B2B tech companies are not always tackling the fact that there are varying levels of engagement across their customer base. Some customers make the most of the company portfolio, while others keep to isolated services. So how to give the needed attention to a diverse pool of contacts while keeping sales focus in check?
It’s essential to recognize your most engaged customers and foster long-term relationships with them. One of the most effective ways to improve relationships with top tier customers is implementing a customer advocacy program that will not only make them feel appreciated, but will also render you authentic brand ambassadors.
Here are some of the ways advocates receive and utilise this control.
1. 3rd-Party endorsement for establishing customer trust
Perfect digital presentation is not enough for a tech business survival, because customers are all too well-informed. What is often the decisive factor is still the human touch: third-party endorsement.
Advocacy programs are necessary for the B2B customer to make a choice. Trust is not measurable, so if common work or joint studies get publicity, this is material that wants circulating as widely as possible. Maximise your opportunity to rouse customer interest and raise your brand’s standing. This is not just idle theory. The number of B2B vendors using customer advocacy programs is on the rise.
2. Customer success and advocacy leads to retention
With your customer advocacy program now operational, you need to identify your key drivers and go that extra mile to carefully nurture collaboration. Listen to them and improve.
B2B tech companies should be looking for customer advocates in every vertical they service to help increase awareness of the program. Engaging customers this way provides the necessary permission to repeatedly contact them and reinforce brand messaging. Of course, a new lead or even sale from such an advocate rightly deserves a reward. What is your strategy?
3. Retention used for fresh capture
Customer advocacy gives B2B tech companies the opportunity to use customer capture programs. Referral marketing is the planned, expandable mechanism by which existing customers can inform colleagues, partners, even new customers of your company and what you offer.
Since prospective purchasers naturally seek opinions about new products or services before purchasing, the way referral marketing works is to connect prospects with customer advocates. However, each customer is bound to engage differently.
Knowing who the most engaged customers are is a first step in establishing binding ties with them. Fostering relationships to engage the best customers become is one of customer advocacy programs’ main benefits.
B2B companies are realizing fast the key role customer advocacy programs can play. In fact, over the past two years, the percentage of B2B businesses with customer advocacy programs has risen from just one in ten to over two thirds.
How are you engaging your top customers? If there is still room for improvement, contact our brand specialists to evaluate your base communication and ignite customer dialogue.
