Objective 3 of Digital Marketing:

Customer retention

Definition: Customer retention refers to a company’s ability to turn customers into repeat buyers
and prevent them from switching to a competitor.

Customer retention is very important in digital marketing because it is far more cost-effective to
retain existing customers than it is to acquire new ones. The following are some of the reasons why
customer retention is important in digital marketing:

1. It increases customer lifetime value: When you retain customers, they are more likely to make
repeat purchases, which increases their lifetime value. A loyal customer is also more likely to
recommend your business to others, leading to new customer acquisition.

2. It builds brand loyalty: When you provide a positive customer experience, it builds brand loyalty.
Loyal customers are more likely to stick with your brand through thick and thin, and are less likely to
be swayed by your competitors.

3. It reduces customer acquisition costs: Acquiring new customers can be expensive, especially in
the digital marketing space. Retaining existing customers can save you money on marketing and
advertising costs, allowing you to allocate your resources more effectively.

4. It improves customer satisfaction: Happy customers are more likely to provide positive reviews,
which can attract new customers. Additionally, retaining customers allows you to better understand
their needs and preferences, which can help you improve your products or services.

5. It increases profitability: Retaining customers increases profitability because loyal customers are
more likely to make larger purchases and to purchase more frequently.

In summary, customer retention is essential for the long-term success of any business. By investing
in strategies to retain your existing customers, you can build brand loyalty, increase customer
lifetime value, reduce customer acquisition costs, and ultimately increase profitability.

Strategies for retaining customers in Digital Marketing

1. Respond to customer support queries quickly: This will provide excellent customer service.
Providing excellent customer service is crucial for retaining customers. Respond promptly to
customer inquiries and complaints, and go above and beyond to meet their needs. Ideally, speedier
replies will go hand in hand with faster resolutions. But even if you can’t solve a ticket immediately,
it still pays to respond to the customer ASAP.

A quick reply can be a short message letting the customer know you received their question. Or,
better yet, provide an estimate for how long it will take to solve their problem. Read more here

Customers are more willing to wait if they know you’re actively working towards a solution; setting
time frame expectations upfront helps.

2. Personalize the customer experience: Personalization is key to retaining customers. Use customer
data to personalize emails, promotions, and product recommendations. Customers feel frustrated
when they have to explain an issue over and over. And exhausting, repetitive interactions make
customers more likely to leave. Equip agents with the tools they need in a customer service solution
to easily pull customer information, view the conversation history, and streamline conversations.
3. Offer incentives and loyalty programs: Incentives and loyalty programs can encourage customers
to make repeat purchases. Consider offering discounts, free shipping, or exclusive access to new
products. Increase customer retention by rewarding customers who are loyal to your company. By
showing customers you appreciate their business, you provide them with yet another reason
(besides your great product) to stick around.

To buy your business some customer goodwill, consider offering:

• Loyalty programs

• Discount codes

• Special offers

• VIP events

• Early-access benefits

There are several types of loyalty programs, from points-based systems to tiered rewards. These
incentives help collect detailed customer data which allows your business to offer more personalized
experiences and messaging.

4. Engage with customers on social media: Engaging with customers on social media can help build
brand loyalty. Respond to comments and messages promptly, and use social media to provide
exclusive content and promotions.

5. Provide valuable content: Providing valuable content, such as blog posts or educational resources,
can help retain customers by providing them with helpful information and positioning your brand as
an authority in your industry.

6. Ask for feedback: Asking for customer feedback shows that you value their opinions and can help
you improve your products or services. Use customer feedback to make improvements and show
customers that their feedback is taken seriously. Customer feedback is one of the most valuable
tools to increase customer retention and reduce churn rates. If you want to know what is and isn’t
working for your customers, it helps to hear it straight from the horse’s mouth.

Give customers a voice by conducting surveys. Customer satisfaction surveys can be as simple as
asking for a “thumbs up or thumbs down” after resolving a ticket; but it’s especially useful to ask
more specific questions, such as:

• How would you describe your experience with our product?

