Top Customer Retention Resources: 50 Killer Online Resources to Focus on and Improve Customer Retention

The only way for a company to become profitable is for its customers to purchase their products or services. Historically, companies have spent the majority of their marketing budgets on customer acquisition. The thought was, if companies reached more people, they could sell more. Today, as companies use data to determine customer motivation and behavior, they are realizing that customer retention is where they should be focusing their marketing efforts.

If your company is still not sold on the idea of customer retention, these resources will be of immense value. Some of the resources analyze the value of customer acquisition versus customer retention to help you make more informed marketing decisions. If you’re already moving toward a more customer-centric focus (and are adopting a system or leveraging customer retention software), these resources will help you focus your strategies and put their practical ideas and solutions to good use. That’s because we have gathered a variety of resources from customer loyalty, engagement, experience, and retention experts to give you the best information to set you on a path to more successful customer retention efforts.

Please note, we have listed our top 50 customer retention online resources in no particular order.

Table of Contents: 

• Articles and Papers
• Associations
• Books and Guides
• Infographics
• Presentations, Videos, Webinars, and Other Resources

Articles and Papers

1. Customer Retention: Integrating Lifetime Value into Marketing Strategies

Written by Arthur Middleton Hughes, considered by many in the industry as an icon of database marketing, this article outlines his belief that too many companies organize for acquisition rather than retention. Hughes also speaks to the importance of customer loyalty in this article, as well as to the need for using lifetime value analysis to test and improve retention strategies.

Three key topics we like from Customer Retention: Integrating Lifetime Value into Marketing Strategies:

• The meaning of retention strategy
• How to set up a successful retention strategy
• How to measure your retention strategy using lifetime value

Cost: FREE

2. Customer Retention: The Key to Business Performance

This customer retention article was written by K. Ramakrishnan, of the Strategic Marketing Research Team. The article offers explanations and support for Ramakrishnan’s assertion that the key to superior business performance is customer retention and arrested downward migration.

Three key points we like from Customer Retention: The Key to Business Performance:

• Both attitudinal and behavioral variables need to be understood when studying customer retention
• Customer retention has a greater impact on profits than market share, economies of scale, or other variables thought to provide competitive advantage
• Retention strategies targeting deliberative loyalists are the most rewarding

Cost: FREE

3. 105 Best Ways to Deal with Difficult Customers
@caroljsroth

Carol Roth, CNBC contirbutor and a preeminent name in business news, relied on her contributor network of entrepreneurs and experts to get the best tips and advice for dealing with difficult customers. Dealing with difficult customers is a part of the job, and these strategies should help you not just handle them, but retain them.

Three points we like from 105 Best Ways to Deal with Difficult Customers:

• Listen first and then reason with them because most people just want to be heard and respected
• Give them what they want
• Apologize, fix it, and follow up

Cost: FREE

4. Digital Strategy Tactics for Customer Retention
@mediacurrent

Written by marketing consultant Adam Waid, this customer retention article offers “a few things to consider when building your digital strategy for customer retention.” After all, existing customers’ loyalty is profitable, as they “spend ten times their initial purchase value over the life of a relationship with your company.”

Three points we like from Digital Strategy Tactics for Customer Retention:

• There is no better time than now to get to know your customers and create marketing materials and promotions that appeal to them
• Use the SMART principle to create your set of retention objectives
• Put email and social media to work for you with your brand’s fans and loyal customers

Cost: FREE

5. 10 Tactics for Increasing Your Customer Lifetime Value and Loyalty
@KISSmetrics

This customer retention article from KISSmetrics reminds all of us that while it’s tempting to focus on acquisition in this age of startups and growth hacking, it’s much more costly than focusing on customer retention. The value of customer retention and brand loyalty is not to be overlooked, and the 10 strategies for increasing brand loyalty offered in the article are worth considering.

