Social media platforms do more than attract new customers and promote products; they can also play a pivotal role in keeping the customers you already have. A thoughtful social media marketing strategy builds trust, loyalty and ongoing relationships that help boost customer retention. Loyal customers don’t just come back; they spend more, amplify your brand perception and provide valuable repeat business.
We’ll share expert insights on how to use social media to strengthen customer retention and explain why a dedicated retention strategy is critical for long-term success.
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How to use social media for customer retention
To grow your business, you need to sustain and grow customer relationships, not just focus on converting leads. Acquiring new customers is important, but it won’t matter much if you lose existing ones at the same rate.
That’s where social media comes in. Used strategically, it helps you build loyalty, earn trust and keep customers engaged long after the first purchase.
Here are seven best practices for using social media to strengthen customer retention.
1. Build a relationship with followers.
Building a relationship with your social media followers is an ongoing process that needs care and attention, noted Rachael Goulet, social media manager at Sprout Social. “This starts with creating authentic, genuine content that adds value for the audience.”
To build relationships, you must create content that is valuable to your audience without being overly promotional. Customers prefer connecting with brands they like, so be friendly and relatable.
“It’s important to remember that relationships are a two-way street,” said digital strategist Taylor Fulton. “Brands should both listen and communicate with their audience to build meaningful engagements. This means talking with people, not just talking at them.”
2. Connect with customers.
People come to social media to be social. If you aren’t engaging your audience on social media, your posts will be lost in the endless stream of new content. Customers who feel a strong connection to your brand are more likely to stay with you.
Effective ways to engage on social media include the following:
- Use social media for customer service: One way to engage is by responding to followers and treating social media as a customer service tool. Goulet said most people connect with brands to ask a question, share a complaint or offer praise. “This type of engagement is a prime opportunity to make a meaningful impact on a customer’s experience and begin to build the trust that is needed to keep customers coming back time and time again,” said Goulet. In fact, according to The Sprout Social Index, most consumers expect a response within 24 hours — or sooner — and say brands should make customer service their top social media priority.
- Be proactive on social media: Goulet noted that customer retention is more than just customer care; it’s also about being relevant and useful, anticipating needs and delivering on brand promises. You can engage by asking questions, sharing updates and providing valuable information.
- Engage with customers’ posts: When a customer shares something positive about your brand, engage with it by sharing, liking or simply thanking them in the comments. “Simple things such as liking a post that you were tagged in on Instagram can help build relationships. Customers always want to feel appreciated, and this simple gesture does not take much effort, yet it is so effective,” said Philtrina Farquharson, senior account executive at FINN Partners Luxury.
- Ask customers to promote your brand: If they’re happy with your offering, encourage them to spread the word online. Suggest posting a customer review on Google or Yelp — satisfied customers can become some of your strongest brand advocates.
3. Listen to your customers.
Use social media listening tools to understand who your customers are and what they want. When you understand where they’re coming from, you can align your posts and products with their preferences.
Here are some ways to listen to customers:
- Evaluate how they respond to social media marketing: Assess followers’ responses to social media marketing campaigns and use what you learn to tailor your online presence. “When marketers can tap into social data around content performance and where their brand fits within broader conversations, customers will feel their brand experience is more tailored to their needs and give them more reasons to continue engaging even after the purchase,” Goulet said.
- Learn your customers’ demographics: Fulton recommends using social media metrics and analytic tools to gather data on followers’ interests, locations, average income and even phone carriers. “Social listening and creating content that resonates with a target audience is important to build trust, loyalty, and provide products and services that customers want to buy,” Fulton explained.
- Ask customers what they think and want: Use social media to ask your followers’ opinions by posting polls or questions and gathering survey data. Listen to what your audience says, and implement their customer feedback about your brand and operations. Promote the changes you implement on social media to ensure followers know you take their feedback seriously.
To learn what people are saying about your brand online, proactively
manage your online reputation by searching for your business on social media platforms and search engines.
4. Leverage platform-specific retention strategies.
Not every social platform works the same way, and your retention strategy shouldn’t either. Each channel offers unique tools for keeping customers engaged and loyal; the key is knowing how to use them. Here’s an overview of strategies for top platforms:
- Build community on Facebook: Facebook’s marketing tools and other resources can help you build community. Private Facebook Groups give customers a space to connect with your brand and each other. Share exclusive content, post behind-the-scenes updates, and host Facebook Live Q&A sessions to answer questions in real time. You can also use Facebook’s built-in customer service tools to respond quickly when issues arise.