• What isn’t working for you and why?

• Which of the following channels do you prefer using for customer support?

Additionally, supplement your surveys with feedback from customer service team members. They’re
closest to customers and can identify common complaints and general preferences.

7. Make the checkout process seamless: A seamless checkout process can help retain customers by
making it easy for them to complete their purchases. Make sure your checkout process is user-
friendly and streamlined.
8. Offer omnichannel support to reach customers where they are

Omnichannel support is an excellent tool for customer retention. It allows agents to access
contextual information about clients across various platforms to curate highly personalized
experiences.

Aside from the ability to execute conversational sales and support strategies, it also creates a better
CX for clientele. When businesses offer omnichannel support, customers can chat with a person on
the platform of their choice and receive faster resolutions.

B2: Digital strategies to meet target objectives

There are several Digital Strategies that can be used to meet the target objectives of digital
marketing. These are:

· Content marketing – relevance, pressure to keep refreshed.

· Paid search advertising.

· Search engine optimisation.

· Social media marketing.

· Video marketing.

· Video blogging (vlogging).

· Email marketing.

· Mobile applications (apps).

· QR codes.

· Responsive web design

A: CONTENT MARKETING

Definition: Content marketing is a strategic approach that involves creating and distributing

valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and engage a target audience.

● The goal of content marketing is to drive profitable customer action, build brand awareness,
establish thought leadership, and foster long-term relationships with customers.

What is Content

Product/Service information, Blog, Feature, Article, Technical Content, Product Description, Product
Picture, Customer Review, Knowledge Share, Presentation, Infographic, eBrochure, eCatalog, eBook,
Webinar, Video /Explainer Video, Live Videos, Podcast, Animation, Forum participation, Business
listing, Affiliating, Microblogging, Story telling, social media Calendar, Post & Update, Emailer,
Newsletter, Question Answers etc
Content marketing is not about your brand, products or services. Rather, it's about your audience
and providing them with useful content that they will want to keep coming back to. For this reason,
it is important to consider what your audience cares about. When you use content marketing, you
are giving your customers relevant and helpful information on topics that matter to them, which will
often lead to new audiences discovering your company. It also allows you to gain trust with your
current customers. This will help you create relationships, grow an engaged subscriber base and
increase profits. The end goal of content marketing is to drive profitable customer action.

Importance of Content Marketing

● Content marketing helps businesses establish credibility and authority in their industry.

● It generates leads, increases website traffic, and improves search engine optimization

(SEO) efforts.

● Content marketing allows businesses to connect with their target audience on a deeper

level, fostering trust and loyalty.

● It provides value to customers by offering informative, educational, or entertaining

content.

Content marketing raises awareness of solutions and educates consumers about products they may
have never considered before. It satisfies the first two stages of the buying process—recognizing
needs and wants and searching for information.

When potential clients come across your content and find value in it, they are already convinced
they want your product or service by the time they contact you. This means you don't have to
engage in high-pressure sales tactics because they already trust you. In general, the return on
investment for your content marketing can be phenomenal if it is executed the right way.

Why should a business use content marketing

Here are some reasons a business may want to consider using content marketing to improve
business:

• To be found by potential customers: People are looking for information via search engines, and a
business wants to be the one answering their questions. The business needs to be at the top of the
search results. It can achieve this objective by providing valuable answers via blog posts, e-books,
videos and other content.
• To build an audience that is interested and engaged: The content should attract audience
members and invite them to engage with your business as subscribers or customers. Once the
business has an identifiable audience, its content efforts will help gather customer insights, increase
sales and stimulate the most ardent followers as brand promoters.

•To acquire new customers: Content marketing can be a powerful way to generate revenue. Once
the business builds an audience that trusts it, they are more likely to buy business products.

• To increase revenue with existing customers: Another reason a business can use content
marketing is to increase loyalty among its current customers, which has the potential to increase
sales revenue through cross-selling or up-selling. In some cases, a business can monetize the content
itself.

• To reduce marketing costs: Content marketing can often bring to the business better and more
cost-effective results compared to a more traditional marketing program.

