The Power of Customer Marketing: Reactive vs. Proactive Strategies

By Payal Parikh, VP of Client Services at Heinz Marketing

In today’s economy, effective marketing isn’t just about catching new eyes; it’s equally about keeping the ones you already have. This is where customer marketing comes into play – a strategy focused on engaging and marketing to your existing customer base. We have seen a lot of companies doing reactive customer marketing, but they are spending hundreds and thousands on acquiring new ones. We as marketers are aware that keeping a customer is and getting repeat business from them is way cheaper than acquiring new ones. Keep reading if you’d like to know the difference between reactive and proactive tactics, and why putting all your eggs in the reactive basket might not be the best move.

Benefits of Customer Marketing

• Building Loyalty and Retention: Customer marketing is like friendship – it nurtures loyalty. Happy customers stick around, buy more, and even turn into your brand’s cheerleaders.
• Cost Efficiency: Making new friends is harder than keeping old ones. Customer marketing is more wallet-friendly, as you’re engaging folks who already know and like your brand.
• Cross-Selling and Upselling Opportunities: Picture this: You’re showing your friends around your house. They see something they didn’t know you had, and they want one too. That’s cross-selling and upselling with existing customers in a nutshell.
• Referrals and Advocacy: Happy customers are like enthusiastic storytellers; they love to share their experiences. This word-of-mouth can be more convincing and far-reaching than any ad campaign.
• Feedback Loop for Improvement: Conversations with customers can be goldmines of feedback. They tell you what’s working and what’s not, helping you fine-tune your offerings.

Reactive vs. Proactive Customer Marketing

Reactive Customer Marketing: This is like waiting for a friend to call you. It’s all about responding to customer queries and concerns as they come up. It’s good, but it’s waiting for the action to happen.

Proactive Customer Marketing: Here, you’re the one making the first move. It’s about anticipating what your customers might need or want and reaching out with relevant messages and offers. Think of it as planning a surprise party for your friends – it shows you care and know them well.

Downsides of a Purely Reactive Approach:

• Missed Chances for Engagement: You might miss out on opportunities to connect, upsell, or cross-sell if you’re always waiting for customers to reach out first.
• Risk of Customer Frustration: If customers feel you’re not proactive in understanding their needs, they might get the impression you don’t care enough.
• Falling Behind the Competition: In a world where everyone’s trying to be the most attentive friend, sticking to a reactive approach might make you seem less involved.
• Sporadic Communication: It can lead to inconsistent chats with your customers, which isn’t great for building a strong, ongoing relationship. This is a big one, and companies shouldn’t ignore it as it creates a negative customer experience. I have listed some customer led growth tools in a previous post if you are interested in learning more about what’s in the market and how to get started.
• Limited Control Over Your Narrative: Reactive marketing means you’re often responding to situations, not controlling the narrative of your brand story.
• Unpredictable revenue through customer growth: It’s hard to plan your financial future when you’re always reacting. Proactive strategies help in forecasting and planning better.

To wrap it up, customer marketing is your secret sauce for maintaining a strong, happy customer base. While reacting has its place, being proactive can keep you a step ahead, ensuring your customers feel valued and understood. It’s about creating a marketing mix that’s as dynamic and engaging as the customers you’re lucky to call yours. So, here’s to not just waiting for the phone to ring, but making the call! And making sure that the entire customer experience is smooth throughout the customer journey!

Let us know if we can partner with you in your customer-led growth. Reach out to us for a free 30 min consultation! payal@heinzmarketing.com.