“More than 60% of customers interact through multiple channels, and irrespective of time, place, device, or medium, they expect consistency” (Deloitte Digital). There are two types of brand engagement: internal and external. External is what we will be talking about here between the brand and customers. Brands can engage with their audience in a variety of ways today more than ever. Social media, email marketing, digital advertising, live events, etc. That being said, there is a difference between brand engagement and customer engagement. Brand engagement is focused on pulling consumers to the business whereas customer engagement pushes people toward actions towards a purchase. Brand engagement tends to be on a larger scale than customer engagement as well. Here are strategies to increase customer engagement for your brand.
Surveys to improve the brand: people will feel seen and heard. If your brand listens to and implements feedback well, it will develop a good reputation from WOM.
Emphasize customer reviews: this is a form of user-generated content and others will trust the brand more if they see good reviews from real people.
User-friendly mobile websites, etc.: everyone uses their phone to look up things on the internet in today’s world. Your websites and social sites must be mobile-friendly. Otherwise, their time spent there will be less than limited.
Post consistently on social media channels: social media makes the world go ‘round. You have to be consistent with not only posting but also your brand voice. This will engage your customers to like, share, and comment. Integrating your social media channels onto your website can also be great.
The Four I Strategy
Involvement: make your customers part of your marketing campaigns
Influence: use influencers or content creators they like to endorse your brand
Interaction: when your customers do interact with your brand, you have to respond to them quickly and personally.
Intimacy: get up close and personal with your audience at different points in their journey on different channels. This will help you further understand their needs.
Brand engagement matters! It can help your brand get its name out there even more through WOM. Aside from this, it can also increase your knowledge of customer expectations so that you’re better equipped to meet them. This will improve overall customer experience and in turn, increase sales to give you a competitive advantage. There are a few ways to measure your engagement strategy efforts: social media engagement, email subscribers and opens, website traffic, and customer feedback. Once you start your strategy it will be important to improve on the areas that are performing low. One great way to do this is to incorporate UGC into your campaigns. The ultimate goal of brand engagement is to cultivate a culture around your brand that bolsters advocacy. If you’re looking to add user-generated content to your marketing campaigns but aren’t sure where to start, contact us to learn more!
