If there’s one thing the digital age is synonymous with, it’s information. As such, there’s little wonder as to why so many modern consumers meticulously stay up to date with their favorite brands and businesses. Additionally, businesses that fail to keep patrons in the know often have trouble generating fresh interest and retaining existing customers.
So, if your small business could stand to do a better job of providing customers – and prospective customers – with pertinent info, consider the following pointers. As you’ll find, there’s no shortage of ways to keep patrons informed in 2022.
Social Media.
In addition to enabling people to stay in touch with friends and family members, social media provides them with a convenient vehicle for staying current with their favorite brands and businesses. In fact, you’d be hard-pressed to find a modern-day consumer who doesn’t follow a handful of businesses on social media. So, if your business’s current approach to social media is lacking – or completely nonexistent – now would be the time to course correct.
To start with, make a point of creating accounts for your business on such social media mainstays as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Next, make sure to update each of these accounts on a daily basis. Keep in mind that the ideal number of daily posts varies from platform to platform. Whereas short-form platforms like Twitter should be updated multiple times per day, platforms that allow lengthier posts (such as Facebook) should only receive one or two daily updates. Additionally, since posts can be reused across multiple platforms, you needn’t worry about creating wholly original posts for each of your accounts on a daily basis.
Not only do popular social platforms enable you to keep customers abreast of what’s happening within your business, they also allow you to directly communicate with followers in a hassle-free manner. Since you’re bound to receive questions and comments from both current and prospective customers via social media, take care to approach such communiques in the same manner as any other customer interaction. This entails exhibiting the utmost courtesy, expressing gratitude and providing timely responses.
Digital Newsletters.
Although traditional newsletters have largely gone the way of the dodo, digital newsletters have stepped in to take their place. Since digital newsletters are easier to produce and distribute than print-based ones, they can be created at a far more expedient pace and delivered directly to your patrons’ inboxes. With a digital newsletter, you’ll be able to provide your customers with more detailed information than you’d be able to convey through social media posts, thereby giving them the clearest possible picture of what’s happening inside your business.
If neither you nor any of your team members have experience authoring newsletters, it may be a good idea to enlist the services of professional writers. Simply provide these individuals with a broad outline of what you wish to convey through each newsletter and let them work their magic. Of course, to ensure that all the information contained therein is accurate, make sure to go over each newsletter with a fine-toothed comb before proceeding to send it out.
Depending on how often you intend to release your newsletter and how much success it generates, you may want to consider extending full-time opportunities to some of the writers you’re working with.
Bulk Texting.
If you’re ever looking to make short-form announcements outside of social media, sending a bulk text should get the job done. As the name implies, a bulk text will be sent to every customer who’s provided you with their phone number and keep them apprised of the latest goings-on within your business. So, if you’re hoping to spread the word to a large number of people within a short span of time, bulk texting may be right up your alley.
Staying informed has become more important to consumers than ever in the digital age. With a growing number of us following our favorite brands on social media and regularly visiting the websites of our favorite small businesses, there’s no denying that society has become addicted to information. That being the case, it’s in every business’s best interest to provide patrons – and prospective patrons – with up-to-the-minute info on a consistent basis. Business owners who are unclear on how to go about this would do well to consider the pointers discussed above.
