Have you heard the phrase “responsible marketing”? If not, do not worry—it has emerged largely in the last year or two and is now being discussed more than ever before. Responsible marketing can have a significant implant on customer retention and value. Here are the nuts and bolts of responsible marketing and how you can use it to build trust with your customers.
What is responsible marketing?
Responsible marketing encompasses 1) organizations being consistent with their marketing practices, 2) being responsible with the customer data and information they gather, and 3) showing responsibility in how the organization does business and interacts with the world around them.
Between 2019 and 2021, trust declined in customers using search engines, traditional media, owned media, and social media. Some of the reasons customers lose trust in a company include:
- Negative experience with a product or service offered by the company (poor quality, price, etc.)
- Negative experience with the experience offered by the company (poor customer service, negative interactions with staff, etc.)
- Aggressive or inaccurate marketing
- Inaccurate online listings
- Negative reviews
- Bad behavior by the company that directly affects the customer
You want to build trust between your business and your customer. The more a customer trusts you, the more likely they will be to become a repeat customer.
How can you implement responsible marketing?
Customers want to see that your business is being responsible. Here are a few ways you can do just that:
- Keep their private data private.
In the healthcare world, privacy is dictated by HIPAA and other privacy practices. Show your patients that you take this seriously and that you are committed to protecting their privacy.
Customer privacy and data protection, however, go beyond HIPAA. Customers want to know that all of their information—not just their health info—is being kept safe and private. This includes contact information and other data they give you in order to allow you to market to them.
- Show that you care about more than yourself.
Customers have increasingly shown that they want to do business with businesses that care about more than their bottom line. A recent survey found that since the COVID pandemic began, sustainability has become more important to customers. Show your customers that you are working to make your business more sustainable. Survey respondents also reported that they want to see businesses prioritizing climate change and charitable causes. Show your customers that you care about the environment and your community.
- Balance personalization and security.
Customers are willing to provide personal information if it means that their experience with your business will be more personalized. They want the messaging they receive to be more relevant and timely. However, they expect you to keep the information they share with you safe and secure.
Implementing these responsible marketing strategies can help customers build trust in your business. To learn more about responsible marketing and how you can show your customers that you are responsible, please contact us today at AudiologyPlus.
