When you run a business, no matter what sector you are working in or who your target market happens to be, customer engagement is vital. This is what will set you apart from your competitors; offering excellent customer service is why people will come to you rather than anyone else because they know that they will get exactly what they are looking for and be treated well. They also know that, even if things go wrong as they sometimes do, yours is the business that will deal with it best. If you want to know how to engage more with your customers, here are some ideas to get started.
Write A Blog
There are a number of different reasons to have a blog on your website, or even to write guest blogs on other people’s websites. Customer engagement is just one of them, but it is an important one. If you can write a blog that people enjoy reading and that they comment on and share with their friends and family and across social media, the reach of your business will have grown hugely. These kinds of blogs will show that you are an expert and know what you are talking about, and this will bring your business a sense of trustworthiness. Giving people free advice always works well. If you’re not confident in your writing abilities, you can even hire someone to write the blog for you from a site such as iWriter.
Be Human
The old saying goes that people buy from people, and even if you have an online business this still holds true. If you want to engage with your customers and build your business in this way, you need to show that there is a human behind the business. You will still need to be professional at all times, but it is important not to be too corporate if you are dealing with the general public, for example. A good idea is to always introduce yourself when someone first buys from you. This can be done via an email, for example.
Use Social Media
Social media is hugely important for businesses as it can definitely help you engage more with your customers. Not only can you easily show your human side (as mentioned above), but you can begin or join in with discussions, post competitions, answer questions, and generally interact with the people who are going to be or who have been buying your products and services. Make your Twitter feed or Facebook page a friendly, helpful resource for those looking for advice and information, and you will find that your sales increase and so does your reach.
Run A Competition
Something a little more specific when it comes to engagement is running a competition. Everyone likes the idea of getting something for nothing, and if there is a prize that enough people are interested in, then you will be able to gain their attention and keep it. When you do run a competition, you must be completely transparent about what you are doing and show that you are doing things fairly. This will boost your trustworthiness as a business as well, and that is very important.
