How to follow up with new customers

You’re eager to expand your audience, make new connections and, ultimately, grow your business.

But, here’s the tough question: What are you doing to get new customers back to your business

Relationships Don’t Happen Overnight

While a great first impression is an important step towards a long-lasting relationship, you need to go a step further to show your customer how important they are to you and gain their loyalty.

When you invest in building relationships with your customers through email marketing, they return the favor by coming back to your business and letting their own audience know about their great experience.

If you’re not already, start collecting email addresses at your store and through online sign-up forms. Then, start reaching out with information you know your customers will find valuable.

Need some inspiration? Here are seven ideas for following up with new customers:

#1: Give a Warm Welcome

One of easiest ways to keep the momentum going is to send a welcome email. With Constant Contact, you can customize your welcome email with your own branding, logo and content. Each time a new contact joins your list, they will automatically receive your welcome email.

Consider incorporating these 4 elements in your welcome email as well:

• A warm and friendly introduction
• Summary of what to expect in future mailings
• A guarantee of data privacy and security
• Personal signature with contact details

#2: Thank Them for Their Business (and offer an incentive to come back)

Thanking new customers for their business will go a long way in showing them they matter to you. The best thank-you’s will be personal and offer customers an incentive to come back.

Think about how you can offer a thank you that’s original. Consider creating a short 30-second video to show your appreciation, or snapping a fun photo of you and your staff.

Then, come up with some ideas to encourage your customers to do business with you again. Include a limited-time offer for returning customers to encourage them to do business with you again.

Door County Coffee & Tea Co. does a perfect job of this in their thank you email to new customers. At the top of their email is an image of their staff members all chipping in to show their gratitude.

The email also includes a $10 discount on the customers’ next purchase. By providing an expiration date, Door County Coffee & Tea ensures that customers are motivated to shop there again soon.

#3: Nurture New Relationships With an Autoresponder Series

Autoresponder is a tool that lets you create a series of personalized, automated emails that are sent to a contact after they are added to a list. Similar to a welcome email, the benefit of Autoresponder is that you can “set it and forget it.” You choose the frequency in which you reach out to your contacts, design a series of emails and add relevant contacts to this list.

An Autoresponder is especially useful for new contacts because you’re ensuring they receive a great introduction to your business right from the start. This is your chance to tell your business’ story, provide valuable information that shows off your expertise and regularly remind them of the easy ways to connect with you.

#4: Offer to Help

Even after a great first experience with your business, there’s a good chance your customer is not aware of the various products or services you offer. Give people a nudge to come back by giving them more information on your business’ specialties.

Do you offer any seasonal services or products that can help a customer solve a problem during a certain time of the year? Consider offering these services at a discount to new customers, or creating a “getting started” package aimed at new customers.

Remember, the tone should be less promotional and more about how you strive to help your customers address their problems, needs or specific interests.

#5: Ask for Feedback

As a business owner, you want to make sure you’re doing everything you can to make a strong and lasting first impression. Following up with an online survey shows your new customer that you’re committed to a great experience and that you value their opinion.

This is also a great chance to ask questions that will give you a better sense of who your customers are, what they’re interested in and the ways you can connect with them.

#6: Invite Them Back

Events are a great way to bring people back to your business. It’s also a great way for new customers to meet the people who have known and loved your business for a while.

Break out your calendar and start thinking about what’s coming up for your business in the weeks ahead. Then, think about how you can involve your new audience members in any upcoming happenings.

Whether you decide to host an open house, bring in a guest speaker you think your customers would enjoy or partner with your favorite nonprofit for an event with a cause, make sure your new customers are in the know.

Make sure to give customers the option to register in advance so that you can follow up with a reminder prior to the event.

#7: Show Off Your Social Side

Promoting your social channels to new customers gives them the ability to peruse your content and catch up on what your business has been up to recently. That way, even if they haven’t been familiar with your business for long, they’ll have a better sense of what your business is all about.

Social media is also a great hub for your new customers to see what other people are saying about your business. How you interact with customers on social media will provide them with a good look into what type of business you are.

By sharing links to your web and social presence, you’ll drive traffic and followership, which means more eyes on the information you’ve been creating and sharing.

Email and social media work best when used together. Add buttons to your social media channels at the bottom of each email you send out. With Constant Contact, you can also add a share bar to every email, so readers can share your emails to their own sites, including Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Strike While the Iron’s Hot.

With these seven ideas in mind, you’re ready to reach out to new customers and continue offering them an experience your competitors can’t match.

Pick one idea from this list and create it in your Constant Contact account today. Our templates will save you time and make it easy to create a professional email in a matter of minutes.

Not a Constant Contact customer? Sign up for your 60-day free trial today!

Editor’s Note: This post originally appeared on the Constant Contact Blog.