The concept of “belonging to your customer” might seem unusual, especially in sales, but it is fundamental to successful marketing.

When I introduce this idea to clients, I ask them to think about their favorite brands and what they love about them. Common responses include great marketing, always having what they need, delivering on promises, and offering exceptional products.

These brands, like Nike, Patagonia, Costco, and Trader Joe’s, share a common thread: they belong to their customers, creating a sense of community and loyalty.

This connection is no accident. Successful companies deeply understand their customers and prioritize them in every aspect of their business. As a founder or CMO, it’s easy to focus solely on your product or service, but true success comes from never losing sight of what drives your business: your customers.

In this post, I will explain:

• What it means to belong to your customer
• The benefits of this approach
• How to implement it using sales copy, marketing strategies, and tactics
• Actions you can take right now to start creating brand evangelists and advocates

Let’s break it down.

Belong to Your Customer: What It Means

The essence of belonging to your customer is creating a sense of community and loyalty around your brand.

Successful companies know their customers deeply and make them feel valued and connected. This customer-centric approach attracts an engaged group of people who choose your brand because they feel a sense of belonging, connection, and loyalty.

In the next section, we’ll get into the many benefits that this approach brings to your brand.

The Benefits of Belonging

Embracing the Belong to Your Customer approach offers numerous advantages. Here are some of the key benefits that companies experience:

• Increased Sales: Loyal customers are more likely to make repeat purchases.
• Higher Engagement: Enjoy improved open rates, click-through rates, longer website visits, and enhanced SEO.
• Customer Retention: Keep customers coming back, reducing churn.
• Increased Customer Lifetime Value: Customers who feel they belong are more valuable over time.
• Grassroots Sales Force: Develop a network of brand advocates and evangelists who spread the word.
• Sustained Longevity: Build resilience that helps your brand weather market changes.
• Competitive Status: Earn a reputation that sets you apart among both competitors and customers.
• Leadership: Establish your brand as a leader in your industry.
• Valuable Data: Gather insights to refine and recalibrate your efforts when necessary.
• Fulfillment of Brand Promise: Deliver on your brand’s promise consistently, strengthening trust.
• Building a Loyal Customer Base

So, how do you build a loyal group of return customers who become your brand evangelists?

Let’s explore some strategies and tactics.

How to Belong to Your Customer

Now that you understand what it means to Belong to Your Customer and why it’s essential, let’s explore how to use it in copywriting, marketing and sales strategy. 

Copywriting

Seasoned copywriters know that the best copy isn’t their own.

The most compelling copy employs a sales tactic called Voice of Customer. This means reflecting your customer’s exact words and phrases to express their needs, desires, problems, and feelings in all your customer-facing copy.

The good news is this data trumps creativity all day long and is relatively easy to collect. 

Here are some places to mine for it:

• Social media channels
• Email marketing replies
• Questions on comment boards
• Reviews of products or services
• Surveys 
• Focus groups
• Exit pop-up windows
• Interviews with potential, current and past clients

Your customer feedback will become very valuable in answering the “Job to be Done” – shorthand for what your customer seeks to accomplish with your product and a key component of all effective copywriting.

And when you incorporate it into your copy, your customers will sit up and take notice because they’ll see themselves reflected in your solution at all points of the customer journey.

Speaking of the customer journey, let’s look at how to Belong to Your Customer in your marketing strategy.

Marketing: Mapping the Customer Journey

Whenever we work with clients on their marketing strategy, we always start by examining the customer journey. If you haven’t already laid this out, consider jotting down the specifics as you plan your marketing activities.

Top of the Funnel: Discovery

How do your customers find you? Is it through social media, word of mouth, articles, or advertising? Understanding the initial touchpoints helps you tailor your approach to attract attention effectively.

Next Steps: Engagement

Once they learn about you, what’s the next step you want them to take? Do you want them to visit your website, read a blog post, sign up for your email newsletter, or claim a coupon? Each action should be designed to deepen their engagement with your brand.

Engaging the Customer

As customers engage with your brand, they subconsciously evaluate their experience. This is why it’s crucial to ensure your communications are spot-on at this point. Everything from the user experience to the copy on your product descriptions or sales page plays a role. Depending on how well this goes, they will either make a purchase or leave.

Strategy and Tactics

The strategies and tactics you employ are key to gaining their support, converting the sale, and eventually adding them to your customer base. No matter the size of your business, all lifecycle marketing strategies require content.

Generating Content Ideas

There’s no better place to get ideas than from what your current customers and target audience are asking, talking about, and engaging with. When you understand what your audience is seeking at every stage of the customer journey, you can create content that nurtures them through each phase.

Nurturing the Customer Journey
Awareness

Create highly shareable and engaging content that speaks to your buyer personas through inexpensive and strategic placement and collaborations. This builds initial awareness and attracts potential customers.

Engagement

Share information about your company and highlight what makes it unique and suitable for your audience. Answer their questions and make engagement easy. This helps to inform and involve potential customers.

Evaluation

In a crowded marketplace, shopping around is common. Stats show that 92% of customers research reviews before making a purchase. Give them everything they need to be confident in your solution by addressing their needs with clear features and benefits.

Converting and Supporting Customers
Purchase

Congratulations! You’ve converted your lead into a customer. Now, how are you going to surprise and delight them? This is the beginning of the next and equally important phase of the customer journey.

Support

Increase profits by turning customers into loyal advocates. Offer exceptional service before and after the purchase. Think of your customers as a volunteer sales force.

Loyalty

Consider the story about my local Starbucks. I’m loyal to that Starbucks because they deliver exceptional customer service, and my drink is just how I like it. They anticipate my needs and make me feel valued as a person.

When you reach the loyalty phase, you’ve accomplished belonging to your customers, who belong to you. They become advocates and can’t stop talking about your brand. They give you reviews, recommend your products to others, and continue to purchase more from you as long as you nurture them.

Belong To Your Customer – Case Study

It’s Time to Belong to Your Customer

Building a brand that belongs to your customer is more than just a marketing strategy; it’s a commitment to understanding, valuing, and engaging with your audience at every touchpoint.

By adopting a customer-centric approach in your copywriting, marketing, and sales tactics, you create a community of loyal customers who feel connected to your brand.

This connection not only drives sales and engagement but also transforms customers into passionate advocates.

Start today by listening to your customers, reflecting their voices in your content, and guiding them through a seamless journey with your brand.

In doing so, you’ll not only meet their needs but also build a lasting relationship that fosters growth and loyalty.

If you’d like CopyFuel HQ to support your HealthTech or FemTech brand with copywriting and strategy that captures the voice of your customers, nurtures them along the customer journey, and creates sales, loyalty, and a stellar brand reputation, contact us here.