Are you struggling to grow your business and get ahead of the competition? Leveraging your current customers could help you secure new leads and cut costs. After all, your current customers already understand and love your business. 

Learning how to keep your customers happy can have a major impact on your business. In fact, your chances of selling to an existing customer are 14 times higher than selling to a new one. Meanwhile, improving customer retention by 5% can increase your profits by up to 95%.

Existing customers are even 50% more likely to try new products and spend 31% more than new customers.

If you want to grow your business, take the time to prioritize your customers as part of your digital marketing strategy. Not sure where to start?

Keep reading to discover 10 ways working with your existing customers can help your business grow.

1. Send Out a Survey

About 91% of consumers prefer to shop from brands that offer recommendations with their interests in mind. Another 80% are more likely to buy from brands that provide a personalized experience.

Before you can personalize your digital marketing strategy, it helps to learn as much as you can from your existing customer base.

The best way to learn about their preferences is to start talking to customers who already love your business. Sending out a survey for customers can help you recognize what you're doing right and wrong.

As you collect this valuable insight from your existing customers, you can discover new ways to improve. Making adjustments to personalize your brand with your ideal customers in mind can help you generate more business. 

Try to craft questions that will help you understand the customer's experience.

You can ask:

• What expectations do you have from our brand?
• Are you satisfied with our customer service?
• What changes would you recommend?
• How would you describe your overall experience?
• Would you recommend us to a friend?
• Did our product or service meet or exceed your expectations?
• Would you buy from our brand again? Why or why not?

These questions can help you make adjustments to your current business model. Otherwise, you might make changes that fail to respond to your customers' needs. If you don't identify your weaknesses and make changes, you might fail to attract new customers. 

2. Stay Social

As you begin talking to customers, don't forget to listen, too. You can use social listening to learn more about what people are saying about your brand.

Many people don't hesitate to share their experiences with their online community. Social listening will help you learn more about their experiences (good and bad). You can also use social media to remain responsive.

About 50% of people follow one to four brands on social media. Social media marketing is a great way to develop a relationship with your customers. As people comment on your posts or mention your business, don't forget to respond back.

Remaining responsive will show consumers that you strive to fix their problems and offer helpful solutions. Current and prospective customers will see the exemplary customer service you have to offer.

After all, over 70% of consumers love a brand that offers great customer service. With social media, you can improve your customer service efforts.

Ignoring your customers on social media, however, could cause you to lose opportunities to make improvements and forge relationships.

3. Request Reviews

About 91% of people regularly read online reviews. Another 84% trust reviews as much as a personal recommendation. Online reviews could sway a prospective customer's opinion about your business.

Ask your existing customer base if they're interested in posting reviews on your Google My Business listing or website. In addition to text reviews, you can also create testimonial videos. Giving your existing customers a voice can encourage prospective customers to trust your brand.

A few other benefits of testimonials include:

• Boosting brand awareness and recognition
• Establishing brand trust and credibility
• Opportunities to learn more from your customers
• Shareability
• Overcome skepticism
• Develop your sales pitch
• Local search engine optimization (SEO)

Requesting reviews and testimonials from your existing customers can help you build your online reputation. Adding testimonials as social proof on your website can also benefit your search engine ranking. The higher you rank, the more often consumers will see your business.

A higher ranking can benefit your brand awareness, recognition, trust, and credibility, too. 

If on-the-fence consumers recognize why people just like them already trust your brand, they'll become more likely to trust you, too. 

4. Know When to Reconnect

If you decide on talking to customers, make sure not to waste their time. Instead, know when to reconnect by focusing on moments that are convenient for your customers. 

Contacting your customers without a reason could waste their time (as well as your own). Try to have a purpose for each interaction. For example, maybe you want to give your previous customers early access to new products or services.

You can also use text marketing services to send new promotions to your audience.

Show your existing customers how much you appreciate them. Each time you reconnect, consider new incentives for customers to encourage them back to your business.

That way, they appreciate you contacting them.

Otherwise, you could risk frustrating existing customers and lose repeat business.

5. Create a Referral Program

About 65% of a company's business comes from existing customers. Meanwhile, 75% of consumers favor companies that reward them for their loyalty. You can leverage your existing customers to reach new customers through a referral program.

You can even incentivize your referral program by rewarding your existing customers for each referral!

A referral program can benefit your business two-fold. First, you'll attract new customers to your business. By rewarding existing customers for referrals with coupons and discounts, you can also re-engage those customers.

Then, you're generating repeat sales and spreading the word about your business!

Try to gamify your referral program. Make it fun and worth your customers' time. A compelling, engaging referral program can encourage your customers to participate.

Without an incentive, however, they might not find it worth their time.   

6. Invite Them Out

You can also connect with your existing customers in person.

Schedule a time to take your customers out for a meal or drink. During these meetings, thank your customers for their business. You can also use this time to learn more about your customers.

Inviting your customers out for a conversation is more personal than sending out surveys. Make the most of these meetings by sparking in-depth conversations. Don't forget to make a note of their concerns and suggestions.

Then, you can show your customers you listened by making proactive changes to your business plan. 

You can also plan private events once or twice a year for your top customers or prospective clients. Make sure these events are exclusive and invitation-only. Exclusivity will show your customers how much you value their business.

Try to choose a nice venue for these events, too. Going out of your way to choose a nice restaurant or hotel will help customers recognize they're getting special treatment. 

Let your guests bring a plus-one. That way, you're attracting new, potential clients. You can meet them in person, then follow up with an email.

Thank your guests for coming before reminding them about the products and services you have to offer. 

7. Communicate Your Gratitude

Take the time to remind your customers you're thinking of them. You can send small cards in the mail to wish your customers a happy birthday or seasonal greetings. A quick, personalized message in the mail that expresses your thanks can help you continuously connect with your customers.

Don't forget to segment your subscription lists. Whether you're sending printed cards or emails, segmentation can help you personalize your messages. That way, customers feel more connected to the message you send them. 

8. Discover Advocates

Working with brand advocates is another great way to leverage your existing customer base. Brand advocates are already in love with your business; you don't have to convince them. They'll speak on your behalf to help you reach new customers.

Have your advocates post about your brand on their websites, social media, and other marketing channels. As they rave about your business, they'll help you boost brand awareness.

Don't forget to use incentives for customers to reward your brand advocates for all their help.

9. Nurture and Retain

A typical American business loses about 15% of its customers annually. With that in mind, about 32% of executives prioritize retaining their existing customers.

Take the time to nurture your existing customers without thinking about the new clients you could gain. Your company's growth exists because of these customers.

Look for new ways to make your customers happy. Don't forget to listen to their concerns and needs. You can learn more about this mobile marketing program to nurture and retain your customers.

10. Track the Data

As you use these tips, don't forget to review the data. You can integrate your CRM with an automation platform to keep track of your existing customers. A CRM can help you determine which customers need more nurturing and attention.

Marketing automation can also make it easier for you to manage your efforts and collect valuable data. Then, use this data to further improve your digital marketing strategy.

Give Business a Boost: 10 Tips for Leveraging Your Customer Base

Your customers are the key to long-term business success. By learning how to leverage your existing customer base, you can find new customers, too. Then, you can boost your business and get ahead of the competition!

Want more sales from your existing customers? Contact us today to get started with mobile marketing!