Marketing is consistently becoming more personalized and targeted, focusing on smaller groups of relevant prospects instead of a single, large audience. Marketers need to focus on building closer, emotional connections with their customers to increase satisfaction, retention and revenue.
In the past, companies focused primarily on selling their products to customers without much care for expanding on the relationship and ensuring the target consumers’ preferences are met. A recent study from Marketo revealed that customer engagement is establishing itself as a top priority in digital marketing, according to Forbes. Companies are starting to emphasize the customer life cycle rather than making a one-off sale. Marketers need to provide a unique, personalized experience for customers at each touch point in the sales process. Putting this into practice will require more in-depth content, which will need to be optimized for a user’s device or the particular context of the situation.
How to enhance engagement in your marketing efforts
Digital engagement can seem like an overwhelming obstacle to marketers. However, it needs to be a major focus of your efforts this year because you will risk alienating your target audience otherwise. Consumers use more devices than ever before to interact with the same brands. For example, a client may browse your website from a mobile device on the go and return from a desktop computer at a later time. It’s crucial to provide a consistent experience for users across different platforms to encourage long-term loyalty.
Brands need to approach customer engagement in a way that reflects clients’ paths to purchase, MarketingProfs stated. Businesses have to consider what customer engagement means to them and their target audiences. How well can your currently define the types of interactions and experiences you offer to your clients and prospects?
Not only do organizations need a plan for digital engagement, but they also need to set a timeline. How much progress can you make in the next three months? What about the next six? It’s especially important to consider the future if you plan to implement new marketing technology in the next year.
Mapping your current marketing technology ecosystem is crucial for opening up new opportunities for customer engagement. It seems like new technology is emerging every day, which has the potential to shift how clients interact with their favorite brands. However, real engagement can often occur with just a few tools.