The Millennial Report: Building a Rapport with Customers

In the digital age, there are untold ways to build a relationship with your most devoted customers, from Twitter to personal blog posts and even podcasts. But with such a wealth of options available, what are some of the most effective ways channel partners can get closer to their customer base and develop a dialogue with individual buyers?

Unsurprisingly, one of my favorite ways to communicate with customers (in my case, The VAR Guy’s readers) is through blog posts, where I can channel some of my thoughts into a more organized format and access them whenever I wish. Blog posts are not only fun and easy to do, but they also have longevity and can be read quickly and easily, giving customers a simple and convenient way of finding out what’s new with you and your business. And, if like me, you like to write, they can be a fun way to reach your audience and keep them up to speed with what’s happening.

If you’re interested in utilizing some more engaging methods of conversation, however, consider hosting a weekly VLOG (video blog) where you speak to your audience via webcam. These chats can be recorded using a webcam and require very little effort on your part—simply speak candidly into the camera and upload your video to YouTube or your business’ website. Like a blog post, these videos will give audience members a personal sense of connection with you as a trusted leader, with the added benefit of actually being able to see and hear you while they watch.

By now you may be asking, What if I don’t have the time to write weekly or daily blog posts or record video blogs? Social media can be a great way to reach your customers in quick bursts that require less than 5 minutes of your time. Consider setting up a Twitter account so you can reach your audience in 140-character messages, or create a Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram account to engage your audience visually.  Millennials are particularly adept at using social media for engagement, so this could be a good opportunity to consult with a young professional to help get you fluent in digital engagement. Above all, make sure to make your posts interesting, poignant and useful—that is, give your followers a reason to subscribe to your posts.

There are tons of other ways to engage with your audience from afar other than these three proven methods, so be open to new ideas and don’t be afraid to fail in your messaging while you experiment with the best format for your business. From email newsletters and live video chats to giveaways and reader polls, there’s always a way to grab customers’ attention through the web—you just need to find the right vehicle to suit your needs.

The Millennial Report is a weekly column by associate editor Michael Cusanelli, who graduated from Stony Brook University’s School of Journalism in 2012. He is an avid gamer and movie buff who spends nearly as much time concocting the perfect mix tape as he does writing. You can find him on Twitter @MCusanelliSB.