6 Ways to Engage and Connect With Your Customers More Effectively
Many business owners and managers often think attracting new customers is one of their most important goals. While this is very important, some don’t know that existing customers can be more valuable than new ones. Existing customers are 50% more likely to try new products and spend 31% more than new customers on average. Your existing customers also already know your brand and are more likely to become brand advocates.
So it could actually be more important to connect with your current audience members and keep them engaged. But just how do you make sure you’re keeping these customers happy so they come back? We’ll cover that here. The tips below will not only make sure you are connecting with current customers but also that you are making new ones feel at home.
Table of Contents
- Build a Community
- Ask for Their Opinions
- Create Content that Engages Them
- Use Face-to-Face Interactions
- Remember that One Size Does Not Fit All
- Keep It Personal
Build a Community
Online communities and forums make it easier to keep your audience engaged. And the good news is, with all the social media options, you no longer have to build your own platform to do this. You can leverage tools like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook to get your audience’s attention.
But once you start, stay active on the network and be an influencer. Also, monitor your social media feedback and respond to show them that real people on your team are there to help.
Ask for Their Opinions
If you want to know your target audience’s needs, ask them. There are many ways to do this. You can do it informally by asking on Twitter or Facebook, or you can be more formal with surveys and quizzes. But asking is the only first step. Respond to your audience, let them know you are making changes, and then do so.
Create Content that Engages Them
Every digital marketing team’s content marketing strategy is slightly different but usually involves many types of content. If you don’t have a marketing team, don’t forget to explore more than blog and social media posts.
If you’re stuck in the text content rut, try adding the following to your content marketing campaigns to increase engagement:
Short videos describing how to use your product and service for people that don’t want to read.
Infographics and other visual aids for customers who are more visually inclined.
Webinars that allow your audience to ask you questions directly in real-time.
Use Face-to-Face Interactions
While using digital tools to connect with your audience is convenient and easy, nothing beats interacting with them directly. And some digital tools, like Zoom or Teams, will help you do just that.
A face-to-face meeting can be a powerful tool when you are trying to close a sale or address a big customer issue. You can do this in person or digitally with a video conferencing tool. And if you are used to interacting digitally with customers, make sure you brush up on your public speaking skills, like maintaining eye contact and using body language to your advantage.
Remember that One Size Does Not Fit All
No one wants to be treated like a number. If you want your audience to be engaged, make them feel special. Some customers might need a personal touch and face-to-face interaction. Using analytics to understand customer demographics can help you make the rest of your customers feel more appreciated.
Keep It Personal
Think about it. Do you like incoming sales calls that are all about the sale? How about when you are having issues with a product? Do you like being upsold to another product that will “probably work better for you”?
No one likes a pushy salesperson. Rather than jumping right into a sales pitch, get to know your customer. Find out what their needs and pain points are. And think of yourself as a consultant rather than a salesperson.
Your current and potential customers are important to the success of your business. One thing works to gain more new customers and increase the retention of existing ones. And that’s keeping them engaged.
Above, we covered a few ways to do this, including building a community for them to interact with you, asking for their feedback, and creating a variety of content to keep them coming back. But you will find more. In fact, if you make creating more engagement part of your process, you will have no problem keeping your audience’s attention.
