Now that the Olympics are coming to a close, it’s time to focus less on who is a Michael Phelps fan, and more on your company’s fan base. In this age of social connectivity, customer loyalty is more valuable than ever. Consumers of all demographics are sharing stories of their interactions with businesses through social media hubs, meaning word-of-mouth marketing is a golden resource. Here are 5 tips for increasing communication with your consumers and strengthening your online fan base:

1. Improve Your “Thank You”: Your company’s website may have a generic thank-you message that pops-up or is emailed to consumers for subscribing, purchasing an item, etc. but chances are it could use a personal touch. Add some links to useful resources, include a promotion, or simply make the thank-you message more visually enticing.
2. Optimize Feedback Channels: Feedback comes in many forms, but chances are you aren’t tapping into all the sources of valuable consumer opinion. Instead of waiting for a consumer to contact your customer service department, send out surveys to the ones that regularly visit your website. Doing so will help you build loyalty, answer concerns in a timelier manner, and learn what your customers need.
3. Go Beyond for Performance: Through various website tracking services like Google Analytics, you can measure the frequency of customer interactions with your business and the length of time between the visits. Keeping track of the top-engaging customers and seeing how likely they are to recommend your company allows you to focus on encouraging their loyalty by sending them personalized thank-you messages and promotions.
4. Assign a Manager: It’s one thing to check the suggestion box now and then, but properly tracking and building customer loyalty can quickly become a full-time job. To avoid any confusion, assign someone in your company who understands your objective to build the company’s online fan base, knows how to engage through various social media hubs, and has time to effectively address any feedback.
5. Get Everyone Involved: While it is best to keep a selected few in charge of the actual mechanics of building your company’s fan base, make sure the whole company is on board and kept in-the-loop of any feedback, promotions, etc. so that everyone can work together to increase the company’s customer loyalty.