Marketing to your existing customers

Existing customers are one of the most powerful tools a small business has. They fuel 80 percent of your business and they are a wonderful way to market your business through word-of-mouth marketing campaigns. Spending money on existing customers makes complete sense because you don't have to worry about doing the initial hard selling anymore. Instead you are focusing on convincing them to come back since they already had a good experience and this really isn't too hard to do. Here are some great tips that you may find useful as you are marketing to existing customers:

Tip # 1 - Loyalty
Customers love it when a company comes knocking at their door instead of the other way around. Show them you are loyal to them by sending them thank-you cards, birthday cards, discounts, and other things that will keep them in the loop. Once and awhile you may offer them a free product when the purchase something else. Make this product exclusive to returning customers so they know that not everyone will be able to get the product.

Tip # 2 - Recycling
One of the great ways to get your customers back in your store is to set up a recycling program. Encourage customers to bring in their old, worn out products and put a few dollars toward the purchase of a new one. This strategy is used by Nike as they have shoe bins in practically every store to encourage customers to recycle their old shoes. These shoes are then turned into things like Frisbees, license plate covers, and even football friends. Another great way to bring your existing customers back into your store is to hold a donation drive and encourage your customers to bring in something to donate. It's a fun way to help out some people in need and to have some one-on-one time with your existing customers.

Tip # 3 - Testers
A wonderful way to help your existing customers feel needed by the company is to contact them and ask them if they would be willing to test some new products you are thinking about launching. Have them try a few different things and don't forget to mention where they can purchase it in case they like it and are ready to buy. While you have their ear, tell them how much you appreciate their support and how beneficial it is to rely on them to help your small business grow.

Tip # 4 - Loyalty cards
Several businesses use loyalty cards to strengthen their relationships with their existing customers. Loyalty cards will provide customers with some type of discount if they purchase a certain number of products. Usually it's some gimmick like "buy 5 get 1 free". It's a cheap and easy way to hook in your existing customers to keep them coming back for more. The trick is to make sure you treat them well so they will have a strong desire to continue coming back for more.

Tip # 5 - Referral programs
Another great way to show your existing customers you need them is to ask them for some referrals. Offer them some type of discount or reward if they submit some new names to the company that you can use to fuel your business. Referral programs work wonders for a lot of businesses if you can get the right names submitted. Be sure to tell your customers that they will get a reward if they submit good names to the company. You don't want them to pull up some names from the phone book and claim that they know this person because it will cause a lot of problems when you are cold calling this individual and using the other person's name to help seal the deal with them.