6 ways to retain your customers, here are some a very simple ways to be thinking about them.

It’s that time of year when we all say our happy wishes, send out cards let everyone know we are thinking about them in this holiday season. I haven’t even hit the Holiday Cheer button yet..although I was singing along with other people this morning Happy Holidays, White Christmas…it seems a little too early yet. How about you?

Most of the people I know are still talking about how to measure customer retention, what marketing can be done for 2012, it’s a bit of a planning season. It’s all good! What are your plans to retain your customers or even your subscribers to your newsletters?

What is Customer Retention? Maybe the question ought to be why do your readers and customers stay with you?

For example if you looked as your past results over the last 6 months what has be reflected back to you? When have your readers or customers dropped off or increased?

I have to say, since I decided to focus my attention to the audience of Artists or other creative professionals I have had an increase of 50% rather than a decrease. Your ultimate rating of your customers should be based on a long term measurement, not just a short term evaluation.

For example, you have a coffee shop one person comes in and buys a cup of coffee – do they return? Using a coffee card is a great way to measure their frequency, at the end of 10 cups of coffee you can see how often they have come in… This is a great way to measure the lifetime of your customer, how many more can you stand to have?

How about Zappo’s, why are their customers so loyal?

• 365 day return policy
• Free shipping both ways when you want to return something
• They are passionate and determined to serve their customers and have fun doing it

If you get a chance to read Tony Hsieh Happiness Book, I would highly recommend it. It’s a great read and the staff are asked to say what’s on their mind in the company and participate in the companies promotional materials. How many companies actually even ask?

What other ways can you drive your customers to spend more from you?

• Are you giving them articles, reports updates to fit your specific audience.
• By communicating your offers they’ll respond back to you, by coming in to see you, buying more, be in the know of what you do
• What you offer will help with keeping your readers and customers.

If you are always shouting and not sharing this will cause some rift or decrease. We all need to ‘retain our customers.”

Here’s 6 ways to retain your customers to consider in doing for 2012:

1. Build a single database of customers, fans, or categories in your business
2. Prioritize Engagement – what kind of information you share, articles, pictures and encourage your readers/customers to share theirs
3. Identify the most important people – fans, customers, frequent buyers, advocates, word of mouth marketers.
4. Give value – once you have id’s who they are what kind of value do they respond to? Do you offer a loyalty card, a coffee card, points, giveaways
5. Tie into other Loyalty programs if you have one. ie. 100 Facebook points = $1 towards their purchases
6. Communicate what you are offering them. Use Social Media i.e. FaceBook, Twitter, LinkedIn etc to inform them.