One of the most important aspects of navigating a social brand (and life) is learning how to say thanks and mean it.
I work with financial marketers, many of whom understand the importance of a thank you and I think Thanksgiving gives us an excellent reminder of just how important saying thank you is. I call this the “currency of gratitude”.
Have you ever worked with someone that truly thanked you for your business?
Some banks show appreciation with loyalty programs. Some investment advisors do it with customer appreciation events. But the financial brands who do it best create a culture of gratitude. I’ve been a fan of the way TD Bank has done just that with their marketing campaigns and just today they released another video showing the way they gave to 24 communities.
Perhaps we don’t have a video this strong scripted for the holidays, but there are a few things we can do:
Train to be gracious.
It’s not just about your front lines saying thank you every once and a while. Thanksgiving is a great time to call to mind gratitude but it should truly be a year-round attitude for your business. Give your staff a way to say thanks, get them involved in the inspiring stories. Gaining their buy-in matters. After all, without them, where would you be?
Ask for opinion.
Your customers love to talk about their opinions. Find out how they want to give you feedback, whether it is a survey, maybe a quote about their business service, or a quick question at the end of a call to ask if they would change anything. We see many financial institutions beginning to ask questions on their social sites. Finding meaningful ways to communicate with your customers will give you invaluable feedback.
Build meaningful stories about your customers.
Perhaps none have done it better than TD Bank’s promotion from this past summer and the level of personalization they placed is key whether you are a brand or simply giving a gift to a family member. Simply giving money would not have generated the same emotional response as giving
You don’t have to create a magical ATM to thank customers. Many are doing it with social scavenger hunts, finding people in the community with needs, or even giving to charities and sharing those stories.
Write a review.
What says thank you more than making a public declaration of your appreciation? Creating a culture of gratitude can start by thanking an employee. Share a positive review on LinkedIn, not the silly little endorsements, I’m saying an actual review with a typed paragraph of how that person is exceptional. Maybe you had a great local vendor, share a review of them as well.Share their successes.
Celebrate your customer successes. Look for them to make the news, share their status and their news articles. Telling your customer’s stories is one of the best ways of creating a true community around your business. Show the gratitude you feel for your customers and know that in doing so they will express their gratitude for you as well.
I hope you enjoy your Thanksgiving and most of all, thank you for being engaged in our brand, our company and our vision.
