As a business person, you understand how critical your customers are to your business. That’s why it’s essential to communicate with your customers. Unfortunately, not many companies interact with their customers and insist on only pitching sales.
Successful businesses take advantage of advancing technology to engage with customers and learn about their behavior.
The following are 7 essential tactics to help you engage with customers better;
1. Build a Community or Forum Where You Engage with Customers
The benefit of an online community is that you're able to answer direct questions from your customers, and you can engage in discussions that are relevant to your field of business. You can also update them and share essential information about your industry.
Most companies have a client engagement platform which acts as a community.
You can create online communities on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter Communities. Chances are, your customers already have accounts on social media sites.
2. Hold a Contest
We all love to get free stuff. Holding a contest will attract the attention of your customers and engage them by giving rewards for their involvement.
You can hold a photo tagging contest on Instagram where your business is also tagged.
3. Use Technology to your Advantage
Instead of giving updates and providing feedback on customer queries, you can use the applications of technology to predict the customers’ needs.
For example, Lenovo manufactures laptops in colors that their customers request on social media.
4. Get Personal
Take a chance to understand your clients outside of work. Be respectful and not intrusive. Be prepared and willing to answer questions of a personal nature, as long as it doesn’t get too personal.
You can ask about a client’s family at the opportune time. Are they from the local area? If not, where are they from?
5. Host an Event
Hosting an industry event is an effective way of ensuring your business gets attention from your clients’ peers. Local meet-ups, events (online and offline) and webinars make customers feel like they’re part of a broader community.
You can also capitalize on local networking opportunities so you can physically interact with your customers. You can also take advantage of platforms like Eventbrite to plan and host events. The platform is easy to use, low-cost, and it links to social media to boost publicity reach.
6. Share Exclusive Offers or Content
You can provide your customers with special offers for newsletter subscriptions or paid memberships. This can be in the form of discount coupons.
You can also email your customers about exclusive deals on your blog. Majority of business companies provide platforms for engagement and leveraging with influencers across media networks.
7. Make Your Customers a Part of the Team
One straightforward way of giving your customers a sense of belonging is by highlighting them on your business’ social media page. You can do this for at least one customer every month. Or you can share their charity programs or testimonials.
If your business is celebrating an anniversary, you can award tickets and vouchers to thank your customers for making the journey with you.
Keep The Customer First
The goal of engaging with your customers is to develop a connection to your brand. A business should be a continuous conversation; that's why companies should engage with customers.
For more tips and information on how to engage with customers better, please explore the other sections of our blog.
