No business could survive without customers. Today, however, it is not enough just to offer quality products or services. The real key to success is building long-lasting relationships with consumers, and this requires a lot of work and effort. Relationship marketing comes to the rescue - what is it and what are its benefits? You will find out in this article.
Relationship marketing - what is it and what is its use?
Relationship marketing - also known as affiliate marketing - is an activity that aims to build long-term relationships with consumers. This can be achieved through direct contact with the customer, personalised offers and individualised communication. This method makes it possible not only to reach customers on a transactional level, but also to emotionally involve them in the relationship.
A positive relationship between a company and a customer is most often built on shared values. What does this mean in practice? The consumer chooses a brand's product or service not only because of its quality or price, but also because he or she identifies with what the company represents. 
Principles of relationship marketing
In order for relationship marketing to deliver the results you want, it is worth reviewing the following principles and putting them into practice:
- Caring for existing customers - the priority of any company that cares about building trust and maintaining interest should be to take comprehensive care of its customers and constantly monitor their needs.
- Dialogue with the customer in the sales process - building a positive relationship with the buyer will not succeed if the company does not ensure a positive experience in the buying process. Impeccable customer service and friendly communication on social media are important, but the most important thing is to actively listen, ensure satisfaction and implement needed changes suggested by the customer.
- Engaging customers with the company - in order to build lasting relationships, consumers should be involved with the company - for example by completing surveys. It is good practice to reward them for doing so. The company has the chance to tailor a good or service to the customers' needs, and the customers get the feeling that they have a real impact on the company's development.
The above principles of relationship marketing in the age of widespread access to social media are standard in most industries. If your company is still not conducting activities focused on building positive relationships, now is the best time to change that. 
How to build a customer relationship - effective relationship marketing tools
The essence of relationship marketing is a long-term relationship built bilaterally. However, this approach requires the right tools, the development of certain techniques and the implementation of specific processes to meet customer expectations. What tools are useful in relationship marketing?
To facilitate relationship marketing activities, it is worth investing in an email marketing automation system. It makes sending tailored messages to a specific group of users much simpler and faster. This is extremely important for medium and large companies, where sending emails manually is not an option.
A useful tool is a suitable CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system. Such programmes have many advantages. Not only do they make work easier, but above all they improve the company's customer segmentation, data analysis and planning of subsequent activities. By collecting and managing customer information, your company can respond more quickly to customer needs and improve service. All of this contributes to attracting more leads and, in turn, increasing sales.
In customer service, it is also worth reaching out to tools such as LiveChat or CallPage. Chatbots can help with purchasing decisions, and for many people such support is invaluable.
What are the advantages of using relationship marketing?
Relationship marketing has its advantages and disadvantages. However, it is undoubtedly worthwhile to nurture positive customer relationships. It simply pays off. Although many companies declare that the customer is most important to them, these words are often not backed up by actions.
Trust, a strong relationship and active listening is a recipe for a customer to systematically use a company's offer, rather than limiting themselves to one-off purchases. A company that gains customer loyalty can count on positive recommendations, referrals and sharing of its website, which contributes to an increase in the number of people interested in the brand. Additionally, brand awareness increases.
Relationship marketing also pays off from an economic point of view. The costs associated with customer retention are lower than those incurred when trying to attract new buyers. Why? Reaching new potential customers involves an investment in paid advertising and promotional campaigns of all kinds. Nurturing existing customers is more advantageous because you can save company funds through them.
Choose InPost Subscriptions for businesses and send parcels at a fixed price.
Take one minute to leave your contact details and start sending parcels from as low as 11.89 PLN*.
- One contract for courier and Paczkomat shipments
- Free courier pickups
- Express delivery
- Price guarantee for the duration of the contract
- Fuel surcharge included
- Dedicated post-sale support
* Net price per Paczkomat shipment in the Subscription 600 plan.
Czytaj również
