Today we thrive in a digital era. Marking your presence online is the only way your business can make profits and grow hand-in-hand. For most business owners success means bringing in new customers. But that by itself is not enough. You must pay special attention to holding on to your current customer base and winning their trust. Sounds like an easy task?
But that isn’t the case in reality. With millions of options to choose from and tempting offers all around, customers can step out and move on without second thoughts. This is where customer management comes into play. It is the core of running any business. It emphasizes building a long-lasting relationship with your customer by laying the foundation of trust and credibility. Improve the mode of interaction and double the efforts from your end to provide them with a satisfying customer experience. Extend the value beyond your products and services to other aspects that count.
We All Love Freebies. Don’t We?
This is your cue to create quality content available for free on your platform which can help the audience in their everyday lives. This gives a huge leap to their overall satisfaction and in return fetches you their loyalty.
Today most businesses work towards strengthening their marketing tactics. Customer Engagement ties marketing with sales so that you can accompany your customers in their buying journey. Once you have an effective customer strategy in place, there is no going back from there. It comes with a list of benefits. Number one is proven customer loyalty.
Following that, we have better opportunities for cross-selling and up-selling, an increased customer subscription list, a well-established brand name, and most importantly a shorter purchase cycle. This is indeed the avenue that generates long-term results without fail. Especially now, in the middle of the pandemic, it has assumed greater importance.
Bridging The Gap Between Brands And Local Customers: Need of The Hour
The incoming COVID-19 Pandemic has changed the working pattern across the globe. Both large-scale and small-scale businesses have been forced to enter the digital space. Embracing the change and stepping in for the transition has successfully helped in maintaining high business profits despite hindrances.
It’s surprising that while everything has come to a standstill, the eCommerce sector has undergone unexpected growth. It has been in constant motion to climb the ladder and has successfully created a space for itself in the marketplace. Today, the big-box retail that once ruled the crowds has taken a backseat due to its inaccessibility.
This calls for the immediate attention of business owners (especially of national brands and small businesses) to focus on creating meaningful connections with local audiences. Restructuring your core communication strategy and goals is the key to thriving and driving business in today’s digital landscape. The sooner you work towards progressing your brand-to-local relationship, the greater the chance of you successfully driving large-scale local customer engagement.
With this, we are certain that it is inevitable. So, now the question arises – What is the best strategy?
To make your task easier, we have compiled a list of customer engagement strategies that might benefit your business.
1. Utilize Digital Marketing as a Mode of Communication With Your Audience
It won’t be wrong to say that today social media rules our life. It has provided business owners and retailers a platform to connect with the target audience. It has opened a channel for two-way communication to understand the customer’s needs better. There was a time when digital marketing was used only to advertise products and services. But lately, its relevance has grown and serves multiple purposes. Today, it has successfully maintained a consistent thread of conversation between both sides that improves engagement.
Most importantly it influences the decision-making process and increases the chance of making a sale. By utilizing digital marketing in the best possible manner, one can build long-lasting relationships with consumers, stay constantly in touch and never go out of sight or mind.
2. Get Creative To Gain More Attention
One cannot stress enough the importance of getting creative and offering something out of the box to drive consumer engagement beyond social media validation. For example – you can periodically organize training sessions, product launch events, demo runs, and storytelling get-togethers via the online platform. This way you are always under lime-light plus you are accessible to a greater audience. That’s not enough, design attractive posters and posts that will spread the word on social media.
It is a window for the audience to get a look into your business and its functioning. You need to push your limits each day to ring a bell amidst the never-ending social media noise that surrounds us. Make sure you choose a team that can go beyond the basics to maintain the much-needed buzz around your business.
3. Learn About The Unique Scope of Each Digital Channel You Are Using
Each digital channel offers its own set of audiences who have very different expectations from each other. Identifying and categorizing them as a primary task can help you generate desired results and rip maximum benefits. Before proceeding further one must make a questionnaire that has a list of crucial questions, such as – Who are the users? Will they contribute to your business? Do they come under your target audience? If yes, what is the best content for the particular channel?
Based on the answers, you can figure out a plan of action. You can accordingly decide your content idea, the form of the post, and the posting schedule to bring about a meaningful impact.
4. Strike the Right Balance For Your Content Idea
Business owners often get lost when it comes to generating content ideas. Hence, one needs to create a content calendar well in advance to maintain the requisite balance between product and personal-focused content that is published. In current times, the audience wants to see the real faces behind the organization. This adds significantly to the authenticity and credibility of your business. Providing an authentic experience, and solving a real-time problem is the actual need of the hour.
Keeping this in mind, business owners should generate a business story and unfold branded marketing content. This personalized touch leaves a positive mark that goes a long way in increasing reach and gaining popularity amongst the local communities. Integrating a story into your product and services leaves a long-term impact and people go ahead to share these stories that generate brand value.
5. Take the Risk – Try Out New Things
Playing safe may keep you secure, but eventually, you will lose out in front of your competition. So be open to new ideas and give them a try without much contemplation. It can be something as simple as adopting a new social media channel or producing the Instagram famous ‘reels’ that are in trend. There is an underlying fear that things might go wrong, but on the other side, it is a huge opportunity for your business to bloom. One small risk might work out like winning the lottery that gives you a competitive edge over your competitors. Once you have patience and consistency the mantra of your work, business growth, and large-scale customer engagement is surely going to follow.
6. Build the Mandatory Brand Voice
It is often seen as an underrated move in the business cycle. A brand voice represents the personality of your company that expresses your fundamental, core values to the audience. This is a golden opportunity to allow your customers to know you better and develop trust in your products or services. Once your values are in sync with those of your audience, driving engagement comes effortlessly. They don’t just buy but also share a good word about your company. To maintain this human-to-human connection think it through and maintain it across all your content as well as communication channels.