Three points we like from 10 Tactics for Increasing Your Customer Lifetime Value and Loyalty:

• Send fans something they didn’t know they wanted
• Take customers’ advice and give them credit for it
• Be the most convenient option available

Cost: FREE

6. Why Customer Retention is King: The Evolution of Retention Marketing
@jerryjao
@Forbes

Written by Jerry Jao, a Forbes contributor who just so happens to be a retention marketing expert with startup experience and CEO credentials, Why Customer Retention is King: The Evolution of Retention Marketing offers his observations on how customer engagement and retention have changed. Jao also explains the ways in which technology will affect the future of retention marketing, in this customer retention article.

Three points we like from Why Customer Retention is King: The Evolution of Retention Marketing: 

• Marketers now acknowledge the need for customer retention, which points to the rising importance of retention marketing
• Companies must adopt customer-centric approaches to keep customers interested
• One main challenge companies face with customer retention is correctly interpreting the data customers leave behind in transactions and online behavior

Cost: FREE

7. 15 Customer Retention Strategies that Work
@GregoryCiotti
@helpscout

Gregory Ciotti has a background in developmental psych and neuroscience and loves to apply research “to practical lessons on creative work and human behavior.” His customer retention article, 15 Customer Retention Strategies that Work, puts that research to good use, as all 15 of the tips are backed by it, plus case studies.

Three points we like from 15 Customer Retention Strategies that Work:

• Clear communication is key to creating loyal customers, because they look for shared values when creating a strong relationship with brands
• Sell to customers correctly, by using words they love to hear and reducing pain points and friction, to foster customer loyalty
• Give back to customers while embracing “the art of the frugal wow”

Cost: FREE

8. 5 Customer Retention Strategies to Increase Loyalty
@udemy

A customer retention article rife with tips, 5 Customer Retention Strategies to Increase Loyalty is a quick read that packs a punch. The strategies are practical, and companies can choose to adopt a combination of them, one of them, or all of them, depending on their budget, manpower, and needs.

Three points we like from 5 Customer Retention Strategies to Increase Loyalty:

• Engage your customers socially – start a blog, tweet, and be interesting
• Show your customers your appreciation by surprising and delighting them
• Look at problems as a way to earn loyal fans by handling them with class

Cost: FREE

9. Improving Customer Retention Using Online Customer Communities
@RenildeDeWit
@iscoopcontent

Renilde De Wit, an i-SCOOP partner specializing in community and content management, explains the ways in which to boost customer retention through online communities in this customer retention article. She expertly points out that customers should not wait until a crisis to retain customers; rather, they should use online customer communities for customer retention.

Three key points we like from Improving Customer Retention Using Online Customer Communities:

• Identify unhappy customers and address their concerns efficiently and effectively to be proactive with customer communities
• Customer communities build a sense of trust and belonging that translate to customer retention and loyalty
• Use a solid content marketing strategy to produce relevant content available only for customers so they become dependent upon your content

Cost: FREE

10. 11 Customer Retention Tactics with Real-World Examples
@RossBeard
@ClientHeartbeat

Ross Beard, a member of Client Heartbeat’s marketing team, showcases his marketing specialist knowledge in this customer retention article. With a focus on measuring customer retention rates and implementing customer retention strategies, Beard explains how companies can retain more customers.

Three key points we like from 11 Customer Retention Tactics with Real-World Examples:

• Educate customers and engage them with blogs
• Use customer loyalty programs and mobile apps to increase customer retention
• Listen to your customers and utilize customer satisfaction surveys

Cost: FREE

11. The 7 Ps of Customer Retention Marketing
@MarketingProfs

CEO and co-founder of Evergage, Karl Wirth penned this customer retention article that marries key marketing strategies with customer retention marketing. Is your company running a relationship-based business? Check these seven Ps to assess your customer retention marketing strategies.

Three key points we like from The 7 Ps of Customer Retention Marketing:

• Companies must care about customers and customer retention, so they should hire people who demonstrate caring for others and put a chief customer officer into place
• Handle promotions for existing customers differently from those used to acquire new customers by sending targeted emails and in-context messages
• Include social media monitoring and customer engagement to your business processes

Cost: FREE

12. Customer Retention Strategy
@managementstudy

With four main strategies for increasing customer retention, this article outlines effective practices for companies to implement. The strategies are presented no fluff; this is a straightforward article that gets right down to the business of customer retention.