Components of a Content Marketing Strategy

1. Audience Identification: Determine your target audience's demographics, interests, pain points,
and needs.

2. Content Creation: Develop high-quality, relevant, and engaging content that aligns with your
audience's interests and addresses their pain points.

3. Content Distribution: Utilize various channels such as social media, email marketing, blogs, and
guest posting to distribute your content effectively.

4. Content Promotion: Promote your content through paid advertising, social media campaigns,
influencer partnerships, and SEO strategies.

5. Measurement and Analysis: Use analytics tools to track the performance of your content
marketing efforts and make data-driven decisions for optimization.

6. Content Management: Implement a systematic approach to managing and organizing your

content, including content planning, creation, editing, and publishing.

Examples of content marketing

There are several ways you can use content marketing to connect to your audience, including:

• Blog articles: You can write blog posts that answer the questions your audience is asking.
• Podcasts: Podcast content can be enjoyed by consumers who prefer to multitask while performing
other actions or while going from place to place.

• Video content: Videos serve as excellent ways to connect with your audience. The public is
constantly looking for videos to solve their problems or satisfy their desires.

• Infographics: These long and vertical graphics are used to display information in a visually
appealing way that is easy to read and understand.

There are other forms of visual content that your audience may find valuable as well. You can use
them as separate pieces of content to share via social media, or you can add them directly into blog
posts. For example:

• Pictures, memes or GIFs

• Presentations or webinars

• Tables, charts or graphs

In all of these examples, you should provide valuable content so that your audience is willing to
exchange some information about themselves, specifically their name and email. Once they start
getting value from your content, they will want to learn more about your company. This improved
trust and interest may lead to new or increased sales.

Content Planning Process

1. Defining Content Goals: Clearly define the goals and objectives that the content strategy aims to
achieve. These may include increasing brand awareness, driving website traffic, generating leads, or
supporting sales efforts.

2. Audience Research and Persona Development: Conduct thorough research to understand the
target audience's demographics, interests, pain points, and preferences. Develop audience personas
to guide content creation and ensure relevance.

3. Content Ideation and Creation: Brainstorm content ideas that align with the target audience's
needs and preferences. Create a content calendar to plan topics, formats, and timelines for content
creation.

4. Content Formats and Channels: Determine the most effective content formats and channels to
reach the target audience. This may include blog posts, videos, podcasts, social media posts, email
newsletters, or webinars.
5. Content Distribution and Promotion: Develop a distribution plan to ensure content

reaches the intended audience. This may involve leveraging social media, email marketing, guest
posting, influencer collaborations, or content syndication.

6. Content Optimization for SEO: Incorporate relevant keywords, meta tags, and other SEO
techniques to improve content visibility and organic search rankings.

7. Measurement and Analysis: Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the success of
the content strategy. Utilize analytics tools to track metrics such as website traffic, engagement,
conversions, and ROI.

Effectiveness of Content Marketing

Here are some metrics that can help you measure the success of your online content:

Traffic: Having traffic means people are viewing your content. You can measure one or more of the
following to see how your business is faring:

• The number of visits your site is getting

• New traffic compared to returning traffic

• The number of pages that are being viewed on average per session

• The length of the average session duration

Onsite engagement: Content marketing's objective is not only to bring people to your website, but
to keep them there. If people are staying on your site or returning frequently, then you know your
content is effective. You can then generate leads and sales from this content. An important way to
analyse onsite engagement is by measuring the bounce rate, or how fast people leave your site. A
low bounce rate means people are spending time on your website.

Quality leads: By measuring how many readers became leads by exchanging their personal
information for your content, you can evaluate the quality of your content marketing. If your public
connects with you by filling out forms on your pages, or if they engage with chatbots on your site,
this is a good sign that your marketing strategy is working. It means your audience wants what you
offer.

Sales: If you nurture your leads with the right content at the right moment, then some of those
people are likely to buy something. Increasing sales revenue is the ultimate indicator of successful
content marketing.