When it comes to relationship marketing and building solid business relationships with your audience, a certain amount of interaction is vitally important. So, the question is, how often should you interact with your audience?

Humor me while we compare three different scenarios and audiences.

Real-life Scenarios

You have a long, lost cousin, friend, or acquaintance who you only hear from once a year in the form of a text, phone call, or a holiday card. Of course, it’s lovely s/he reached out, but communicating just once a year, well, it doesn’t really give you a chance to stay up to date with what’s going on in your lives, does it?

Then there’s your former college roommate, who lives out of state. You only get a call from her when there’s drama in her life or she needs to vent about something or someone. Still, she’s in touch more frequently than your long, lost cousin, even though it’s only when she needs a listening ear (and you have two). She’s not connecting with you because she has an interest in how you’re doing or what’s happening in your life.

Finally, a mum who drops off her 18-year-old daughter at college for the first time. Thereafter, she texts and or calls every day to check on how she’s settled in and how things are going. Did you get to class on time? What’s the food like? Do you like your roommates? Really, she’s teaching you French. How lovely. What do you mean your books cost $900? Do you want your dad and I to visit for Parents’ Weekend?

What’s the point of these real-life scenarios?

Each can be translated to a business situation.

How so?

Let’s go over each one.

Business Scenario

Small business owners or solopreneurs who do not communicate with their customers won’t create name recognition. Relationship building and relationship marketing are pivotal for customer retention. If you’re like the long, lost cousin, friend, or acquaintance who you only hear from once a year, you’ll run considerable risk of getting unsubscribes.

Exception: seasonal businesses.

Business owners who only use their social media or email accounts to promote their products and sales are only interested in making money from their audience. That’s not good business. It demonstrates that they don’t necessarily care about them. Avoid treating your audience like the former college roommate. Don’t just sell, share valuable information, as well.

Exception: big box stores who offer coupons and other discounts.

Internet marketers and big box stores or companies who email every day run the risk of annoying their audience and causing people to unsubscribe from their lists. Granted, it’s good to be a caring mum, but avoid being overbearing.

Exception: business owners who follow leaders in their industry or who look forward to daily tips, affirmations, and such from those leaders. 

The bottom line is, research your market understand your market so you know how often to interact with them to build a solid relationship. There’re always exceptions to every rule, and even within the same industries different businesses will experience different responses to their communications tactics.

© Cherry-Ann Carew

Cherry-Ann Carew is an Online Business Coach, who supports emerging business owners simplify their start-up journey and helps existing businesses scale to the next level, so that they can earn uncapped income and live life on their terms.