Three points we like from Customer Retention Strategy:

• Companies should understand that they may have to spend a little more to get higher retention rates
• It is not necessary to retain all of your customers; focus on retaining highly-valued and profitable customers who are loyal to your brand
• Keep your most loyal customers happy with appropriate pricing

Cost: FREE

13. 5 Critical Factors That Drive Customer Retention Strategies
@DMN3

Written by Dr. Robert M. Brecht, research analyst and Director of Research and Education for the DMN3 Institute, this customer retention article offers customer retention strategies that boost companies’ bottom lines. Dr. Brecht espouses the importance of customer retention, especially in relation to customer acquisition.

Three points we like from 5 Critical Factors That Drive Customer Retention:

• The research shows existing customers have a better ROI than acquiring new ones
• Engage customers and provide a more personalized experience for them
• The earlier you set customer expectations, the better

Cost: FREE

14. A Guide to Growth Hacking Retention Strategies
@B2Community

A Guide to Growth Hacking Retention Strategies, a customer retention article written by Mark Hayes, highlights Hayes’ knowledge and experience as a growth hacker at Growth Devil. His main point is that “retention must be a major focus that works in tandem with growth hacking strategies,” and he makes a case for data-driven environments.

Three key points we like from A Guide to Growth Hacking Retention Strategies:

• It is crucial to understand customers’ motivations and pain points to create a lasting dependence on your product
• Incorporate the drive for retention in the product development and marketing process to create a blueprint for success
• Drip email campaigns should focus on various product aspects with each email

Cost: FREE

15. Customer Retention Strategies in 2014
@SproutSocial

Jennifer Beese, news editor for Sprout Social and community manager/social media strategist for several startups, wrote this customer retention article to make the case for customer retention strategies that center on the customer, rather than those that have a marketing-driven focus. She suggests that companies put a plan in place that benefits existing customers as well targets new customers.

Three points we like from Customer Retention Strategies in 2014:

• Credit customers’ contributions and showcase their success stories using your product or service
• Include your customers and make them feel like company insiders
• Give your customers something without asking for anything in return

Cost: FREE

16. Retention vs. Acquisition – and the Winner is…
@OhadHecht
@ClickZ

Ohad Hecht, COO of Emarsys with cross-industry experience in marketing, sales, operations, and manufacturing, puts his thorough understanding of digital marketing and e-commerce to good use in this customer retention article. He acknowledges that customer retention versus acquisition is an age-old question for marketers and one that deserves attention, but you’ll have to read the article for his answer.

Three points we like from Retention vs. Acquisition – and the Winner Is…:

• Currently, marketers prioritize customer acquisition over strengthening relationships with loyal customers
• Focusing the majority of marketing on acquisition helps competitors who provide more individualized customer experiences
• Established businesses grow more affordably and quickly when retaining and selling to existing client bases

Cost: FREE

17. Customer Acquisition vs Customer Retention – 6 Strategies for Repeat Buyers
@MattBnB

Matt Ward, the brains behind Art of the Kickstart, explains just how important repeat buyers are in this customer retention article. As Ward points out, businesses “live and die by the repeat buy.”

Three points we like from Customer Acquisition vs Customer Retention – 6 Strategies for Repeat Buyers:

• Pair powerful sales funnels and email marketing campaigns with obvious upsells
• Subscription services and convenience are great paths to customer retention
• Utilize customer referrals

Cost: FREE

18. 100+ Ways to Create Customer Loyalty in Business
@caroljsroth

Carol Roth’s network of contributors and entrepreneurs is so extensive and knowledgeable that we couldn’t resist using another of her articles for our customer retention resources. These 100+ tips will help you turn your customers into loyal fans in no time.

Three points we like from 100+ Ways to Create Customer Loyalty in Business:

• Create trust and loyalty with prompt responses to customers
• Set up alerts to stay up to date with top customer and client happenings and use the information to send congratulatory notes or small gifts as appropriate
• Delight customers enough to get them to tell stories about you

Cost: FREE

19. 10 Top Customer Experience Takeaways from Gartner Customer 360
@MSFTDynamics

Senior Product Marketing Manager at Parature and author of Parature’s Customer Service Blog, Tricia Morris shares her top ten insights from the 2014 Gartner Customer 360 Summit in this customer retention article. Insights provided in the article were shared by key Gartner customer service and experience analysts and offer helpful tips for readers.

