Fans. Impressions. Likes. Views. Follows.

Yes, these metrics are all well and good. But these are all reliant on third party sites that consistently change the rules to suit their business, not yours.

The most valuable asset is your owned prospect or acquisition database that you can nurture to making that initial purchase. Blending database marketing with other media can supercharge the growth of your customer base.

With online shopping making up around 30% of all UK retail purchases, and 17.2m Brits planning to switch to online shopping permanently, it’s easy for businesses to feel disconnected from potential customers.

Image Source: – ONS

But this need not be the case. Thanks to technology, and automation there are now endless methods to engage with your audience and encourage that all-important purchase.

In fact, we’ve come up with 21 ways for you to do just that. How many are you doing?!

1.

Newsletters

Start by making sure your brand is at the front of potential customers’ minds by sending out regular and engaging newsletter. This is a great opportunity to shout about your latest products, promotions, and happy customers.

2.

Email personalisation

The inbox can be a busy place. So remember to incorporate elements of personalisation within your emails. From first name or company name, through to recent and related purchases.

3.

Nurture email series

First impressions count. So make sure yours is a good one by sending welcome emails to new subscribers and then nurturing them towards their first purchase

4.

Browse abandonment campaigns

Help turn those window shoppers into regular customers by sending retargeting emails when a visitor finishes browsing your website, without buying.

5.

Basket abandonment

Did you know that 69% of consumers abandon their carts? Don’t let that potential customer slip away. Instead, remind them of what they have left behind and tempt them back to purchase.

6.

Add links to email signatures

Incorporate links to data capture campaigns into the emails signatures of your customer-facing teams. This could be your newsletter sign up, latest competition, or exclusive membership options.

7.

Collect email addresses in-store

If you have bricks and mortar stores, consider collecting email addresses so that you can keep in touch, online. This could be in the form of a store membership offering your latest news and discounts.

8.

Gated content

Gated content can refer to a guide, report, competition, or VIP membership. To access this content, users have to hand over their contact details. In return, you can keep in touch with them and nurture them into paying customers.

9.

Loyalty programs

Encourage potential customers to become long-term advocates with the use of VIP and loyalty programs. Consider including rewards, exclusive offers, and early-bird offers.

10.

Encourage content sharing

Continuously encourage your audience to share your content to increase your reach with potential customers. This can easily be done by incorporating sharing icons on your emails, landing pages, blogs, and social media pages.

11.

Free trial or sample

Offer potential customers a free trial or sample of your product. This is a great way to prove the value of what you have to offer, or entice them into making a purchase.

12.

Free tool or resource

Offering a free online tool or resource to your audience is a great way to improve brand awareness and positive sentiment. As well as offering a taste of your end product. In return they can hand over their email address so that you can continue to engage with them.

13.

Competitions and promotions

Grow and engage your audience with the use of competitions, prize draws, and giveaways. This is a fantastic way to gather data as well as increase your brand’s exposure. (Although be mindful of GDPR rules)

14.

Website personalisation

Avoid offering the same one-size-fits-all website experience to all of your audience. Give visitors more of what they really want with product recommendations, dynamic targeted content, and personalised calls to action.

15.

Social media promotion

Whether you want to launch a new product, promote an offer, or run a new campaign, social media offers the ability to quickly share your brand with an engaged audience. An engaged community will even help promote your brand to similar audiences.

16.

Social proof

Case studies, testimonials, and reviews all offer the social proof that potential customers search for before buying. So include them on your website, social media channels, and review sites.

17.

Partner promotions

Similarly, if you work with partner brands then team up with them for some additional promotion. Tap into their audience and reinforce that you are a business they can trust.

18.

Influencer marketing

If there are influencers in your industry who really engage with your audience, start building up a positive relationship with them. If you’re a brand they love, they’ll be happy to recommend you to their community.

19.

Online and offline events

Share your experience, thoughts, and suggestions through events. Both online and offline. This could be in the form of a product launch, taster day, webinar, or workshop.

20.

AB testing

AB test your emails, landing pages, and campaigns to determine what works best when converting new customers. Then incorporate these findings into your marketing to help build your customer base

21.

Listen to your current customers

No source is more valuable in understanding potential customers than your current customer base. So ask them why they bought from you. How their experience was. And how you can improve. Just be sure to implement these findings to see the benefits.

Looking for more ways to grow your customer base?

We’re always up for a challenge. So if 21 methods aren’t enough for you. We can offer even more.
Simply get in touch with one of our friendly experts who are always on hand to offer help and advice.