Customer engagement is worth going after in a big way, according to Econsultancy’s research. Engaged customers tend to stick around for longer, buy more often and refer your brand to their friends. What’s not to like?
As such a focus on engagement is both smart and necessary. We no longer live in a broadcast world, but in a world where listening, reacting and providing great service are essential if you really care about your customers.
In my view the key to a winning customer engagement strategy is to make it like a game, where points make prizes. The more the customer plays, the more the customer can win. And customers / users should be made aware of this. But what are the prizes?
I have compiled a bunch of suggestions to help you encourage customer advocacy by keeping your most engaged customers happy. Engagement differs depending on whether you’re a retailer or a publisher or some other kind of company, so not all will apply to any one business.
So, in no particular order…
User-specific offers. Well this is about as straightforward as it comes. Remember to keep it personal and relevant. Target individuals, not segments.
Group buying / offers. If buying something is considered to be the pinnacle of engagement then encouraging group buying among friends (for cumulative discounts, etc) might be a good idea. Sites like Groupon are doing a tremendous job of revitalising group buying and I think it’s a trend that’s definitely here to stay.
Free upgrades. Stop spending so much money on acquiring new customers: spend more money on making existing customers happy! Why not give shoppers the chance to upgrade products and services for free, either at the point of purchase or out of the blue? PS – I’m not talking about mobile-style upgrades, where a sexy new handset tends to come at a cost to the customer (e.g. a new 18 month contract).
Extended features. Therapeutic Xbox games like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II require you to perform well in order to progress. The better you perform, the quicker you unlock new features (e.g. an AK47 with a red dot scope and attached grenade launcher!). Think about that… maybe you can create features that the highly engaged can open up?
Mentions. Some people like to see their name in lights. Recognition can make people feel special.
Exclusive / special events. People love the VIP treatment. Naked Wines hosts special tasting events for it’s ‘archangels’ and Marmite’s ‘Marmarati’ campaign is a good example of how to identify and reach out to hardcore fans of what can only be described as stinking black inedible paste!
Better products, services, content. If you’re prepared to listen and learn then your customers will tell you what they love, hate, want and need. Arguably the best way to reward your caring customers is to finesse your products, services, content and websites to improve the overall customer experience. Tell customers that changes are based on their feedback and they’ll love you that little bit more.
Product development. With the above in mind, why not form a panel of highly engaged customers to help steer product development? Focus groups can provide you with ideas that you may not have considered.
Priority shipping. How about offering same day or next delivery for the same price as standard shipping (or free)? Delight customers with superfast delivery and perhaps they’ll shout about it, and purchase from you more often.
Power ups. Last year I devised a ‘kudos’ algorithm for measuring and rewarding engagement, and to learn from users. ‘Kudos’ helps spot and reward high levels of engagement. Not all interactions / customers are equal. The most active users can become the most influential, not by volume of interaction, but because their interactions are weighted and count for more than first time users.
Prestige. Status. Badges. People like to stand out from the crowd. Power users should be recognised. Think about Wikipedia Editors. And as mentioned, Naked Wines calls its most active customers ‘archangels’. Econsultancy’s users are displayed in the comments area with various labels: ‘bronze’, ‘silver’, gold’, ‘platinum’ or ‘diamond’, depending on subscription status (bronze is free, diamond is the most bling…).
A courtesy call. Sometimes these can be bothersome and are little more than an excuse to sell something, but a genuine ‘how are you getting on?’ call out of the blue (or at an opportune moment) can be well received.
Print. Despite the well-documented woes of print-orientated publishers, we are strong believers in print. It can work extremely well as a content-based marketing tool. Econsultancy is on the verge of launching JUMP magazine, to support a multichannel marketing event by the same name (it takes place in London on 13 October: keep the date free if you’re as into the idea of multichannel business as we are). We’re using JUMP magazine to spread word while evangelising about multichannel marketing and joined-up business ops. It has primarily been created for a select audience… some of our most engaged users, and they’ll receive it first. Magazines, brochures and catalogues don’t need to be mailed to everybody.
Please check our Social Media Pricing, Reputation Management Pricing and Social Media A La Carte Pricing to choose the right social media strategy for your profile or business.