Relationship marketing builds good long term customer relationships thru regular communication. This means working to build customer relationships over a longer term. People prefer to do business with people that they know and like. You can expand your relationship marketing using online methods thru blogs, websites, email and social media. It’s a matter of building trust.

Blog Marketing: Blog marketing allows you to regularly reach readers on a conversational level. Each day you can reach them with problem solving ideas, business advice, and insights on how you can help them. They can answer back with comments. You can engage them in a blogging conversation. Blogging allows you to develop strong bonds with your existing and future customers.

Relationship Website: Design your website to be relationship oriented. This means inviting visitors in and creating a warm friendly user experience. Show your hospitality and offer guests free “goodies” in the form of free information, eBooks or tools.

A well developed FAQ area makes it easy for people to locate info and get answers to their questions. Encourage two way dialogue where they can easily call, message or email for immediate answers.
Make your website interactive. Create a two way flow of information with live support. Allow visitors to describe their unique needs and receive specialized answers their needs.

Email Communication: Use email to stay in touch with visitors that give you permission to send emails. Offer to send visitors valuable information or resources. This is about creating a positive experience, not spamming. Always offer an easy way for them to opt out from future emails so they have control.

Social Media: Using websites such as LinkedIn and Facebook, you can interact and network with your prospective customers. There are hundreds if not thousands of social media websites where folks from different market niches gather and converse.

The key to using the web for relationship marketing is to distinguish yourself from the masses. You must be willing to do what others are not willing to do. You need to dare to be different.

Related posts:

1. Do You Use Relationship Marketing in Your Small Business?
2. Social Media Marketing
3. Internet Marketing Using Social Media
4. My 5 Internet Marketing Predictions for 2010
5. 5 Biggest Social Media Marketing Mistakes