Marketers are up against a lot in 2022: Apple's Mail Privacy Protection and Google's looming ban on third-party cookies have made first-party data more critical than ever. And the best way to gather first-party data is to nurture customer relationships and build trust so you can simply ask them for more information about themselves.

But data isn't the only reason to focus on current customers. Happy customers are far more likely to make repeat purchases, refer other potential customers, and deliver more revenue. That's why marketers should continue "dating" their customers, just as they would their spouse—that is, continue to put effort into their relationship to ensure mutual happiness.

A relationship takes work, and that doesn't stop the moment a couple gets hitched. Good partners put in the effort; they take time to learn about their partner's evolving needs and cater to them. They buy flowers and chocolates, learn their partner's "love language," and set up dates—all to show the other person they truly care.

That's not unlike a customer-vendor relationship, in which companies should be taking the time to adapt to their customers' changing preferences and continue to meet them where they are. Sending personalized emails and thank yous for their loyalty can go a long way. And the more time and effort an organization puts into its customers, the more customers will give back.

Here are three ways to nurture your customer relationships.

1. Never stop communicating

The first step to developing trust in any relationship is to create open lines of communication. Therefore, when a company acquires a new customer, its top priority should be to create an onboarding nurture campaign that establishes those lines of communication. If customers need anything at all, they will already know how to reach out.

The company should also ensure that it is quick and reliable in its responses so customers are encouraged to continue the cycle of communication. That ensures the customer's needs are being addressed in a timely manner. Just as successful marriages are built around communication, so are customer-vendor relationships.

2. Take advantage of marketing automation

A good spouse pays attention and takes note of his or her partner's interests, likes and dislikes, and preferences. Luckily for marketers, marketing automation can gather that data about their customers and help them use it appropriately.

Marketing automation can help marketers understand what product or services their customers may be interested in, how they are using the company's products and services, and much more. That data can then be used to upsell customers on products they should be using— ones marketers have identified based on the data they have gathered.