Customer engagement – attracting and influencing customers — is earned through trust and over time. There are three layers to effectively nurture prospects into customers:
Emotion: Customers need to feel something for your brand and trust your proposition.
Rationale: Lock in commitment and ensure that what you’re offering makes logical sense.
Ethics: Communicate your brand virtues.
Following are the best tactics to conquer all three layers:
1. EMOTION: Trust-building — Inspire emotions to engage customers:
Tell, don’t sell.
- Use storytelling to activate desires.
Put your social proof to use.
- Shout about your endorsements: ratings, reviews and testimonials.
Personalize your message.
- Seventy-four percent of marketers say personalization increases engagement.
2. RATIONALE: Commitment-building — Align your proposition as a solution to an existing want, need, or problem:
Position your product to meet a need or desire.
- Content should paint a picture of where customers will be after their purchase.
Use data to segment your audiences.
- Use preferences and behaviors to customize content: 91% of consumers are more likely to purchase brands that provide recommendations and 83% are willing to share their data.
Leverage different channels.
- Use multiple media channels to ensure consistent communication throughout the buying cycle.
3. ETHICS: Promotion-building — Putting ethics before profit inspires: 66% of consumers spend more money with ethical businesses:
Make a commitment – and stick to it.
- Showing that you’re making a difference earns consumer trust and confirms your reputation.
Make customers feel your dedication after they’ve purchased.
- Inform customers of your local commitment.
Make it about more than the transaction.
- Convey your community involvement; customers are appreciative if their purchase helps others.
Customer engagement is achieving the right balance of compassionate and rational marketing. Authentic narrative inspires prospects to become customers.
Source: dotdigital.com, reported by Chris Cano; jasmconsulting.com