Three key topics we like from 10 Top Customer Experience Takeaways from Gartner Customer 360:

• Strategies for creating a customer-driven culture
• Seven secrets of a successful customer service agent
• Key brand capabilities for customer engagement

Cost: FREE

20. Revenue Management With Lifetime Value Considerations: Balancing Customer Acquisition and Retention Spending for Firms with Limited Capacity
@SSRN

This paper, written by Anton Ovchinnikov of Queen’s School of Business and Béatrice Boulu-Reshef and Phillip E. Pfeifer of the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, explores the interaction between revenue management and CRM for a firm operating in a customer retention situation while facing limited capacity. The paper also introduces a new concept, the value of an incremental customer (VIC), which is of interest to customer retention marketers.

Three topics we like from Revenue Management with Lifetime Value Considerations: Balancing Customer Acquisition and Retention Spending for Firms with Limited Capacity:

• A dynamic programming model for balancing investments in customer acquisition and retention, plus retention across customer types
• Optimal policy characteristics
• Modeling results versus behavioral experiment results

Cost: Contact for download information and cost

21. Social Effects on Customer Retention
@AMA_Marketing

Irit Nitzan, doctoral student at Tel Aviv University, and Barak Libai, associate professor at Arison School of Business, conducted a study exploring the role of customers’ social networks in their defection from service providers. Summarily, customer retention rates are greatly affected by customers’ social networks.

Three points we like from Social Effects on Customer Retention:

• The effect of social networks on customer retention is comparable to social effects observed in product adoption
• Over time, the effect of social influence on customer retention exponentially decreases
• Highly connected customers are more affected by social networks, while loyal customers are less likely to be affected

Cost:

• Single article purchase: $20
• Contact for subscription costs

22. The Best Articles on Customer Loyalty & Retention
@wheniwork

If you’re looking for even more customer retention articles, this When I Work post is a great resource for you. Browse through and read those that look intriguing after you check out the rest of our customer retention resources.

Three articles we like from The Best Articles on Customer Loyalty & Retention:

• 7 Ways Brands Are Using Social Media to Build Customer Loyalty in 2014 by Lauren Mobertz
• How to Get Fiercely Loyal Customers by Les McKeown
• The Step-By-Step Guide to Measuring Customer Loyalty Effectively by Brian Honigman

Cost: FREE

Associations

23. Customer Experience Professionals Association
@CXPA_Assoc

Customer Experience Professionals Association (CXPA), a global non-profit organization, guides and enhances the field of customer experience management. CXPA members “develop, manage, optimize, and envision how organizations interact with their customers” and supports professional development through research, education, developing standards, networking opportunities, and more. CXPA, in itself, is a tremendous customer retention resource.

Three resources we like from CXPA:

• Lessons Learned Blog
• Webinars
• CXPA Insight Exchange

Cost: Both FREE and paid resources available

• Individual Membership: $195
• Corporate Membership: Dues range from $2,500 – $10,000

Books and Guides

24. Dynamic Prediction of Individual Customer Retention

Available online as a chapter in Information and Communication Technology for Education, Dynamic Prediction of Individual Customer Retention is written by Xiaoguang Wang of Shanghai Finance University, Jie Liu and Fuming Wu of Fudan University’s School of Management, and Lei Guo of both institutions. The chapter addresses customer retention and proposes a dynamic model to compute individual customer retention based on Bayes theorem.

Three points we like from Dynamic Prediction of Individual Customer Retention:

• Customer retention rate is an important variable in the model of computing customer value
• It is possible to consider differentiation among customers while determining customer retention
• High customer retention rates illustrate that customer relationship strategies are effective

Cost: FREE

25. The Marketer’s Guide to Customer Loyalty
@bigdoor

The BigDoor utilizes better marketing to connect brands and customers and is on a mission to help marketers increase engagement and loyalty. This customer retention resource is their comprehensive guide to loyalty and engagement building.

