As we highlighted in our article Transforming customer engagement in the digital age, customers are in control and seek experiences that build relationships with brands that span devices, channels, and time.
But how do you provide an experience that meets or exceeds your customer’s expectations?
We put together 11 traits of a successful customer engagement strategy.
This list can serve as a guideline and solid foundation to transform your organization's customer engagement for the digital age.
Successful customer engagement strategies are:
1. Customer-centric
Everything is focused on the needs of your customers, and those needs are put first. It’s more about making sure they’re happy and satisfied in every interaction. This shifts the focus for most organizations off of bottom-line results toward successful customer outcomes.
2. Conscious of context
The customer is in control of how they engage with your brand. Be sure that you always understand the relationship between your brand and the customer, past and present, as well as where and when the interaction is taking place.
3. Consistent
Each channel and device where the customer can engage with the brand should be consistent in design, style, messaging, and experience. This requires that all your points of engagement to be developed with the same customer insights and segments in mind.
4. Continuous
Continuity is key for customers, and the goal is to ensure that customers can seamlessly transfer from one device/channel to another and pick up at the same point of interaction. Don’t make someone start over with your customer support team if they switch from their computer to their phone while on the go.
5. Customized
Customers expect brands to understand their wants and needs and to personalize their interactions based on those insights. There’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to engaging with your customers. Get as close to one-to-one interactions as possible.
6. Convenient
Customers want to engage when they want and where they want. This includes any channel or device, day or night, 24-7. Be there and add value every step of the way.
7. Conversational
Always remember it’s a two-way conversation between you and your customer. That means listening more than you speak, and when you speak, add value to further the interaction in a positive way to continue building your relationship.
8. Collaborative & coordinated
Typically brands operate in silos and lack communication with one another about their interactions with customers. To deliver valuable interactions across the customer lifecycle, you will need to collaborate and coordinate your interactions between departments throughout your organization.
9. Co-created
People want to feel like they have control and the ability to shape the outcomes they have when interacting with brands. Allow customers to help create their experience through your interaction. This develops a feeling of ownership and increases the likelihood of loyalty and advocacy.
10. Committed
True digital customer engagement takes a lot of work, and it may rustle some feathers when you can’t see immediate, bottom-line return. Be patient and willing to invest both time and money in your customers to see the true value/results of your efforts.
11. Creative
Customers want to be wowed in their interactions with you. You can’t just do the same old thing that your competitors and everyone else are doing. Think outside the box and deliver something that will change the way your customer perceives your brand and interactions.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, whether you’re B2B or B2C, we are all consumers and have expectations that need to be met in order to feel satisfied. To meet these expectations, brands must treat every customer as an individual, building the relationship one interaction at a time.
While the behaviors or traits above aren’t all-encompassing, if mastered, they will transform your customer engagement and the way the customer perceives your brand.
Put on your consumer hat and think with each interaction, “What would I want to happen here?” or “Would I be frustrated if this happened?” Ultimately, simply asking yourself these questions can go a long way in driving value in your relationships with customers.
