the products we offer. The name of this technique is an abbreviation of the words: situation, problem, implication and needs/benefits and is based on a conversation with a potential customer. By asking questions already developed in the right order, it becomes possible to see even the needs of customers that are invisible at first glance.
In this way, the brand gets valuable information on how to most effectively adjust the product, the way it is presented to the market and all communication with the target audience. In addition, a skillfully conducted SPIN conversation can direct the customers in such a way that they discover the need to purchase the product presented, with all its advantages.
Focusing on a defined buying persona streamlines the process of building and expanding a customer base, which as a result can be created from only the most valuable representatives for the brand. An in-depth understanding of their habits, problems and desires gives a chance to properly adjust the strategy. As a result, the released product becomes a perfect representation of customers’ greatest needs, making them unable to resist the temptation to buy.
Can they see me?
Any activity related to building relationships with customers requires the right flair. On the one hand, the basis for the proper functioning of businesses, especially those just starting, is the acquisition of new customers. On the other hand, however, you can’t forget about regular customers to whom you have been providing services for some time. The combination of these two types of activities is precisely served by a skillfully maintained customer base, which, in addition to logical maintenance, is also successively increased at the same time.
Overall brand recognition in the market proves to help maintain this type of balance. The popularity of an offering goes a long way in reassuring existing customers of the validity of their purchasing decisions, while also attracting new customers eager to test the much-touted product for themselves.
A brand can build its recognition through online activities, as well as those in the real world. A properly positioned and optimized website, skillfully managed social media, use of newsletters, promotions, offering samples, a system of recommendations or participation in various types of partner programs – these versatile tools perfectly promote a company even in a highly diversified market.
Profitable attachment
Building a customer base focuses on creating a genuine attachment of buyers to individual products or even the brand as a whole. The associated strategy should influence buyers’ perceptions of the offering strongly enough that, regardless of changes in the environment, they remain loyal to their previous purchase choices.
To this end, in addition to templated marketing efforts, companies should also bet on slightly more personalized activities that also carry an emotional charge created following their beliefs. Therefore, the advertising message created should be created based on prior analysis of the target group. This increases the likelihood of receiving positive feedback and recommendations, which become the most effective element to attract additional new buyers to the company.
A helpful tool in expanding the customer base is also a thematic blog maintained by the company, which, in addition to its pure entertainment function, also educates the audience. The blog becomes a kind of link between the brand and its customers. On the one hand, the company can publish content while advertising its products, and on the other hand, customers gain the opportunity to comment on texts, ask questions or express opinions on particular topics.
Growing your customer base – why is it worth it?
Thoughtfully building and continuously expanding our customer base greatly facilitates various marketing activities, allowing us to focus on truly relevant activities that meet specific consumer tastes. Identifying a group of customers who are genuinely interested in our product increases the chances of developing the entire business. When buyers can gain more emotional impressions in addition to tangible items, they become even more strongly attached to the brand. As a result, by expanding the customer base, the company steadily increases its reach, which ultimately strengthens its position in the market.
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The most important questions
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What is a customer base?
The term customer base is most often understood as a group of the most loyal and committed customers associated with a particular company.
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What enables the skillful application of the SPIN method?
The brand can thus gain valuable information on how to most effectively tailor the product, the form of its presence in the market and all communication with the target audience.
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What should you especially keep in mind when building your customer base?
On the one hand, the basis for the proper functioning of businesses, especially those just starting, is the acquisition of new customers. On the other, you can not forget about regular customers to whom you have been providing services for some time.
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How does developing a customer base help?
Identifying a group of customers with a real interest in our product increases the chance of developing the entire business, further strengthening the company's position in the market.