Three topics we like from The Marketer’s Guide to Customer Loyalty:

• Debunking customer loyalty myths
• New channels for building a customer loyalty strategy
• New metrics for collecting and analyzing data to measure progress

Cost: FREE

26. How to Measure and Increase Customer Loyalty
@marketingcloud

This guide by Joanna Lord, VP of Marketing at Porch, urges marketers “to pay attention to the second half of the funnel. It’s no longer just about falling the funnel; we have to provide stunning experiences and optimize every touchpoint.” In this customer retention resource, Lord guides readers through BigDoor’s model for measuring customer loyalty.

Three points we like from How to Measure and Increase Customer Loyalty:

• There are five key categories to pay attention to regarding customer engagement: registration, frequency, conversions, advocacy, and rewards
• Tips for getting more visitors and customers to register include signing up for community CTA, joining the loyalty program CTA, and several others
• Use the framework and leverage the power of cohorts for lifecycle marketing

Cost: FREE

27. The Ultimate Guide to Customer Retention
@stevedeckert
@sweettooth

Written by Sweet Tooth co-founder Steve Deckert, this guide to customer retention explains that customer retention gained popularity when the findings of a Harvard Business Review study were released in 2011 claiming that “increasing customer retention rates by 5% increases profits by 25% to 95%.” Decker then explains three methods to increase customer retention: strategies, tactics, and tools.

Three points we like from The Ultimate Guide to Customer Retention:

• Customer referral marketing is not necessarily about getting customers to refer others, but about the established correlation between a customer’s likelihood to refer and profit
• Businesses can increase customer satisfaction and referrals with extraordinary customer service
• Personalization is best for merchants with large customer bases and amounts of customer data that can spare enough time and employees to perform sufficient analysis

Cost: FREE

28. The Ultimate Guide to Customer Loyalty
@anand_sriniv

Founder of LeadJoint.com and digital media consultant, Anand Srinivasan also runs Entrepreneurship Daily, a newsletter for entrepreneurs. His guide to customer loyalty includes answers from marketers and business owners to one question: “What’s one trick or strategy that your business has used in order to improve customer loyalty?” This customer retention resource provides advice from those with experience in the industry.

Three tips we like from The Ultimate Guide to Customer Loyalty:

• Show where acts of good faith have been performed to show customers how you go above and beyond
• Give ample opportunities for communication and vary your communication so customers feel free to share successes and frustrations
• Add perks to existing subscription customers at no extra cost

Cost: FREE

29. Creating a Plan to Improve Online Customer Retention
@SmartInsights

This customer retention guide provides “practical customer retention tactics that any business can apply.” Specifically geared toward digital marketing strategies and digital communications plan, the guide focuses on “creating an actionable online customer retention plan.”

Three points we like from Creating a Plan to Improve online Customer Retention:

• Begin to build a profile of customers that interact with your brand so that you can truly understand your audience
• Create your set of retention objectives around the SMART principle
• SEO assists with retention communications and is not solely a customer acquisition tactic

Cost: FREE

30. Best Customer Retention Strategies
@SearchCRM

This customer retention resource from SearchCRM covers everything marketers need to know about creating and implementing customer retention strategies. SearchCRM is a trusted source in CRM, sales, and marketing, and this guide puts their expertise and knowledge of customer retention to good use.

Three topics we like from Best Customer Retention Strategies:

• How to develop a customer retention strategy
• Tips for implementing a customer retention program
• How to calculate retention rate

Cost: FREE

31. The Definitive Guide to Boost Customer Retention
@InfinitContact

Customers are the lifeblood of any business, but Infinit Contact points out that while attracting new customers is important, many businesses fail to give the necessary attention to retaining loyal customers. After all, it’s easier to keep existing customers by fostering loyalty than it is to acquire new customers. This detailed guide covers everything you need to know to improve your company’s customer retention practices, from the importance of customer retention to strategies for increasing retention, the retention tools and tactics that work, and more.

