Defining your corporate communications strategy
Posted By Amanda Collins on August 28, 2009
How are you keeping in contact with your customers and potential clients? I recently sat down with a colleague who said she didn’t feel it was imperative to stay in touch with her clients since they were mostly one-shot transactions. However, what if situations change – or, better yet – they want to refer you?
When I worked in college admissions and marketing, I was in charge of creating the corporate communications strategy. I designed a whole comm flow of what we would do when we received an inquiry, following that person down the admissions funnel to enrollment (or not). There were many levels of “touch,” all with the intent of staying top of mind for applicants. Business owners and developers should be doing the same, creating a series of ways to stay in touch with their clients. Of course, it could take all day to develop a strategy, so let me give you a few hints:
Blog
Everyone knows they should be doing this, but too many are not. It’s pretty simple, and I outlined it in a previous blog. Get that blog up to drive traffic, gain more followers to your site and newsletter, and brand yourself as an expert.
Write a newsletter
Keep track of your clients and let them know what’s new with you in a monthly newsletter. It’s a great way to share your blogs with your readers and, again, drive traffic to your site.
Send out mailings
Occasionally it’s good to go above and beyond and really reach out to your clients. This could be an annual calendar, magnet with a special discount, postcard, newsletter, or “lumpy mail.” My promo guru helps me create all kinds of fun things to share with clients; I greet all in-person folks with medical-themed office supplies.
Have a different approach for different audiences
After you have siphoned off your different markets, approach them differently. Maybe loyalty rewards for current customers or incentives for those who’ve not yet signed up for your services. Remember the goal is to develop relationships, stay top of mind, and – ultimately – increase sales.