Conversational Marketing and the Customer Experience

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Conversational marketing can have a positive impact on the customer experience by using real-time conversations to build stronger relationships with customers and prospects, providing a natural interface for consumers to ask questions and get answers in real-time. It leverages the power of tools like chatbots, live chat, social media, and messaging apps to provide personalized and engaging interactions across the customer journey.

In this article, we’ll discuss how conversational marketing can help improve the customer experience.

Increasing loyalty and retention by solving problems quickly

Conversational marketing can enhance customer retention by offering proactive and timely support and guidance. Customers appreciate being able to get answers quickly and easily without having to fill out forms, wait for emails, or call support lines and are more likely to stay with brands that anticipate their needs, offer solutions, and follow up on their feedback.

Potential and current customers expect fast and personalized responses from brands, especially when they have questions, complaints, or issues. They don’t want to wait for hours or days to get an email reply or a callback. They want to chat with a human or a bot that can understand their needs and offer solutions in minutes or seconds.

Conversational marketing can help brands meet these expectations by using tools like live chat, chatbots, messaging apps, and voice assistants to engage with customers on their preferred channels and platforms. By using conversational marketing, brands can:

  • Provide instant answers and support to customers who need help or guidance
  • Resolve issues and complaints before they escalate or damage the brand reputation
  • Offer personalized recommendations and suggestions based on customer preferences and behavior
  • Collect feedback and insights from customers to improve products and services
  • Encourage repeat purchases and referrals by creating positive customer experiences

Conversational marketing can increase loyalty by solving problems quickly because it shows customers that the brand cares about them and values their time. It also creates a sense of connection and engagement between the brand and the customer, which can foster long-term relationships and loyalty. Conversational marketing can help brands stand out from the competition and create loyal customers who are more likely to buy more, spend more, and recommend more.

Fostering a sense of trust

In addition, conversational marketing approaches can boost customer loyalty by creating a more emotional connection and by building a sense of trust. Customers feel valued and understood when they can have natural and friendly conversations with brands that show empathy and personality, even when those conversations are automated with artificial intelligence-driven chat tools!

By using chatbots, live chat, social media, and other channels, conversational marketing can boost customer loyalty by creating a a sense of trust through quick responses and timely solutions to challenges and questions. Customers appreciate being heard, understood, and valued by brands that communicate with them in a friendly and helpful way. Conversational marketing can also provide customers with relevant information, tailored recommendations, and instant feedback, which can increase their satisfaction and retention.

By building long-term relationships with customers through conversational marketing, brands can foster loyalty and advocacy among their audience.

Motivating customer advocacy

Finally, a strong conversational marketing strategy can drive customer advocacy by encouraging referrals and reviews. Customers are more likely to recommend brands that delight them with memorable and positive experiences.

Customer advocacy is the act of customers promoting or recommending a brand to their peers, usually through word-of-mouth, online reviews, social media posts, or referrals. It can increase a brand’s awareness, trustworthiness, and revenue by leveraging the power of social proof and positive feedback. Additionally, customer advocacy can also help businesses reduce their marketing costs and improve their retention rates by creating loyal and vocal fans.

One of the ways that conversational marketing can motivate customer advocacy is by creating personalized and memorable interactions that make customers feel valued and appreciated. By using conversational marketing, brands can show customers that they care about their needs, preferences, and feedback, and that they are willing to go the extra mile to solve their problems or delight them with unexpected offers or rewards.

Conversational marketing can also help brands collect valuable data and insights from customers that can be used to improve their products, services, or messaging. By doing so, brands can demonstrate that they are constantly listening and learning from their customers, and that they are responsive to their suggestions or complaints.

Another way that conversational marketing can motivate customer advocacy is by encouraging customers to share their positive experiences with others. By using conversational marketing, brands can ask customers for reviews, ratings, testimonials, or referrals in a natural and friendly way, without being pushy or intrusive. Brands can also incentivize customers to advocate for them by offering them discounts, coupons, freebies, or loyalty points for spreading the word about their products or services. A brand can then showcase their customer stories on their website, social media profiles, or chatbots, and by giving them public recognition and providing validation for other potential customers.

Finally, conversational marketing is a powerful strategy that can help businesses create strong relationships with their customers and turn them into advocates for their brand. By using conversational marketing tools and techniques, brands can provide personalized and convenient customer experiences that increase satisfaction, loyalty, and advocacy.

Conclusion

Conversational marketing is not just a trend but a necessity in today’s competitive and digital landscape. By adopting conversational marketing, brands can differentiate themselves from their competitors and create lasting relationships with their customers. If you aren’t currently utilizing conversational marketing methods in your strategy, or only doing so in a minimal way, it’s time to consider expanding your efforts.

Greg Kihlstrom
Greg Kihlström is a best-selling author, speaker, and entrepreneur, and serves as an advisor and consultant to top companies on marketing technology, marketing operations, customer experience, and digital transformation initiatives. He has worked with some of the world’s top brands, including Adidas, Coca-Cola, FedEx, HP, Marriott, Nationwide, Victoria’s Secret, and Toyota.

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