Aimless Content Marketing (Part 4): Building Customer Loyalty through Content Marketing

Content marketing has become a marketing buzzword in recent years, and some are starting to wonder if the 'hype' is slowly coming to an end. Is focusing on content really a guarantee of success?

Although there is no guarantee, with an appropriate strategy that aligns with business goals, the production, publication, and distribution of content can be a sensible approach. This series addresses the most important goals, and in this fourth part specifically, it focuses on retaining existing customers through content marketing.

Providing value, even after purchase

When a customer makes a purchase, the goal is achieved, and the conversion is made - or so one might think. In the rush to acquire new customers, many businesses overlook the enormous potential in existing customers. The user has already been convinced. If their experience was positive, it is likely they will buy again. However, even without another purchase or 'upsell,' satisfied existing customers are an asset that should not be underestimated.

Content marketing can contribute to customer satisfaction and retention, for example, by offering customers additional information about the purchased product. These could be case studies and application examples, stories about the product, ideas for its creative use, industry news, or tutorials. Buyers might appreciate recipes for the new kitchen appliance or matching decor ideas

for the new wallpaper, or a webinar or instructional videos on making the most out of newly acquired software.

Again, it pays to position the brand as an authority. This builds trust when the customer notices that, in addition to emails and posts with sales intent, there are also pieces of information published without a call-to-action, which genuinely aim to inform, answer questions, or provide inspiration. Building a community can offer significant value to businesses: A growing group of customers who identify with the brand and interact with each other, possibly even becoming private brand ambassadors and attracting more customers. This strategy is equally important in the B2B sector to establish a foundation of trust and create a relationship with the decision-makers of the company. This can be implemented through social media, but also through a blog and discussions in the comments. Also, not to be overlooked in customer retention is email marketing: Specifically, sending newsletters with unique content that customers only receive in this email, not on the blog or via social media. Here, customers can also be the first to learn about new products, receive special discounts, or be invited to surveys about new products. This gives them a sense of having special importance, perhaps even being involved in decisions. Of course, the area of customer service is also of great importance. In addition to the hotline or email address of the service team, a FAQ section can be very helpful, answering all important questions about the products and providing further information. More elaborate yet effective can be special events organized solely for customers. This could involve networking and getting to know each other, or the training of customers on certain topics, by in-house lecturers or external experts. These events do not have to be purely in-person; through the recording of lectures or providing slides for download, customers who cannot be present can also benefit.

KPIs: Returning visitors and their behavior

The vague, hard-to-measure goal is to keep existing customers satisfied, create a positive association with the brand, and be remembered or regularly brought to mind.

Specific key metrics by which target achievement can be measured include the development of returning visitors and their dwell time, as well as the time since the last visit. If the primary goal is to reactivate customers as buyers, then revenue from upsells, for example, is also an important metric. It is also worth observing other effects of customer retention: the development of newsletter subscribers or the fans and followers of various social media profiles.

All previous parts of the series 'Goals in Content Marketing':

1. Why goals and KPIs are important

2. (New) Customer acquisition through content marketing

3. Building authority and brand awareness

What we can do for you

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