The Black Friday marketing madness leaves many overlooking Thanksgiving, especially when it comes to what the holiday celebration is really about - being thankful.
In fact, all year long it can be easy to get caught up in day-to-day tasks and forget to show your appreciation for what really matters. In the business world, however, professionals can change this habit by making an effort to show customers their gratitude.
Fortunately, some of the Web's top tech experts are shedding light on how businesses can show customers that they are thankful. Check out their advice below:
Simply listen. - Dana Miller, SVP of client services at Crimson Hexagon
"Brands should pay attention to what their customers are saying on social media and analyze those conversations to understand what customers really want from them. Customize your approach and use that data to your advantage. Show them you're thankful by showing them you're listening and making changes based on their preferences. Letting customers know that what they say matters can go a long way."
Foster deeper relationships with personalization. - Loretta Jones, VP of marketing at Insightly
"Businesses should personalize their interactions with customers by automating workflows within their CRM to send one-to-one messages on birthdays, anniversaries or around the holidays. This consistent and personalized interaction is key because it lets customers know that they are valued and appreciated, which is key to maintaining strong relationships. If businesses offer holiday promotions, they can also capture that information in their CRM to track and measure the effectiveness of the promotion."
Respect customers' preferences. - Cynthia Price, Director of Marketing at Emma
"Blasting your customer base with irrelevant emails is a sure way to get on their bad side. In fact, 56 percent of people unsubscribe from email lists because of it. Instead, show them you're listening and understand what they care about by segmenting your email list and delivering truly personalized, valuable content. Respecting your customers' preferences is a great way to express thanks for their business. And of course, a special holiday offer doesn't hurt either."
Create a dialog with customers online. - Jonathan Hinz, director of strategic partnerships and business development at Trustpilot
"We all know the feeling when a friend goes out of his way to ask how you are, or if he can do anything to improve your day. You're thankful he cares. Customer-brand relationships should be no different. Brands need to show customers they are thankful for them by listening and responding to the opinions, suggestions and thoughts left in online reviews. Creating a dialog online, and then making changes customers can see is the best way to show you are thankful for your customers and their opinions."
Provide unique, 1-to-1 experiences. - Jeff Hirsch, chief marketing officer, SundaySky
"Consumers have many options when selecting brand products or services. The best way to show appreciation and build loyalty is to deliver unique, 1-to-1 experiences throughout the consumers relationship with a brand. By taking a more customer-centric approach through personalized content and interactions, customers with without a doubt feel the love from their favorite brands."
Help solve customer problems. - Roseanne McCauley, SVP Enterprise Sales at Hoovers
"Getting to know your customers as people, what problems they have and how your business can help them to solve whatever problems they're facing makes them feel appreciated. Organizations can show their customers that they're thankful for their business by going the extra mile to getting to know them as individuals and showing that you genuinely care about helping them."
