The Top Emerging Trends for Customer Engagement in 2021
For a long time, customer engagement involved the same strategies. There was plenty of focus on giving customers what they needed at the right place and time, along with a good rewards programme. But the pandemic has affected customer behaviour, and although some things remain, there are some subtle shifts in customer mindsets that any business should be aware of today. For instance, in the UK, as in other countries, there has been a growing trend in online shopping, not just for clothing or electronic items, but also for medication, household items, products for personal care, and even groceries. Of course, as a business and brand, your focus should be on giving your customers a pleasant experience and winning their trust. But what else should you keep in mind regarding the top emerging trends for customer engagement in 2021? Let’s find out.
- Customer engagement methods led by insight
Today’s technological advancements already allow us to analyse consumer behaviour more efficiently. Technologies like personalisation, unified data for customers, and AI are paving the way for marketing specialists to learn more about their customers and target market. There are now various platforms you can use for analytics and campaign management. But even if they can offer you a lot of information, they still are not quite enough to give you intelligent data or insights regarding your customers. But a good customer engagement and loyalty platform can give you unique information about your customers’ journey whilst they transact with you. With this, you can create a more varied and exciting journey for your customers and make sure that it is pleasant, informative, and helpful in addressing their primary needs and concerns.
- Customer support becomes more conversational
Most, if not all, consumers today have gone the digital route, and the digital way of doing business will remain. If you want to engage your customers in the future, you would have to adopt various digital-based solutions to keep them satisfied. But customer support is increasingly becoming more conversational, albeit with the use of interactive digitally-based platforms that can engage customers remotely. When customers get in touch with a business through various channels, they expect to have one single, general conversation rather than a series of conversations. It took a while for businesses to realise this, but now that they understand it, they are taking a more human and conversational approach and giving customers a more personalised experience, even though they are using digital channels.
- Enhanced focus on customer retention
Any marketing specialist and customer experience consultant will be aware that retaining a client or customer is often more cost-effective than acquiring a new one. If you have existing clients, they tend to spend more, and they will do it more often. Alongside this, they are more likely to recommend your product or brand to their family, friends, colleagues, and so on.
Your customers are more likely to return to your business or brand if they have had a pleasant experience with you, so think of how you can provide them with consistently positive experiences that are also fruitful and reliable. Your customers will continue to engage with your brand if they know that they are appreciated and cared for. Also, you can further enhance customer retention by keeping your current clients excited with various new offers.
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