How to communicate with your small business customers

The ability to communicate is often what separates successful small business owners from those that run mediocre or even have failed businesses. If you are going to run your own small business you will need to be able to communicate not only with your employees and those you work with but especially with your customers. The ability to communicate will allow you to meet the demands and exceed the expectations of your customers which will keep them coming back. You can use your ability to communicate to build a relationship with your customers that will have them coming back to shop with your time and time again. Here is what you need to know about how to communicate with your small business customers.

One of the best ways to communicate with your customers is through the use of social media. Today, more and more consumers are going online before they make a buying decision. When you are online communicating with your customers you are better able to determine what they are looking for and how your product or service can fill their need or want. There are many different ways that you can do this. Here are a few tips that will have you interacting with your customers-
- Sent out messages or tweets on a regular basis-Keep in mind that today's consumer is not looking for a lengthy sales pitch. He or she will be looking to be kept up to date on what your small business can offer them. You can do this effectively by sending out tweets or messages on a consistent basis. However, there are a couple of things you should keep in mind. First, make sure that what you are sending your customers has value. If you are only pushing for sales they will soon tire of it and block you. Secondly, be sure to add a link back to your website so that your customers know where they can purchase from you.
- Be active on the discussion boards-Another great way to get involved with your customers is to be a part of the discussion boards that are available on many social media networking sites. You can use these boards to communicate with your customers in a timely fashion. Many small business owners have found that these discussion boards can really provide them with valuable insight from their customer's point of view. You can also start up your own discussion board which will allow you to stay in touch with your customers and what they are looking for.
- Make sure that all of your online content is timely-There is no more effective and low cost way to communicate with your customers then by heading online. However, many small business owners make the mistake of not staying up to date with what they are posting online. If your tweets, message, or blog content does not get updated and refreshed periodically your customers will feel that you don't care about them and move on. In addition, if your customers are emailing and messaging you and you are not responding then the communication that you are looking for won't be happening. In order for online communication to be effective you need to stay up to date with what are doing in terms of communicating with your customers.
- Don't forget about face to face content-No matter how good your communicating skills are online you should still not overlook the need to communicate with your customers face to face. You want to know that they feel appreciated and valued by your small business. Face to face interviews, phone surveys, and even attending trade shows can let you know if that is happening.