Three topics we like from The Definitive Guide to Boost Customer Retention:

• Importance of Customer Retention for Businesses
• Customer Retention Tools and Tactics That Work
• Recommendations on How to Get Started

Cost: FREE

32. The Definitive Guide: How to Improve Retention with Engagement

Growth Hacking Life covers the essentials for boosting customer retention through engagement in this thorough guide, part of a larger series on user retention. The guide focuses on three core principles of engagement, including building communities, creating frequent customer engagement points, and providing free value to your users or customers (without sales pitches).

Three points we like from The Definitive Guide: How to Improve Retention with Engagement:

• The benefits of growing an internal newsletter are clear: more opens, better engagement rates, and higher conversion/retention rates. Your newsletter subscribers are people who’ve trust you with their inboxes. Make it count!
• Potential users want to know you empathize with them and that they can trust your company. This means offering value for free.
• Inbound.org and Growthhackers are stellar examples of high traffic communities that have been built by product companies (Moz, Hubspot and Qualaroo). When visitors engage in these communities – they naturally keep these products in the back of their minds.

Cost: FREE

33. Motivate and Engage Users: Solutions for Boosting Customer Retention
@AppsAlliance

Written by the Application Developers Alliance Business and Revenue Working Group, this guide is a two-for-one customer retention resource because it begins with a podcast from a Business and Revenue Working Group Member. The app market faces a particularly tough challenge when it comes to customer retention because customers expect excellent performance, customer service, and long-term value.

Three points we like from Motivate and Engage Users: Solutions for Boosting Customer Retention:

• Developers must make “the act of giving feedback a seamlessly pleasing user experience” and study review of their products within app stores
• Strategic onboarding helps users retain information and reduces their chances of feeling overwhelmed
• In-app support is one of the best ways to engage users

Cost: FREE

34. The Guide to Customer Retention for Mobile Apps
@apptentive
@GuidesHQ

Written by the Apptentive Team, The Guide to Customer Retention for Mobile Apps is an online guide that gets readers to consider whether they are asking the right questions to improve their mobile customer retention. With less than half of customers continuing to use an app they downloaded after one month, customer retention is a very important issue for app developers.

Three topics we like from The Guide to Customer Retention for Mobile Apps:

• How to calculate retention rate
• Understanding customer retention as the most difficult problem in the app industry
• The tools and strategy for improving retention for mobile apps

Cost: 

• Portions of the guide are available free of charge
• To view the entire guide, register for a free guides.co account

Infographics

35. The Importance of Online Customer Retention
@gogulf

This infographic from Go-Gulf helps companies understand the importance of retaining online customers and utilizing best practices regarding customer retention for E-commerce businesses. It clearly shows the financial benefits of customer retention, over customer acquisition.

Three statistics we like from The Importance of Online Customer Retention:

• A 5% increase in customer retention can increase profits by 25% – 125%
• The probability of selling to an existing customer is 60% – 70%, while the probability of selling to a new prospect is 5% – 20%
• 39% of surveyed shoppers see loyalty programs as the biggest incentive to making a second purchase online

Cost: FREE

36. Strategies That Increase Customer Loyalty
@getresponse

This infographic from GetResponse’s Tomasz Zamajski, Marketing Specialist, clearly shows the value of fostering loyalty through long-term relationships with customers. Investing in loyalty programs and relationship marketing is less expensive than acquiring new programs, as this customer retention resource explains.

Three statistics we like from Strategies That Increase Customer Loyalty:

• 74% of consumers expect to receive a welcome email when they sign up
• Over 64% of internet users want marketers to demonstrate knowledge of products, services, and offers they like
• Segmented email campaigns get 30% more opens and 40% more clicks than undifferentiated messages

Cost: FREE

37. When Customers Stick: Customer Retention by the Numbers
@adamtoporek

This infographic from Adam Toporek and CustomersThatStick visualizes various customer retention statistics and examines the three most important aspects of customer retention: why customers leave, why customers stick, and why retained customers mean money. This customer retention resource is a must-see for companies of all sizes.

