Today, I was startled by a stat I found in Jeffrey Cohen's "21 Unbelievable B2B Content Marketing Statistics". Right there in the top 5, wedged between gems about the most effective content and how many B2B firms perform content marketing, was this:
I had to read it again. "Only 25% of B2B Marketers use content marketing for customer retention." How alarming!
The old marketing adage states that it's much easier and less expensive to keep a customer than to bring a new one in the door. Harvard Business Review found that increasing retention by 5% increases profits from 25%–95%. For that reason, it's important for marketers to identify what type(s) of content lend itself for retaining customers, and then make a plan to execute.
4 kinds of content that help retain customers
Here are 4 examples of retention content you can use to engage customers:
Short videos
Short videos are an excellent way to educate current customers. Many of your customers will be visual learners, so seeing instead of just reading will go along way to delivering value. Video you put on YouTube should be 60-90 seconds, but videos on your own site can be longer, at 2 to 3 minutes; according to Cisco's Leslie Drate. And, 84% of IT decision makers forward or share the videos they watch, so make sure it's easy to share.
Blog to educate and inform
Blogging is not just for lead generation. Long-time customers often aren't aware of what you can offer them today. Blogging is a great (and inexpensive) way to keep customers up-to-date on your company's offerings and achievements. This is especially important if your business or offerings have changed over the years.
Be proactive via social media
Social media is a real-time, interactive way to stay in touch and support your existing customers. Actively use it to respond to customer questions, thank customers for positive testimonials, and even address some negative feedback you may have received.
Your customers are choosing to engage with brands on their social channels, whether that be Facebook, Twitter, and/or LinkedIn. Be there for them.
Support content on your website
This is where it all begins – your website! Customers are returning to your site for more information and answers to their questions about your products and services. Make it easy for current customers to navigate FAQs; download help and product guides; and search and access website copy tailored to their needs.
What are your examples of retention content? Ping @imarcllc to share them!
