The Importance of Engaging Your Customers as Individuals

Why Engage Customers?

According to research, customers who have a strong attachment towards a brand provide 23% more value to the brand over the average ones — majorly in terms of revenue and profitability.

To make the most of it – brands are bound to shift their marketing strategies towards customer engagement. Through both personalisation and individualisation in branding – brands need to create and design experiences geared for individual customers; specifically their choices and preferences.

How to Engage Customers?

Marketing initiatives in branding or rebranding should involve two-way digital dialogues — feedback, referral programs, personalization of services and offers (coupons, discounts, cashback) — all of which go on to create a solid base of brand loyalty among customers.

What does Research say?

According to reports by Manta and BIA/Kelsey, repeat customers spend about 67% more than new customers.

In today’s world, building a solid and loyal customer base is challenging, because consumers garner knowledge about the reputation, products and services of a brand, through social media, review sites and search engine results. Consumers hold the true power in their hands as they cannot be manipulated by the sales and marketing team to buy products. Rather, they have foreknowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of a brand. Therefore, they have complete control over purchases.

First Step:

So, to attract new customers, one must cater to their individual needs, and desires, by learning more about them and creating a great customer experience.

Second Step:

Brands have to use the right set of marketing tools, and with some patience, they may gain useful insights regarding customer interaction. Fine details regarding user behaviour — like the most used application features or preferred email content can be factored in while using customer behaviour statistics for informed marketing. This will help create initiatives that are specific towards the direct creation of customer-focused value.

Third Step:

Garnering data from the brand’s social media engagement via monitoring of online reviews can help the brand offer value more effectively. These processes can be leveraged through the following methods.

• • Quotes and testimonials on landing pages
  • Case studies
  • Engagement through social media
  • eBooks and Webinars as co-marketing tools
  • Events with direct customer connect

Such methods have twofold importance. They prove to the customers their importance for the brand, as well as help them understand the real value of the brand.

Fourth Step:

Many studies show consumers trust referrals from friends or peers than from the brand marketing itself. Referral programs that give some incentive to the customers are beneficial in this regard.

Conclusion:

Since customers are extremely valuable as a source of brand referrals as well as organic promotion, it is only fair that the brands help foster in the customer’s strong attachments towards them, by offering value and catering to their individual needs.

References