Customer engagement is crucial, especially now that the internet dominates the way we do business. Some companies have absolutely no trouble with customer engagement. Their base is loyal and eager to get involved. If this isn’t the case with your business, you’re probably taking the wrong approach. It may be time to step back and think about some of the things you may be doing wrong. The sooner you fix them, the better off you will be.
1. The Attempts Are Too Generic
Every message you send to your customers needs to have a clear purpose. Rhetorical statements are sometimes necessary, but they won’t require or inspire a response. If you constantly play things safe and stick to the books, your engagement is going to suffer because of that. Be funny. Be thought provoking. Be a little edgy if it’s relevant to your brand. As long as you aren’t sending out any controversial messages, you’re likely to see the kind of engagement you want.
2. No One is in Charge
Most businesses delegate the task of measuring customer engagement to someone who already has a different position. This job winds up falling into the hands of a social media manager or a customer service professional who may not understand what they’re doing. This is precisely why it’s so important to have a higher level employee who is trained in customer engagement. No matter what else they’re doing, they’ll understand how they should be targeting their efforts and reviewing their results.
3. They Aren’t Listening
Your customers might be trying to start a conversation, but you’re too busy trying to start a different conversation that they don’t actually want to have. Listen to what your customers are talking about, and use that as your focus. When they’re already eager to be engaged, engage them in the way that they see fit. It’s much easier than attempting to get them to move in the direction you thought you wanted them to. Your customers have already decided what they love about you, and one of the best ways to engage with them is to play to your strengths.
4. They’re Annoying Their Customers
Sending out too many messages or making too many posts, especially when the majority of them look like plain sales posts, might annoy your customers to no end. They’ll unsubscribe, unfollow, or unfriend you if they find that your posts aren’t actually useful. If you aren’t getting much engagement and what little you do get seems to be framed negatively, you’re doing the exact opposite of what you set out to do. Cancel your whole plan, and start fresh.
5. They’re Looking in the Wrong Places
Where are your customers at? If you’re a real estate attorney, they probably aren’t on Snapchat. Make sure you’re using the same avenues your customers are using. If you’re reading out to them on their favorite social media platforms and encouraging them to respond in the same manner that they’d respond to their friends, getting involved will only feel natural. Meet them where they are, and deliver them content that’s specific to that platform. Visuals go great on Instagram, and text does best on Facebook. Snapchat is great for temporary engagement, such as daily marketing content leading up to an event.
Overall, customer experience is key. As long as you’re making your customers feel welcome and listened to, engagement shouldn’t pose too much of a problem. It all goes hand in hand with providing excellent service.
Yes, I have been in this sales world since quite a long time. I totally agree with you.