Customer service is constantly evolving to accommodate changing consumer tastes and preferences. However, the most significant milestone in the field is the rise of the customer engagement niche and the subsequent development of customer engagement platforms.
A customer engagement platform is a software that facilitates real-time interactions with existing and potential customers. It also helps track customer behavior throughout the purchase funnel.
While customer support is vital, genuine connections between customers and brands formed and nurtured via customer engagement have longevity. Therefore, below are the primary reasons why businesses should include customer engagement platforms in their marketing and engagement strategy.
1. First-Hand Insights Into Customer Behavior
A business’s customers are its bloodline, yet the customer needs constantly change. While most search engine and customer relationship management platforms feature analytical tools that give insights into consumer behavior, the analytical reports generated are open to interpretation. Therefore, the conclusion drawn by the marketing or customer service teams from such reports may not be accurate.
However, while customer engagement platforms rely on analytics and tracking, they support additional features like advanced segmentation, personalization, contextual communication, and behavioral messaging. Such features allow the platform to engage with consumers in real-time and generate precise analytics reports.
First-hand consumer insights give businesses vital customer-centric information they would not have gotten otherwise. A proactive business can use the data retrieved from a customer engagement platform to streamline its services and improve product design, creating a competitive advantage. Moreover, besides troubleshooting and problem-solving, it can also identify upselling opportunities.
2. Enhanced Brand Equity
Brand equity is the perception a brand name generates within the general public and encompasses various elements, including brand name recognition, influence/sway, and goodwill. Brand equity affects different consumer purchasing decisions, including brand loyalty.
According to one study, brand equity influences perceived quality and brand associations like brand loyalty, generating positive consumer responses. Therefore, while brand equity relies more on human bias than empirical data, it creates value in the long run.
Moreover, a second study concluded that customer engagement influenced customer satisfaction, leading to brand love and an increase in customer-based brand equity. Investing in a customer engagement platform is the surest way to build brand equity and reap the benefits of running an influential brand.
3. Revenue Growth
A business’s primary goal is to generate revenue and increase profit margins by maximizing product and service sales. However, sales and customer satisfaction go hand-in-hand, hence the need for a customer engagement platform.
First, by increasing customer engagement, a customer engagement platform increases customer satisfaction and retention rates. Repeat customers are more aware of your product and services, making it easier to upsell or convince them to expand their basket size.
Higher sales volumes and high-value purchase items will increase your business’s revenue. Moreover, the brand loyalty generated by customer satisfaction generates a high customer lifetime value.
4. Lower Marketing Costs
A robust and effective marketing strategy is vital for business growth. However, a business must have a substantial marketing budget to sell its brand, goods, and services across various channels.
One expert report recommends that business-to-business companies allocate 2%-5% of their total revenue to marketing. Moreover, it recommends that business-to-consumer companies spend 5%-10% of their total revenue on marketing efforts.
The budget recommendations above show that while marketing is necessary, it is expensive. However, investing in a customer engagement platform can significantly reduce your marketing costs.
Customer engagement leads to customer satisfaction and brand loyalty. Loyal customers become brand advocates who market your brand via word of mouth or their online pages and platforms free of charge. One industry report shows that 90% of people are more likely to trust a recommended brand. Moreover, customer engagement leads to a high customer retention rate, lowering customer acquisition costs.
5. Easier Crisis Management
Running a business is challenging, and unprecedented events are likely to occur at some point. While crises are inevitable, your brand’s communication strategy response to the crisis affects your brand equity.
A customer engagement platform allows you to be more responsive during a crisis by prioritizing customer needs and facilitating personalized communication. Such interventions free your customer support team to cater to the most critical crisis elements and avoid being overwhelmed.
6. Save Time And Company Resources
Besides a customer engagement platform, the other prominent strategy is using social media pages. However, creating engaging content on social media platforms takes time and effort.
Also, social media management is a full-time job and may require hiring a social media manager or outsourcing the service to a digital marketing agency. However, a customer engagement platform mitigates the need for spending time and resources on social media engagement.
7. Improved Customer Experience And Satisfaction
A positive customer experience leads to customer satisfaction and retention, while a poor customer experience leads to customer churn and revenue loss. Moreover, one survey established that 58% of consumers willingly pay more for a better customer experience.
A customer engagement platform supports tracking features that gauge customer behavior throughout and beyond the purchase cycle. The data and feedback generated help a business streamline its end-to-end user experience, enhancing customer satisfaction.
Conclusion:
Customer engagement is a core component of today’s customer experience, influencing brand equity, revenue, profit margins, and growth. Therefore, all businesses should consider investing in a customer engagement platform to automate customer engagement and accelerate business growth.