Three statistics we like from When Customers Stick: Customer Retention by the Numbers:

• 82% of U.S. consumers stopped doing business with a company due to a poor customer experience
• 52% of consumers would go back to a company after a negative experience if they were offered a discount
• On average, loyal customers are worth up to 10 times as much as their first purchase

Cost: FREE

38. Stop Gambling with Customer Retention
@Veronica_Jarski
@MarketingProfs

Editor of Opinions and senior writer for MarketingProfs, Veronica Jarski relates the fact that most companies rely on chance to retain customers, rather than focusing their attention on customer retention efforts, in this infographic. She considers whether these companies ignore customer retention because of fallacies, and she presents those customer retention fallacies, as well as realities and remedies, in Stop Gambling with Customer Retention.

Three facts we like from Stop Gambling with Customer Retention:

• Churn more often results from a series of episodes over time, rather than one or two poor episodes; therefore, companies need to focus on the entire journey, or the overall experience
• A 10% increase in customer retention levels can result in a 30% increase in the value of the company
• Incorrect perceptions of customer retention tactics lead to a lack of clearly defined strategy and poor execution

Cost: FREE

39. The Power of Customer Retention
@KapowEvents

From Cristina Boehmer at KapowEvents, this infographic compares customer retention and acquisition statistics. In visual format, the information is very powerful and drives home the point that customer retention is the more powerful and profitable marketing strategy.

Three statistics we like from The Power of Customer Retention:

• 68% of customers leave because they perceive that you are indifferent to them
• A 5% reduction in customer defection rate yields a 25% – 125% increase in profitability
• Companies that prioritize the customer experience generate 60% higher profits than their competitors

Cost: FREE

Presentations, Videos, Webinars, and Other Resources

40. Top 10 Customer Retention Presentations on SlideShare
@outboundengine

This presentation roundup from Travis Balinas, Product Marketing Manager at OutboundEngine, offers the ten best SlideShare presentations. The presentations focus on customer retention strategies, opportunities, statistics, and more, making this an invaluable customer retention resource.

Three presentations we like from Top 10 Customer Retention Presentations on SlideShare:

• Customer Retention, or Why Your Dog Would Make More Money Than You, by Chris Hexton
• Customer Satisfaction vs. Customer Retention, by Ahmad Heshmat
• A Better Approach to Customer Retention, from Framed Data

Cost: FREE

41. Applying the Science of Marketing to Customer Retention & Expansion
@atrichatt
@Dreamforce

This Dreamforce customer retention video features Atri Chatterjee, CMO of Act-On Software. Viewers will learn how to apply new marketing techniques and marketing automation technologies to develop and carry out strategies for customer retention.

Three topics we like from Applying the Science of Marketing to Customer Retention & Expansion:

• Developing customer models based on profiles and behavior
• Engaging customers
• Developing key metrics for measuring customer success

Cost: FREE

42. Customer Loyalty Programmes… Why Bother!: Lance Walker at TEDxTeAro
@walkshorts
@TEDx

In this TEDxTeAro Talk from Lance Walker, formerly of Loyalty New Zealand, features loyalty programs as a marketing strategy and an exploration of whether they work and are worthwhile. Watch this customer retention resource to get all of the answers you need about loyalty programs.

Three points we like from Customer Loyalty Programmes… Why Bother!: Lance Walker at TEDxTeAro:

• 50% of consumers say a loyalty program is a major consideration of where they shop
• Very few consumers actually use the word “loyalty”
• Loyalty rests on great relationships between customers and brands; it requires a deep understanding of customers and their needs

Cost: FREE

43. Jackie Huba – Expert on Customer Loyalty and Word of Mouth Marketing
@jackiehuba
@SpeakersDotCA

Author of Monster Loyalty: How Lady Gaga Turns Followers into Fanatics and co-author of other customer loyalty books and blog posts, Jackie Huba is an expert on creating and sustaining customer loyalty. In this customer retention video from Speakers’ Spotlight, Huba is the keynote speaker at the Marriott Springhill Suites Annual General Mangers Conference and speaks about new, existing, and advocating customers.

