When it comes to marketing, you make significant investments of time and resources to find out how to structure your campaigns. Don’t forget: your customers are your greatest resource.

They’re handing your marketing strategies. The question is: are you tuned in?

But it may not be apparent how to uncover and implement their insights.

So we’ve compiled some best practices to help you listen to your customers.

Customer handing You Marketing Strategies

Meet People Where They Are

Effective, active listening is a must when crafting a customer-driven marketing strategy.

Look at the customer communication you receive.

What’s their reason for contacting you? Not just the problem or compliment they lead with, but what their underlying expectations are.

If you get an email complaint about your automated customer service system, they’re not just looking for a glitch fix. They’re expecting a personal touch.

If you get a Facebook message thanking you for your leadership webinar, they’re not just giving you props. They’re giving you a heads up: more leadership resources (and more webinars), please.

To every message you receive, respond with empathy. Let them know you understand and appreciate their feedback. And then take action that proves you hear them loud and clear.

If You Don’t Know, Ask

One of the easiest ways to find out what your customers want from you as a brand is to ask them.

Whether you break it down into social media Q&A, send a personalized email, or conduct a website survey, there are many ways to gather feedback.

And of course, it’s critical that you ask the right questions. Here’s an example of how we might do this as a digital marketing agency:

• What is your biggest concern about hiring a digital marketing agency?
• Which marketing task do you most wish you could take off your plate?
• What is the first thing you would fix in your current marketing plan or approach?
• The biggest marketing success you’ve had?
• What is it about digital marketing that most frustrates you?
• If you could meet with a marketing professional (for free) for one hour, what would you talk about?

The more focused your questions, the more you guide your customers to respond with the feedback you can use for specific, direct action.

When it comes to amping up your digital marketing, your biggest insights are right under your nose. Taking note will only make your results more targeted, and your outcomes more successful.

Let’s face it: you’ve got nothing to lose.