What is Customer Engagement and What you Should Do
All-in-one Definition, Tips, and Case Studies
What is Customer Engagement (CE) and what are the ultimate goals?
Following the broadly adopted internet development and information transparency in the late 1990s, customers’ demand for uniqueness is higher as well. In 2006, consequently, the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) initially proposed the definition of Customer Engagement (CE). And soon after more authorities or publications define CE as well. There may be some nuances, they share the same core of the meaning in Customer Engagement.
Customer Engagement is an emotional connection between the customer and the brand. The connection requires long-term and mutual interaction, communication, and amiable customer experiences. And can lead to higher customer loyalty.
Although not limited to online or offline, the enterprises nowadays focus more on offline customer engagement due to the expansion of social media, bloggers and online shopping. In the CE process, the customer not only be aware of the brand but feel personally related, then they will react or interact with the brand, such as purchase or share.
Undoubtedly, there will be various kinds of customer engagement methods depend on different brands, products, services, and target audiences. The ultimate goals, however, are basically the same:
- Build up long-term interaction
- Increase customer loyalty
- Unlimited Word-of Mouth cycle
What’s included in Customer Engagement? What are the Tips?
Customer engagement includes from a tag, a like or share, comment, to UGC, cooperate with bloggers, personalized content, etc. Hence, to achieve customer engagement, you can start with following several aspects:
- Churn Handling:
One of the critical conditions of customer engagement is a “long-term” interaction with customers. This is to increase retention and minimize churn rate. Remember, maintain your old customer is always much easier (and cheaper) than acquire new ones! - Content Handling:
The brand produces content that matches the customers’ needs. This includes images, descriptions, videos, social media posts, or marketing campaigns. - Community:
Besides the content created by the brand itself, external comments and recommendations from social media, bloggers or YouTubers are also significant. In addition to boosting your customers follow your fan page, encourage them to rate or even post for the brand can enhance the credibility of your brand. - Analytics and Personalization:
Analyze customer behavior with big data. Not just segmentation, make sure you create personalized content based on every customer’s preferences. Analytics makes your marketing more precise.
Articles you might be interested:
Measurement & Report — Analyze your Customers in all Directions
Grab Every Customer’s Attention by Content Personalization
- Feedback:
For instance, creating a questionnaire that suits every customer so that the customer feedback will be more accurate. - Gamification:
Online interaction and lottery games attract customers’ attention, promoting more engagement and feedback.
Articles you might be interested:
Interaction Module: Get your Customer Engaged with Online Lottery!
- Communication:
Online streaming or chatbot allows you to communicate with your customers and solve their problems anytime, and anywhere.
Case Studies of Customer Engagement
1. Coca Cola:
As one of the classic examples of practicing customer engagement, Coca Cola builds its image of “happiness” and they involve their customers with the brand. They catch attention, promote interactions, and enhance customer loyalty.
For instance, they installed a “Happy Machine” in a student cafeteria. The students found out this machine dropping cans of coca-cola nonstop, one by one, and even a pair of hands delivering flowers and pizza.
Expedition 206 is another example. There were three “happiness ambassadors” selected by the people on social media, to complete the mission of finding out what makes people happy. People around the world would follow up on their journey and even suggest their next destinations. Coca-cola successfully gets its customers engaged.
2. Amazon:
Amazon takes customer experience seriously. Customer Engagement Technology (CET) in Amazon that’s been seen as the most important department. According to someone work in CET, CET is the heart of Amazon. In CET, there are multiple teams such as machine learning, software development, design, etc; whether through big data analysis, personalized recommendation, or chatbot and customized services, they have only one goal: listen to their customers, and create the best customer experience.
Conclusion-Take Care of your Customer Engagement
Besides exposure and business promotion, customer engagement shouldn’t be more emphasized for the brand. Create mutual and long-term interaction and communication, and further increase the emotional connection and loyalty from the customers.
Make good use of social media and word-of-mouth, value customers’ comments or suggestions. After analyzing statistics, create personalized content and experience to reach their trust. After all, your customers have way more choices on the internet. Grab their hearts by perfect customer engagement is the key.
Interested in Customer Engagement strategies? How does WEBA help to create effective customer engagement? Contact us today and know more! For more marketing, technology, and products, stay tuned to WEBA International!
