5 Simple Ways You Can Better Engage with Your Customers
As a business owner, you should already be aware that your customers are the lifeline of your business, which is why it’s extremely important to engage with them! The issue is that there are many companies out there who just don’t grasp the importance of engagement, they rely on shoving sales pitches down the throats of their customers instead.
This tactic may allow you to close a few deals, but successful brands who engage with their customers have a better understanding of what they want. Engaging means not do you have a chance to interact, but understand and learn what your customers value.
If you’re still looking for ways to engage your customers, give these strategies a try.
1. Develop Emotional Connections
It’s very important to get to know what your target audience connects with. When brands accomplish this, they are able to increase consumer loyalty. One of the most effective ways in building emotional connections with customers is to prove that they are dealing with an actual person and not just a nameless, faceless corporation.
Here are a few ways you can engage your customers while showing your human side at the same time.
- Introduce yourself. Whether it’s an email, direct message when you have a new follower, or welcoming a new member to your online community, always send these individuals a brief and personalized message.
- Include author bios on your blog. This will allow your customers to get to know you and begin building a relationship.
- Make someone your brand ambassador. Select someone on your team, it could even be you, that is the face of the community. Think how Steve Jobs was the brand ambassador of Apple.
2. Build a Community or Forum
Community and online forums have been around for ages, and they’ll probably be sticking around for the unforeseeable future. The main advantage to online communities and forums is that you are able to directly engage your customers by answering their questions, having discussions that are relevant to your industry, keeping them updated, and sharing information that they care about or are looking for.
3. Hold a Contest
Who doesn’t enjoy getting free stuff? We all do! Take advantage of that and hold a contest for your customers. Not only will you grab their attention, you’ll also engage them by rewarding them for their participation. You could ask customers to share creative photos and tag your business and the chosen winner receives a product or free one-year membership to your service. Other ideas could be hosting a voting contest or photo tagging contest where customers tag as many of their contacts as possible.
4. Make Your Customers a Part of the Team
Everyone enjoys feeling like they’re part of something bigger, like a team. Your customers are no exception, if you notice a loyal customer has launched a new charity or released a product of their own, don’t hesitate to promote them on your social media accounts. Or, you could keep it simple and just highlight a loyal customer each month.
If you just celebrated your first or even tenth year in business, celebrate with your customers by offering them a discount or coupon or attending an exclusive anniversary party. Not only does this make them feel like they’re part of the team, this also thanks them for their years of loyalty.
5. Share Exclusive Content or Offers
Provide your customers with exclusive content, such as a freebee, or offer, like a 10% off coupon, for being subscribers to your email newsletter or for purchasing a paid membership. You could even release exclusive content or deals on your blog and remind your customers when that will be released through an email. Many companies offer a mobile-first influencer platforms where you can engage and leverage with key influencers across many social networks.
We hope you found these solutions helpful! We believe with these five solutions you will better engage with your customers and in return, grow your business! If you need further help growing your business, call us at DMA Solutions!
