Strong customer engagement strategies foster brand growth and loyalty. Businesses that focus on customer engagement are committed to value creation, not just revenue generation. These businesses provide real value, whether through an exceptional end-to-end customer experience, great content or strong customer support beyond the traditional sell. Here are four examples of successful customer engagement strategies you might want to consider incorporating into your marketing program.
- Humanize the brand
Customers appreciate brands that are relatable and understand their needs. Businesses can be humanized through personalities who are passionate about what the brand represents. For example, Bethpage Federal Credit Union humanized their brand by creating the characters Beth and Paige, who were dedicated to helping members with their financial needs. These two brand advocates created a “trusted face” that not only helped build the brand’s presence and personality but they also grew awareness and market share for the credit union. - Cultivate Happy Customers
Obsessing over customers is key. It starts with company culture, ensuring the customer support team, the frontline of most businesses, is empowered by and shares a focus on providing an amazing customer experience. For example, PM Pediatrics, a leading pediatric urgent care provider, offers patients a way to save their place and reduce their wait time by registering online, and designs urgent care facilities with children’s comfort as their top priority. The customer experience is key because it gives marketers and business owners a way to increase satisfaction, loyalty and advocacy, and in the long run, revenue. - Use Social Media to Connect
Social media platforms provide opportunities to engage audiences and build a community. Valuable content and shared experiences keep customers interacting with brands. A good example is Metropolitan College of New York, who regularly hosts guest speakers—either graduates of the college or experts in fields of study offered at MCNY—and rebroadcasts the content across all of their social channels. This gives prospective and current students a chance to join the experience and interact with the brand. - Add Unexpected Value
One of the easiest ways to deliver an exceptional customer experience is to see where a product or service can be offered for free. For example, Molloy College created a Molloy Insider program, which offered prospective students a direct line via text messaging to current students in their major with whom they could relate and who could provide them with “real” free information about the school and answer any questions they might have about academics, the campus environment and social life.
Whatever customer experience strategies brands employ, consistency is key—from brand messaging to customers’ end-to-end experience, from their very first interaction to every department these customers move through. Give them a consistent (and exceptional) experience and the reward will be their trust and loyalty.
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