27 Feb How Community Outreach Can Boost Customer Acquisition & Retention

Posted at 08:16h in Blog by

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Strategies for boosting customer retention and fostering customer loyalty abound. But among companies that seek to build, sustain, and grow their customer relationships, few seem to talk about community outreach.

It’s kind of understandable. In a marketing climate that’s increasingly data-driven, it’s sexier for execs in the boardroom to talk about, say, analytics and funnel optimization than about employee volunteer programs and corporate social responsibility. Or: sure, let’s talk about outreach for two minutes — then let’s wrap up this meeting.

This shouldn’t be the case, though. While it may not always seem clear how disaster relief efforts and 3R campaigns would translate to reduced churn and improved retention, community outreach can, in fact, work wonders for your customer relationships.

Outreach improves corporate image and brand reputation

People are less likely to do business with companies that are perceived as irresponsible — according to Cone Communications, 9 in 10 global citizens say they would boycott a company if they learned of irresponsible behavior.

On the other end of the spectrum, companies that are able to visibly demonstrate their ethics and show a commitment to the community are more likely to have a stronger reputation and attract customers who care deeply about what a business stands for.

Clearly, community outreach can make a positive impact on your corporate image and brand reputation. It improves how customers perceive the value of your company, which in turn increases their satisfaction and heartens them to stay loyal to your business.

Outreach bolsters your local presence

Whether you’re managing a small business or an enterprise-level organization with multiple locations, community outreach establishes and improves your relevance in local communities where you operate.

Note the success of Small Business Saturday: first held in Roslindale Village, Massachusetts, sponsored by American Express, and organized in partnership with a non-profit (National Trust for Historic Preservation).

The beauty of Small Business Saturday is in its simplicity. Encouraging shoppers to patronize brick-and-mortar businesses, American Express generated an incredible amount of positive coverage and participation on social media and even garnered the support of President Obama.