Digital channels for customer engagement

Customer engagement channels

There are many ways for businesses to communicate with their customers and manage those relationships. Some are more successful, and all have their pros and cons. It’s understandable that every business and marketing professional would want to know which digital channels work best for customer engagement and which are not as successful. The next logical step is then to find methods to improve the channels which aren't working or possibly replace those channels with ones that’ll be more effective.

Map out your typical customer’s journey across all channels

Let’s imagine a customer hearing an advert on the radio or seeing one in the newspaper – typical marketing efforts of a few years ago – and then going to your store. They would have expected to see the advertised item for sale at the price mentioned in the advert. Digital is just the same. Customers want the same experiences on your website, on social media, and in your SMS communication. This omni-channel approach will not only improve customer loyalty but drive sales too.

Let’s look at how your customers experience your company at all stages of their journey. It’s likely that they bounce from channel to channel before deciding to make their purchase. They’ll research the product, weigh up their options, find out more about it, and look for better prices. They’ll look for coupon codes, ask for your assistance and maybe even visit your store. The customer journey can be a long one. And it’s important that customer engagement is on point and consistent throughout.

An omni-channel approach to channel engagement.

At some stage of their journey, they’ll find the company's Facebook page. They’ll see what you’re posting, like a photo, and maybe even comment on an update. They may even use Facebook Messenger to ask those questions they’ve been curious about. A couple of hours later, Twitter might suggest they start following you there. They’ll see a tweet about another product which piques their interest and slide into your DMs to ask about its specifications.

Later, they’ll navigate their way to your website to compare the two products. The site will be designed with their ease of use and usability in mind. A chatbot will pop up and ask if they need assistance. They see an offer to receive a discount on their next order if they add their phone number to your SMS list. They might even show an interest in receiving WhatsApp messages from your business.

All of these digital touchpoints and customer engagement opportunities form part of every customer’s opinion of your business

It’s for this reason that a well-planned omni-channel approach is essential for every business. If the staff member replying to Facebook messages or running the Twitter account isn’t helpful to your customers, that relationship will likely end there. In the same way, if your website hasn’t been designed with your customer’s experience in mind, they won’t return and certainly won’t subscribe to your SMS list.

If you find that your customers aren’t on Facebook, don't spend time on this channel. If your customers don’t engage with your tweets, find another channel. Rather focus your attention on where they are – and you can be certain that they have a mobile phone at their elbow at this moment. An effective method of communicating with customers is SMS. With an almost perfect open rate of 98 percent, you can be sure that customers will see your latest specials. And with the notification ping of an incoming message, you can be assured your SMS will be read within 90 seconds.

Knowing how to communicate with your customers is key to improving their experience with your business. Clickatell Touch, a chatbot and live chat omni-channel solution for customer support, can assist you to engage with your customers anywhere and at any time. It enables you to resolve customer queries and, in the decision-making moments that matter, conversational commerce is an essential part of your customer engagement strategy. If you're interested in reading more about how conversational commerce is changing the customer experience, read our recent article. It highlights five benefits of how omni-channel customer experiences can positively impact your business.