⚡ Get All Content for 20% Off ⚡

How to Build Lifelong Relationship With Content Marketing In an age where your customers want instant gratification, relationships are more important than ever before.

By Yakup Özkardes-Cheung

entrepreneur daily

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

The concept of "content marketing" has been around for the last two decades, but it's only now gaining traction because it has become possible to measure the effectiveness of content. A key metric by which content marketers are judged is engagement ⁠— how many people are clicking on, sharing or commenting on a particular piece of content?

There are three approaches that can be used to build relationships with your audience: traditional marketing, social media marketing and content marketing. These three approaches have their own strengths and weaknesses.

Traditional marketing is expensive. It includes using TV commercials, billboards, print ads and other advertising methods to create awareness about a product or service. Social media marketing does not require much money to get started, but it's hard to see who's looking. In my opinion, content marketing is the best way to get in interactions with your audience.

Here are five ways you can build a relationship with customers.

1. Listen to their feedback and respond to their suggestions quickly

I am not sure why this is such a hard thing for many entrepreneurs, but customer satisfaction is so important. If they want changes to your solution, then do them quickly and don't discuss. Sometimes I had issues when it comes to the changes and I also communicated them, but I still executed what they expected and changed things completely.

2. Provide great customer service

No matter when my clients contact me, I have this deep responsibility to answer them. Even if they are in another time zone, I try my best to come back to them quickly. That is my main approach when I deal with clients ⁠— and also why they come back to me again.

Related: 10 Laws of Social Media Marketing

3. Be proactive and personalize the experience for your customer

I always make suggestions on how to improve things and make them better or save time and money. Strategic advice is key for turning clients into lifelong friends. I see every client that I work with as my friend that I really want to help, so I always share my own experience and give suggestions on how to improve things.

4. Interview them in your podcast

My podcast was a great starting point for getting to know my first clients. We had a great time together and I gave them a platform to present their business. This strategy is great for building deep relationships and connecting with people.

Related: B2B Marketing Strategies for a Post-Pandemic Environment

5. Do a Facebook or LinkedIn Live interview with them

What's even better than a podcast? A live video show. With a live video show, you not only hear your guest, but also see them. It is such a great way to build a strong connection ⁠— and directly after the video live session, I pitch them with my offer.

Resources for building relationships with bloggers and influencers

Bloggers and influencers are an important part of any credible marketing campaign. They can help you reach a much bigger audience by sharing your content on their channels and linking back to your website.

Building relationships with influencers is the only way to make sure that your business will survive in the future, since people are trusting them more than ever before.

The secret of successful content marketing campaigns is the ability to create relationships with prospects in the right way so you can generate trust and build credibility in your product or service.

Related: Why Local Marketing Still Matters in the Digital Age

Yakup Özkardes-Cheung

Founder and CEO

Yakup Özkardes-Cheung worked for different media companies before he became a content manager and started leveraging his own time with AI tools. The idea of Content AI Tools was born when he realized that there is no other publication that focuses on this niche.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Side Hustle

The Remote Side Hustle a 43-Year-Old Musician Works on for 1 Hour a Day Earns Nearly $3,000 a Month: 'All From the Comfort of Home'

Sam Ziegler wanted to supplement his income as a professional drummer — then his tech skills and desire to help people came together.

Business News

Costco CFO Reveals Uncertain Fate of $1.50 Hot Dog and Soda Combo

CFO Richard Galanti reveals that the price will stay the same — but only "for a while."

Business News

The Most Unexpectedly Popular Side Hustle of the Decade Has Low Startup Costs and High Markups

A new report shows that vending machines are a popular investment — and the industry is set to grow up to $3 billion by 2031.

Marketing

Ever Wonder Why Certain Websites Rank Higher Than Yours? This SEO Expert Reveals The Secret to Dominating Search Results

It's often the smart use of SEO, now supercharged with AI, particularly in keyword optimization.

Business News

AI Is Impacting Jobs. Here Are the Gigs Affected the Most, According to an Analysis of 5 Million Upwork Postings

The researcher said in the report that freelance jobs were analyzed first because that market will likely see AI's immediate impact.

Leadership

Former Interrogator Shares 5 Behaviors Liars Exhibit and How to Handle Them

Five deceptive behaviors to look for and how to respond to those behaviors when you encounter them.