Diving into online communication can be both an obstacle and an advantage. You can more easily trace the success of engagement, but the learning curve for digital channels can be disappointing without a clear method in mind. Here are some potential strategies you can use to find the best way to engage with your customers.
1. Build a community
There are several ways to build an online community to effectively engage with your customers. Forums are the widely used method of engaging with customers and permits the customers to engage with each other. Forums will likely still be around for the expected future, but many companies are now finding it more advantageous to influence social groups.
Customers are already on these social networks every day, so instead of depending on customers to regularly visit your forum to interact and engage with you, why not prefer the conversation to them on their social networks of choice?
Facebook Groups and LinkedIn Groups are just a few of the many social networking sites that allow individuals and companies the ability to put up brand communities.
2. Host a Webinar
A webinar is another productive and novel way of engaging with your customers. They allow you to reach a large target audience on a platform that is very user-friendly and connected. Customers like the visual features of a webinar with live video of the presenter, slides, graphics, and other collective options.
Webinars also allow you to make an intimate bond with your current or potential customers. You as the presenter of the webinar can also be more vigorous, captivating, and engaging than you could otherwise be by just writing a blog post or a short e-book.
3. Celebrate together
When your company reaches milestones like reaching 5000 registered users on the website or attracting 50,000 new visitors to the website last month, celebrate your success with your customers and make them feel like they hand out to your success.
The mentality you need to develop with your customers is that makes them feel that they are also a part of your success and thank them for helping your site to be a success.
4. Offer exclusive content
Create content that is not available to the general public—content that is so unique and exclusive, that only members can view it. Put a registration process for the users to get access to this content. It will make them feel special and part of your unique group.
You may also want to provide some discounts and pricing to this group as well. A members-only forum where registered users can discuss industry-related topics is also a great way to engage your customers.
5. Respond to feedback
Successfully engaging with your customers means sure to take the time to listen to them. It’s not enough to just have a conversation, you need to show that you value their perception. This is especially important with online communication, where the majority of your connections, or at least the start of them, will be visible to other customers. Be sure that you strongly maintain your online presence and respond to both good and bad feedback. This can include social comments, emails, direct messages, etc.