What Is NPS and How To Boost Customer Loyalty?

In 2023 and beyond, a solid digital marketing campaign that contributes to outstanding customer experience is a must. However, keeping track of your progress requires more than just adhering to proven marketing practices and hoping for the best. 

You also need proven metrics to guide your strategies, and your NPS is perhaps one of the most important ones to know. Here’s what you need to know about NPS in marketing to put yours to work for you. 

What Is NPS? 

NPS stands for “net promoter score.” First developed by Bain and Company in 2003, it’s a highly respected metric for measuring customer experience and the gold standard to beat in many marketing circles. 

Brand owners measure NPS with simple, single-question surveys assessing how likely a respondent is to recommend the brand, product, or service to another person.

A higher likelihood to recommend correlates directly with higher customer satisfaction. 

How to Calculate Net Promoter Score 

When gathering data for a net promoter score, marketers ask customers to rank how likely they are to recommend a brand, service, or product on a scale of 0 to 10. Based on their answers, respondents fall into one of three categories: 

• Promotors respond with 9s and 10s—very satisfied, enthusiastic customers. 
• Passives typically give scores of 7 or 8—mildly satisfied customers. 
• Detractors give scores of 0 to 6—people who likely won’t return or recommend your service. 

You can calculate your NPS by determining which percentage of your respondents fall into each category. Subtract the detractor percentage from the promotor percentage. The result is your net promoter score ranging between -100 and 100. 

What Can You Measure Using NPS? 

As a digital marketing metric, the concept of NPS may sound simple, but it can tell you so much about how well you’re serving your customers. You can use it to measure almost anything, including: 

• How loyal your customers are to your brand and products 
• What is the public perception of your brand 
• How well you’re doing in comparison to your competition 
• What your brand’s growth potential is moving forward 

Top brands leverage what their NPS tells them to develop a deeper understanding of their customers as people. Brand managers and marketers can then use what they’ve learned to improve their content marketing efforts. 

How To Create an NPS Survey 

Their sheer simplicity makes NPS surveys incredibly easy to create. However, there’s still an art to making them as effective as possible. Some guidelines include the following: 

• Choose a survey interface you like and feel comfortable with (e.g., Survey Monkey or Google Forms). 
• If applicable, begin your survey by asking brief demographic-based questions to help with analysis later. Structure questions carefully and clearly. 
• Ask the critical NPS question: “On a scale of 0–10, how likely are you to recommend <brand name or product> to a friend?” Be sure to choose a simple interface design that’s easy to interact with, as that helps increase participation rates. 

NPS in Marketing: 5 Actionable Tips 

While consumers might settle for less than they want when buying for themselves, they’d never recommend a service they don’t love. NPS is a highly effective way to gauge customer sentiment and implement key marketing concepts more effectively. 

1. Conclude NPS surveys by asking the reason for the respondent’s score and feedback on how you can improve. Pay attention to the answers. 
2. Use your NPS to get a better read on your average customer’s buyer journey. 
3. Offer multiple ways for customers to get in touch when needed, including live chat and social media. Make fast response times a priority. 
4. Analyze all data collected during your NPS survey to gauge customer needs. 
5. Apply NPS findings to your segmentation system to ensure optimal personalization. 

NPS in Content Marketing 

Your net promoter score and content creation strategy are inseparable, as great content not only leaves your customers well-informed but also helps them feel heard, valued, and understood. 

That said, top-tier content is among the most powerful tools for improving your NPS, as it can significantly affect loyalty and overall customer satisfaction. 

Consider hiring professional writers from a top-tier content platform like WriterAccess to ensure your content really sings. 

What Can You Do With Your NPS Score? 

Think of NPS surveys as health checkups for your overall customer satisfaction strategy. It’s a metric that lets you know how you’re doing, but it’s up to you to use what you learn wisely. 

Yes, you can use your score to improve your content marketing campaigns. But you can also leverage it to improve the functionality of your customer care center, identify potential shipping issues, and more. 

The key here is to continuously ask for, listen to, and use customer feedback. It’s also vital to continuously compare your results to industry standards to ensure you measure up. 

How to Explain NPS to Customers and Encourage Responses: 5 Tips 

The more respondents you have to your NPS surveys, the more accurate the results will be. Here are some actionable strategies for encouraging responses. 

1. Ask for feedback only when it matters most. Your customers should feel valued but not pestered. 
2. Set expectations. Tell the respondent up front what the survey is about, how long it will take, and what you’ll give them in return for their time (e.g., a coupon or a raffle entry). 
3. Avoid common feedback collection mistakes, such as asking too many questions or overcomplicating your vocabulary. 
4. Pay attention to timing. Don’t wait too long after a transaction to ask for feedback, but give your customers a chance to try their products. 
5. Keep surveys mobile-friendly, so customers can complete their surveys on any device. 

So, what is NPS? Ultimately, it’s a useful tool in your corner when gauging customer experience and determining where to go next, especially in your content marketing strategy. 

Ensure your next round of content is as engaging, relevant, and optimized as it should be by hiring the right content creators to help. Sign up for your free 14-day WriterAccess trial today to connect with some of the best and brightest!