This is the
age of the customer! Businesses have to reach out to customers rather than the
other way round. It’s also the age of social networking; a single customer’s
positive experience with a business can reach to hundreds of potential
customers. So maintaining personal relationships with customers proves to be
immensely beneficial for any business. This is where customer engagement comes
in. It is the art of effectively connecting with customers and making them feel
like they matter in ways that go beyond goods and services. It is about
providing exceptional end-to-end customer experience, superior content and excellent
after-sale service and support which goes way beyond than a traditional sale.
So, businesses in this decade should emphasize more on value creation than on
revenue extraction.
Following
are some customer engagement strategies to improve brand loyalty and customer
experience:-
1. Increase
presence on online channels and social media
Customer engagement is no longer a series of
one-off experiences; it’s an ongoing dialogue. This dialogue can be achieved
via social media. Businesses need to ensure that they are being talked about on
online channels or social networking platforms. For this they should focus on
developing a passionate online community. Social media presence is an absolute
necessity for any business today. News about new products, versions, campaigns,
offers, etc. spreads almost instantly on social channels which can bring about
huge footfalls for a business.
2. Humanize your brand
A customer would remain loyal, only if she
can relate to the brand emotionally. This emotional touch can be brought in by
understanding her needs and providing her a truly personal experience. It’s
these kinds of emotions that shape their attitude towards a business and also
influence their buying behavior. So, it is extremely necessary to give a voice
to the brand. A group of people can be charged with the responsibility of
promoting the brand. They could interact with customers on forums, write blogs,
publish white-papers and present seminars to actively engage with their target
audience.
3. Stay customer-driven
Gone are the days of cold-calling when
businesses used to approach random unknown people and advertise their products
or services to them, today customers decide if and when to communicate. A
business’s job is simply to provide them the tools for easy communication.
These tools should be easily accessible and highly visible. They should also
offer options for different types of communication, viz., do they have a
question, do they want to post a rave review, are they facing any technical
difficulty. Giving such control to the customers results in better
understanding of their needs, which eventually leads to building a loyal
customer base.
4. Remain available 24x7
We are living in an “always-on” world driven
by mobile experience. Mobile apps have made buying experience more convenient
for the customers. Customers want availability in the palm of their hands and
that too anytime and anywhere. So businesses need to engage and interact with
their customers in the context of their daily lives through mobile environment.
This not only ensures better, more immediate service but also boosts brand
loyalty.
5. Use great content to deliver value
Many businesses have started using content to
educate customers about their products and also to help them understand market
trends, best practices and ‘How-to’ guides. This greatly enhances the
customer’s buying experience and increases customer retention. Businesses need
to use quality content to educate customers not only about their products and
services but also provide insights into working and analytics. This can be
achieved via blog posts, email updates, newsletters, webinars, updates and
posts on social platforms. 
- By Jaskirath Singh Makol
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