It’s no secret that customers these days are more demanding. The marketplace is now global, and there is more competition than ever before. Clients don’t want to be treated like just numbers anymore. They can be very hard to please and rightfully so, because there are a lot of options out there. It’s up to you to figure out how you can best treat your customers in order to keep them happy.

Communication is one of the key elements that consumers look for when choosing where to spend their money. You need to be able to personalize your communications, and make it easier for them to get your message. Consumers won’t go out of their way to find you, you will have to find them. Here’s how you can communicate directly with your customers to help build loyalty.

Focus Less on Outbound Marketing
Outbound marketing techniques used to dominate the advertising industry. Television, radio, newspapers and other media are not as effective as they used to be. You might reach a lot of eyeballs, but you’re hitting people who will never buy your products along with those that are mostly likely to buy. Plus, today’s buying generation is not impressed or moved by slogans and logos. They need content that is more relevant to them.

Nowadays, you have to be more targeted with your advertising and marketing efforts, and reach them where they are. Millennials and younger are on social media, reading blogs, and watching YouTube videos. Intrusive advertising won’t sway them, but ads based on their search history will keep you at the top of mind.

SMS Messaging
Text messaging still isn’t used as much as it should be for marketing. It can be a powerful tool. We are conditioned to look at our phones whenever that little text notification dings, trills, or beeps. People immediately take their phone out of their pocket to see who it is that’s messaging, and that’s assuming the phone is actually in their pocket and not their hand. No matter if they open it, you are assured that they see your content. However, SMS messages have a higher open rate than any other marketing content, including email. The chances are very high that they will see and read it.

The best thing is, you don’t have to type out every customer’s number with your thumbs. You can easily send SMS texts online that will go right to their phones. That means you can create content and mailing lists from your computer and its keyboard. Marketing is about return of investment, and SMS messaging is affordable and effective.

Social Media
Are you using social media as effectively as you could be? It’s one thing to post sales content. It’s another thing to use your platforms to connect with your customers and have them engage with you. For one, you shouldn’t only be posting sales content. In fact, most of what you post should be informative, fun, or both. This will build up trust with your audience that doesn’t want to only be sold something. Your fun posts will help build up trust, and then they will be more likely to have a favorable view of your sales content.

Of course, you also should be using social media to speak directly with consumers. If they’ve commented on a post, then reply back to them. If they have a question, then answer it. If you get a negative review, see what you can do to make it right. You won’t only impress the person who left the review, but you will also make an impression on people reading it. They will then know that you are a responsible company who takes care of their clients.

Add Personality
Much like consumers no longer want to be faceless numbers on a spreadsheet, they also don’t want to deal with companies that are faceless, either. That’s why when you are creating content, make sure that you show some of the personalities behind the brand. Have a “story of your business” on your website, Talk about your family and interests, and what motivates you.

You can also have videos that show your operations, and highlight certain employees every month. Do a livestream where customers can ask questions or give feedback. If you show that there are real people behind your brand, consumers will no doubt connect and relate to them. Again, you aren’t marketing or advertising to them, but you are building a connection that will lead to sales.

The Takeaway
Creating an outbound marketing campaign is hard. You never know how a concept will be received, and if it’s a failure, you may not be able to correct it until it’s too late. However, connecting on a personal level with your customers is powerful, and you can pivot if something isn’t working. The fact is, the competition out there is intense. You may have to invest some more time and creativity into marketing, but it’s cheaper, and you will reap the benefits. If you know your audience, create content for them, and reach them where they are, you will be ahead of the game.