Relationship marketing is still a new concept that
hasn’t yet been explored to its fullest extent. The purpose of relationship
marketing is to ensure customer retention and satisfaction by fostering
conversations about products and services. A paper by Jung, et. al. (2013)
discusses how relationship marketing can improve upon value and retention by
augmenting traditional advertising methods through the use of informal
conversation.
Relationship marketing is still a somewhat
unstructured approach lacking a cohesive theoretical model. Those models are in
the process of development. The goal is to improve customer satisfaction,
improve relationships and foster an important message but how that is done in
an effective manner is difficult to define.
Getting right into the middle of people’s online conversations
certainly has its advantages in changing the nature of those conversations. It
is a direct focus tactic that provides a level of debate and discussion about
the products and services to help raise social awareness. What people say and
believe about products impacts its value.
People are rightfully distrustful of companies that
engage in their conversations using social media as their spin is nearly always
pro company and pro buy more products. Consumers don’t always respond well to
misinformation and may retaliate through argumentation, spreading
misinformation, giving negative feedback that spreads.
Where I have seen this successfully work is on
topics related to auto parts where many options are available. The marketer may
not be selling a specific product but could be selling a solution to a problem.
For example, your car won’t start and you need a battery cable. A marketer
could join the discussion and point out different brands of cables and where
they can be bought. Solving a customer problem.
Others may open up Facebook and Twitter pages and
allow customers to ask questions and debate related topics. As the customer
becomes engage it is possible for the business to help them become aware of the
options and offers. They build a rapport and conversation around particular
topics and issues.
The authors found that the positive benefits of
relationship marketing far outweighed the detractors. They acknowledge that the
use in the hotel industry is more pronounced than other industries and offers
unique opportunities to connect with customers. Multiple channels can be used
in sequence to engage customers more often. Academic theories are still
developing and growing and are in more need as the Internet speeds up connectivity
and social media sites that can connect customers with companies.
Jung, et. al. (2013). Online social networking:
relationship marketing in UK hotels. Journal
of Marketing Management, 29 (3/4)