- Focus on engagement with Instagram: Instagram for business can deliver real traction when used strategically. According to Hootsuite, average engagement rates are around 2 percent or higher, with carousel posts often reaching about 2.4 percent. Use Stories for check-ins and polls, tag products in posts, share user-generated content and highlight customer stories. These kinds of interactions build customer loyalty. And according to Meta, 79 percent of people surveyed said they’ve made a purchase after viewing a brand’s Reel.
- Strengthen B2B relationships with LinkedIn: For business customers, LinkedIn is one of the best platforms for retention. Share industry insights and thought leadership to provide ongoing value via your LinkedIn profile, and connect directly with decision-makers at client companies. Case studies highlighting customer success can help reinforce trust, while LinkedIn’s account-based marketing tools make it easier to nurture relationships — a smart move given that the success rate of selling to existing customers can be as high as 70 percent.
5. Make your social media pages valuable.
Perks like coupons can drive engagement and retention. Post coupons or exclusive sales only on your social media pages to keep customers returning to your accounts and thinking about your brand. You can also post company news and helpful resources on your social pages to increase followers.
“Brands can use social media to share specific offers, announce company news, and even share exclusive resources, information, or tips about new or different ways to use their product or service,” advised Rachel Blanks, social media manager at InterContinental Hotels Group.
Sharing exclusive, helpful content can turn social media into a valuable resource for customers and make your account worth following.
6. Extend your loyalty program.
There’s more to customer retention than excellent products and competitive prices. Building a customer loyalty program will incentivize customers to return, buy more and reap the rewards. Use your social media accounts to promote your loyalty program and rewards, including products, discounts and freebies.
Loyalty programs reward customers who choose your business over your competitors. They’re straightforward to plan and implement and easy to market via social media.
Besides the obvious benefit of increasing customer loyalty, marketing your loyalty program on social media will bolster customer retention, attract new customers who want in on the exclusive offers, and create stronger relationships with social media followers by making them feel special.
Customer loyalty program ideas include offering unique rewards, giving special rewards for referrals, rolling out a bonus point campaign, and organizing a prize draw.
7. Embrace emerging social media trends.
Social media is always evolving, and keeping up with new features can give you fresh ways to retain customers. Think of trends as tools; when used thoughtfully, they can make your brand more accessible, responsive and engaging. Consider the following social media trends:
- AI-powered customer service: AI chatbots can handle quick questions around the clock, freeing your team to focus on complex issues. AI can also help personalize content so customers see recommendations that fit their interests.
- Social commerce integration: With social selling via Instagram and Facebook shops, your followers can buy directly from your posts. Shoppable content and one-click options make the path from discovery to purchase seamless.
- Community features: Customers want connection. Use platform tools to create groups or forums where they can interact with your brand and each other. Virtual events, webinars and live streams can also deepen relationships by letting customers engage with you in real time.
To
track trends on social media, use tools like Sprout Social, Hootsuite or analytics dashboards to see what content formats and topics resonate most with your audience. Tracking these shifts helps you adapt quickly and keep your brand relevant.
Importance of a customer retention strategy
A strong customer retention strategy is essential for your business’s long-term growth and stability. Here’s why it matters:
- Reduced risk: Retaining customers insulates your business from competition and economic downturns. A loyal customer base means a steadier revenue stream, so if supplier prices rise or competitors cut costs, you’ll feel less of an impact.
- Organic growth: Happy customers come back again and again — and often bring others with them. They’re more likely to leave glowing reviews, share positive experiences on social media, participate in case studies and refer your business to friends and colleagues. This type of brand ambassadorship fuels growth at little to no cost.
- Boosted profitability: Keeping customers pays off. According to Zippia, 65 percent of an average business’s revenue comes from loyal existing customers, and retaining those customers is about five times less expensive than acquiring new ones. Loyal customers already know and trust your business, while new ones may hesitate over price, product quality or customer service.
- Increased CLV: Customer lifetime value is the total revenue an average customer brings over the course of their relationship with you. Retention directly increases this value, turning each customer into a more valuable long-term asset.
Social media can help you shore up customer relationships
Customer retention is crucial to your business in myriad ways, so it pays to have a well-thought-out customer retention strategy. You’re probably already running social media marketing campaigns. Boosting your efforts with specific attention to customer relationships and customer service issues will protect existing ties and yield enormous dividends.
Source interviews were conducted for a previous version of this article.