B2B Monday Myth: Customer Service Isn’t Important for Brand Identity
by MGB2B
The Myth: Customer Service Has Nothing to Do with My B2B Brand Identity
The Truth: Building Brand Loyalty Requires Robust Support and Engagement
A brand is more than just a logo or a message on a company website. A brand is a combination of several different things, including the way a business interacts with its clients and how the clients feel about the product or service. If it’s been taking a back seat in your marketing strategy, it’s time to consider how customer service for B2B brand identity can help.
Customer service is not a just a department.
Many companies make the mistake of thinking that once a transaction is made, their job is done. But brand building doesn’t stop when the sale is complete. Following up with customers and maintaining a relationship with them is just as important. It ensures that your customers feel positively about your business, encourages them to come back, and even creates raving fans that will market your product for you. Positive brand perception requires authentic interactions that engage. Your marketing strategy should rely on customer service for B2B brand identity to accomplish it.
There are several different strategies for continuing to interact with your client base to earn their trust and build brand loyalty:
- Define yourself through action.Ultimately, the quality of your business is determined by your actions. Clearly identify your company’s purpose and customer support standards. This culture code should be carried out through every level of your company, from top to bottom. In today’s world, it’s not just about what your brand says — it’s about what you do.
Be transparent and available. This is your opportunity to show customers they can rely on you. Be reachable by phone, email, or social media when other companies aren’t. Contact information should be easily available, especially a call center number. This lets customers know there are real people behind your brand — an online FAQ page just isn’t sufficient. Further more, these interactions display what your company is about, and determines what customers say about your business. Own up to any mistakes, and make sure that every support call ends successfully. - Engage on social media. Most business are active online, so use this to your advantage. Engage in genuine conversation with your customers on social media. Personal messages and replies are most likely to increase brand loyalty and awareness. Online communities aren’t just for consumers — businesses also turn to the internet to ask questions, provide answers, and share knowledge about a product or service.
- Encourage feedback. Finally, every brand needs a system to track customer feedback. The most successful companies are often marked by their willingness to let customers speak out about their experiences — positive or negative. Making a customer feel acknowledged will build their trust and help you understand where you might not have met a their expectations.
Customer service is often looked at as something specific only to consumer brands. It’s also the task that many B2B companies dread handling. However, it’s just as important for B2B. Use it to your advantage and elevate the perception of your brand. Start to amp up your customer service for B2B brand identity, and companies will continue to bring their business to you time after time.
Tags: b2b, B2B marketing strategy, B2B social media tips