What are ‘Google Business Profile Listings?
Google Business Profile is a free and easy-to-use tool that successfully establishes your presence in the digital space. We are well aware that Google is the most preferred search engine. For every small question, we resort to Google for our answers. So with My Business, you can add your business to the listing and make yourself more accessible to customers. It is a simple and hassle-free way to attract more customers while easily putting out the required information that you would like to convey.
However, there might be many of you who must be wondering if it is worth a shot.
The answer is a big Yes! With ‘ Google Business Profile, your business shows up right when the customers are searching for products or services that you specialize in. This way the customers can directly come in contact with you and simultaneously have all the necessary details readily available in hand. Unwanted work, wastage of time, and endless search – everything is struck out in one go. Hurray, We are all in a win-win situation. It is a one-stop destination for customers to find everything they want. And you are one step closer to connecting with your target audience.
Top Reasons to Use Google Business Profile :
Increases Visibility on the Web:
By claiming to Google Business Profile listing your business has a greater chance to show up in Google’s local search results. When we look for a product or service via Google, it shows us the Local 3 – pack. These are local business recommendations based on our location. Most Businesses target to make it to this special club due to its unlimited perks. They have been trying out the available SEO tricks to improve their local ranking and chances to make it to this list. It is easily achievable with a GBP listing. Once executed it shows customers your business on Google Maps as well as places your business before the organic results which can shoot up revenue generation.
Provides a Medium to Share Information With the Potential Audience:
It is an easy way to tell your customers about your business. You can easily share details about your location, methods to get in touch, working hours, etc. Not just that you can also put up the latest offers, updates, or any kind of news that may be beneficial for both parties. This maintains transparency which builds trust for your brand.
Acts as a Channel to Answer Queries:
It eliminates the unnecessary hurdles between you and your customers. With Google’s messaging feature you can directly get in touch with them. You can answer their queries without any delay. This feature takes your convenience into account- you can turn the messaging icon on/off according to your availability so that you don’t face any mid-work disturbance
Take Advantage of the Customer Reviews:
It is a very crucial factor in determining a buyer’s purchasing decision. It is the first thing we all look at while evaluating whether or not to buy a particular product. GMB listing allows happy customers to express their feedback and reviews. They are instrumental in guiding you to do better and the same time it appeals to the potential customer. It successfully gives you an edge over the competitors in your domain. Over time as you accumulate more positive reviews, it positively affects the overall search engine ranking.
Boosts Traffic and Sales:
By using Google Business Profile, you can effortlessly divert your browsing users to your business. The numbers might increase or decrease but you have a steady incoming crowd all around the year. The verification steps that come through their journey makes up their mind and facilitates a quick purchase. This is a huge advantage for any business.
Free Google Advertising:
While Google Ad campaigns and SEO technique promote your business, it is very exhaustive in terms of finance, time, and effort. On the other hand, Google Bussiness Profile has emerged as a cheaper and faster alternative to push your business to the first page of Google. You can see results in a very short period.
All these factors have established the importance of Google Business Profile to grow your business on a local and other broader scale. So let’s get an in-depth overview of ways to utilize it for maximum results.
Optimizing Google Business Profile For Local Marketing and Customer Management:
Complete Every Section of Your Profile:
Giving all the necessary details improves your ranking as well as brings maximum customer action. It is mandatory to fill out the name, address, contact details, website, and working hours. Next, take the proper time and research the category, attributes, products, and services section details. Try to insert the appropriate keyword wherever possible.
Humanize Your Business by Sharing Photos:
Posting photos can allow the customers to see the face behind the organization and know more about your business. So add an appropriate profile picture and logo much like those on a social media platform. Maintain a standard quality so that you put forth your best. Don’t leave it there, maintain a posting schedule. This shows you are active and helps map the advancement. Anything that pleases the eye makes us believe it in an instant. Use this fact to share every little feature about your business through photos that might attract a consumer and bring conversion.
Post Any Updates or News That Might be Beneficial:
Regular updates keep your customers and your business in sync. They stay informed about any recent changes, new product launches, offers, discounts, or events. You never knew how and when this information can work out in your favor. Most importantly it sends the message that your business is up and ongoing.
Utilize the Special Features Offered:
There is a hoard of options that can level up your business. Depending on your business category such as class ratings, amenities you serve and booking button (for hotels), menu, special dishes and ordering guidelines ( for restaurants), product catalog and so much more as per your business demands.
Ask Customers to Leave Their Reviews:
Place yourself in the shoes of your customers. Everyone judges a business based on the reviews of previous customers. And the one product with the maximum reviews continues to be the best seller. Using GMB you can send them a direct link where they can share their opinion. But it doesn’t end there, make sure you respond to every review. That reflects your commitment towards the customers and your willing attitude to improve the sectors that have a scope for development. Pick every single chance to right the wrong and turn the situation into something positive.
Utilize Google Business Profile Insights:
Adding to the free listing, you get a tracker that measures your impact. It is an easy way to track the point from where you are gaining a maximum audience and how they find you. Not just that GMB insights dashboard shares every little detail about their action and journey as well as the areas that retain most of them. According to this information, you can improvise the posts, offers, promotions, and call-to-action directives so that it brings maximum results for your business.
Google Business Profile is all about local marketing and engagement. So do your research and leap over to Google Business Profile to enjoy the extra perks that come for free! Start today and add ease to your business growth while being closer to your customers.
Dilip Tiwari
Dilip Tiwari is Digital Marketing Expert at USS LLC he likes to share Tips on Digital Marketing Services, Google ads management, Amazon ads management, and other blogs ideas.