7 Proven Models to Increase Customer Engagement in 2021

It is no secret that customer engagement has been a concern for business owners and marketers in recent years. As consumers continue to have more power over the brands they purchase from, it becomes increasingly important for businesses to understand what their customers want and how they want their needs met.

A new report by McKinsey shows that customer engagement is the key to business success in 2021. The study surveyed more than 5,000 companies and found that companies with the most engaged customers generated 26% higher earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) on average than their less-engaged rivals. 

Below are 7 of the latest models used by companies that are succeeding at meeting customer expectations in this competitive marketplace. These models could be just what your company needs to stay ahead of the competition. 

1. Provide personalized experiences across all channels – Customers expect brands to know about their lives outside of social media. Put customers at the center of everything you do — have a deep understanding of what they want from your company and provide it as much as possible. Create an online portal where they can track their orders and see what’s coming on the horizon. Make it easy for customers to buy by providing a seamless checkout process. In order to provide personalized experiences across all channels, it is important to think about how the customer might interact with your brand. 

The relationship between business and customer is changing. In 2020, customers are more demanding than ever before. They want what they want when they want it, and if you don’t provide them with the solution they’re looking for, there’s a chance that a competitor will. This trend is expected to continue in the second half of 2021; it’s time to make the change.

It’s also important to protect your brand from controversy and negative press. Since customers want a personal connection with brands, that connection should be guarded against anything that could damage it. Customers will flee from a brand with a bad reputation, so consider implementing a system for whistleblowing that will keep everything within your company above board.

2. Provide live customer service on your company website – Provide live chat as an option and include testimonials from happy customers on product pages. Consider organizing social media chats where people can ask questions about products or services — and you can even use conference calling to let potential customers speak directly with representatives from your company. Make it easy and pleasurable for your clients to reach out, so that when they have a problem or want to try something new, there’s no hesitation in reaching out.

3. Update advertising media – For instance, think about what your store is selling and consider what customers will do before they walk in — whether that’s browsing social media or shopping online. It can be helpful for stores to post photos of items on Instagram as well because people often look at pictures rather than reading lengthy descriptions.

Think about what screens are inside and outside your physical location and consider incorporating smart digital signage for seamless communication. If there’s an opportunity to advertise through those mediums, explore them! You never know who could see one of your ads while walking down the street or driving by.

4. Create an emotional bond with your audience – Provide useful content that solves problems or sparks joy. Take the time to understand your audience and create content that helps them with their challenges. Use value selling at the forefront of your marketing model and help your customers focus on what value you can provide them.

Create a blog post series or social media campaign around topics of interest for your customer bases, such as tips on how to lose weight, manage mental health, or plant flowers in an urban environment. This type of content will spark joy by giving people the information they need about things they care about. 

Throw out any preconceptions you have about what is valuable “content” — if something sparks joy within yourself, or in someone you are trying to reach, then share that piece of writing, photo, video, or any other format that brings value.

Be authentic while also being mindful not just of customers but also anyone else reading too. Ensure that content is edited prior to posting; the content that your company puts out will represent the company’s values. Avoid common spelling or grammar mistakes, and consider using a plagiarism checker to keep your content fresh and unique. Great care should be taken to ensure that your content is professionally written and aligns with your company’s mission.

5. Put customer service at the forefront; create a culture where employees engage with customers – This means embracing and asking for feedback, encouraging interactions between employees and customers, providing opportunities for personalization, and more. It doesn’t hurt if your company has a sense of humor either. Employees should always go above and beyond when servicing each customer so that they feel like they matter to your business. This can lead to higher levels of loyalty from consumers.

Focusing on providing stellar customer service is probably the most common of all engagement models out there — this sales methodology helps business owners show that they care about their customers and want them to succeed as well.

6. Use gamification to increase engagement – One trend that has been prevalent over the last few years is increased customer engagement through various models such as gamification and interactive content. Increase customer engagement by rewarding them for completing tasks and providing a clear understanding of what they are receiving in return.

One method is to create a game that your audience can play on their own time, such as an AR-based scavenger hunt where the user finds items at various locations throughout town or solves puzzles with clues found along the way.  Another tactic is offering rewards points upon completing specific actions, which can then be redeemed for prizes within your store. This will give customers something to work toward so they’ll want to come back more often.

7. Provide a customer loyalty program – Provide incentives for repeat business. You can increase customer engagement by making customers feel like they’re on your team, and not just an outsider looking in. Providing discounts or exclusive offers only available to loyal customers will help them feel like they’re in on the insider’s deal.

You can reward loyal customers with discounts or freebies, like exclusive merchandise. These incentives could be applied on their next order with other members-only deals or promo codes to share with friends and family. Offering incentives in exchange for subscribing to your follow up emails is also a great way to grow your email list by giving customers a percentage or a fixed amount off their next purchase.