In the bustling world of business, there’s a story that often goes untold — the tale of enduring client relationships. Backslash Creative CEO Tim Priebe shares the secrets behind their long-term client relationships.
Tim reveals the strategies and practices that have helped his company cultivate durable partnerships, offering valuable insights for any business aiming to build lasting client connections.
Who Is Tim Priebe?
Tim is the owner of Backslash Creative, a full-service digital marketing agency helping businesses and nonprofits transform their online presence through strategic, creative solutions. His dedication to excellence and community involvement, including regular volunteer work and company initiatives like Fun Fridays, has earned him long-term client relationships and a reputation as a trusted leader in digital marketing.
Building trust through consistency is of key importance. Tim had a few advice for maintaining a consistent brand voice across various digital platforms:
- Develop a clear brand guide that outlines your brand voice, style, and messaging
- Ensure all team members and partners are familiar with it
- Regularly review and update the guide to keep it relevant
- Use consistent visuals and language across all platforms and periodically audit your content to ensure it aligns with your brand's voice
- Stay in regular contact with your client so you can adjust as time goes on, especially as things change in their organization
Backslash Creative has seen firsthand how this principle can lead to positive outcomes. Tim shares with DesignRush readers one of their significant success stories, with Land Enterprises Roofing, which needed a consistent online presence to stand out in Oklahoma's competitive roofing market.
“Land Enterprises Roofing faced challenges with an inconsistent brand message, no consistency with social posting or email marketing, and needed to build a stronger online presence. By implementing a unified strategy and emphasizing consistent messaging, we were able to drive significant positive results for them,” he explains.
According to Tim, working with the owners, Backslash Creative developed a professional website showcasing their expertise and helpfulness. Then, over the years, he expanded their online marketing to include social media and email campaigns.
As Tim says, they collaborate with owner Kirsten Land regularly to maintain their professional image, leading to improved engagement, visibility, and business opportunities.
If you're looking for an agency to help brand or rebrand your business, our list of top branding agencies is a good place to start. Meanwhile, watch our video to learn how to build audience trust:
How to Foster Long-Term Client Relationships
Backslash Creative’s portfolio boasts clients who have been loyal to the company for more than a decade. Given this, I asked Tim what practices they have implemented to foster such long-term relationships and ensure ongoing client satisfaction and loyalty.
He points out the following key strategies:
- Prioritizing open communication and regular check-ins to stay aligned with clients' needs
- Ensuring continuous support and timely updates
- Consistently delivering high-quality work
- Showing genuine interest in their success to build trust and loyalty
- Celebrating their successes and milestones, reinforcing their commitment to long-term growth
“We're not perfect, but we communicate openly about that with our clients. Several years back, we had a client with whom we had messed up a couple of situations in a row, yet he kept referring us to others. When I asked him why that was, he replied, 'I never have to wonder what's going on with you and your team'. Even if you mess up, you are very transparent and make it right quickly,” he describes.
Discussing how a company can maintain long-term relationships, Tim emphasizes that personalized service and proactive problem-solving are essential tactics.
In his opinion:
“We deeply understand our clients' businesses and provide tailored solutions that address their unique pain points and challenges. Regularly sharing industry insights and new strategies keeps them informed and engaged. We also make it a point to highlight and celebrate their successes, reinforcing that we are invested in their ongoing success.”
When appropriate, Tim says they also engage with clients personally, sharing that recently he attended a science fiction convention with a client and her husband.
Building friendships with clients is a common practice in their business, he concludes.
There Can Be No Sense of Community Without Caring
I asked Tim how Backslash Creative incorporates the philosophy “Without a sense of caring, there can be no sense of community” into its marketing strategies to build strong, engaged communities around its brand.
This was his answer:
“It starts with our company culture, which is reflected in our work. We engage in community-building activities and volunteer work, such as Fun Fridays, where we combine team activities with community service to foster camaraderie and social responsibility. Our consistent volunteer efforts with local nonprofits align with our core values of teamwork, relationships, and gratitude.
By showcasing these initiatives in our marketing, we demonstrate our commitment to the community and encourage clients and followers to join us in making a positive impact.
Many of our clients see our example and are motivated to take a similar approach, showcasing their own company culture. Their marketing is not purely promotional, which helps build a community around the people and their brand.
This philosophy is integrated into our marketing strategies by highlighting community involvement stories whenever possible and using our platforms to promote social good. We believe that this not only builds a stronger community but also reinforces organizations' values and mission in the minds of their audiences.”