Three points we like from Jackie Huba – Expert on Customer Loyalty and Word of Mouth Marketing:

• Only 1% of customers truly are advocates
• Word of mouth is powerful enough to recruit new customers and grow businesses
• Companies sometimes disregard “one percenters” because they seem a little too fanatic, but they are worth recognizing and acknowledging because they are a volunteer sales force

Cost: FREE

44. Would You Do Business With You? – Jane Handly – Customer Service, Retention & Excellence
@seminarsondvd

In this video excerpt from Seminars on Demand, customer service training expert Jane Handly makes the case for excellent customer service as the driving force behind customer retention. Handly is known for her captivating style and practical ideas for exceeding expectations, and she does not disappoint in this short customer retention video.

Three points we like from Would You Do Business With You? – Jane Handly – Customer Service, Retention & Excellence:

• Customer service dilemmas turn off customers more quickly than any other problem a company has
• Companies that succeed take an innovative approach to their business and are not afraid to use surveys to get customer opinions
• Customer service representatives need to regularly smile at customers in face-to-face interactions to make customers feel valued

Cost: FREE

45. Top Strategies for Customer Retention
@hubshout

HubShout offers “diversified, well-rounded online marketing solutions to brands and resellers.” This customer retention video from HubShout illustrates the importance and value of customer communication.

Three topics we like from Top Strategies for Customer Retention:

• Know how best to speak with your customers
• Address customer concerns and issues
• Understand what customers need before they ask

Cost: FREE

46. Behind the Brand – Gary Vaynerchuk: Customer Acquisition and Retention
@garyvee
@BryanElliott

In this Behind the Brand video, CEO Gary Vaynerchuk, author of The Thank You Economy discusses engagement and the way in which customer acquisition eventually will all become customer retention. In his straightforward, engaging presentation, Vaynerchuk shares customer retention strategies and truths that are worth watching.

Three points we like from Behind the Brand – Gary Vaynerchuk: Customer Acquisition and Retention:

• Companies that build contextual relationships with customers will be most successful
• Word of mouth through social media is more powerful than an ad because it is contextual
• Marketers ruin business models because of overuse

Cost: FREE

47. BrightTALK – Customer Retention
@BrightTALK

BrightTALK offers webinars and videos for professionals and their communities, and this collection of videos and resources is an invaluable customer retention resource. From marketing strategists to customer success experts, these presenters share everything companies need to know for customer retention.

Three resources we like from BrightTALK – Customer Retention:

• Making the Customer Journey Work – 3 Critical Processes
• Advancing and Amplifying Retention with Customer-Centric Connections
• Improving Customer Experience to Retain Your Customers

Cost: FREE

48. SMGDenver – Frame the Conversation – Customer Retention
@DebDrive

In this video, the SMGDenver group discusses using social media for customer retention. Featuring 3D Communications’ Debi Davis, communication strategist and product enthusiast, this hour-long customer retention video features practical ideas for framing the conversation to gain customer retention.

Three topics we like from SMGDenver – Frame the Conversation – Customer Retention:

• Current customer retention strategies
• Current uses of social media in marketing
• Future uses of social media in marketing

Cost: FREE

49. Cult Loyalty: How to Drive the Only Customer Engagement That Will Matter in 2015
@Loyalty360

Loyalty 360 focuses on customer, channel, employee, and brand loyalty and engagement. Their webinar, Cult Loyalty: How to Drive the Only Customer Engagement That Will Matter in 2015, explains the major changes brand loyalty is undergoing and how to handle the changes and succeed in customer loyalty. See more Loyalty 360 customer retention webinars here.

Three topics we like from Cult Loyalty: How to Drive the Only Customer Engagement That Will Matter in 2015:

• The changes that result from customers reevaluating their brand choices
• The struggles of traditional loyalty programs
• Rethinking the legacy approach to loyalty marketing

Cost: Sign up for a FREE online account to access complete articles, multimedia, poll results, and more

50. Increasing Customer Retention and Building Sticky Clients
@mspbizman

In this webinar, Gordon Tan, Client Heartbeat founder and R&G Technologies Managing Director, speaks to a variety of customer retention topics. This is an informative customer retention resource that covers everything from identifying unhappy clients to implementing retention strategies.

Three topics we like from Increasing Customer Retention and Building Sticky Clients:

• How to create sticky, loyal clients
• How to build a client retention program
• Four service performance benchmarks that directly impact client retention

Cost: FREE

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