The supplements industry continues to flourish as consumers progressively become more aware of their many benefits. To take advantage of this time and keep things moving forward, it’s important that those in the industry utilize strategic marketing techniques and advanced technologies. One of the most prominent of these techniques is customer engagement.
What is Customer Engagement?
Customer engagement is a targeted, carefully developed relationship between a brand or company and its customers. By reaching out to the customer on an ongoing basis, the company can provide additional marketing opportunities, convey interesting information and educational input, increase the credibility of their brand, and inspire the customer through the concern expressed for their satisfaction. These efforts and concerns build a stronger connection with the customer, resulting in deeper commitments and increased interactions.
Benefits of Customer Engagement
Effective customer engagement produces a number of powerful benefits. As we build the relationship with the customer and differentiate ourselves from other suppliers, the benefits become anchored in the partnership and continue to grow.
Information
As we connect with the customer and begin to provide ongoing, positive information about supplements, products and the company, they begin to look forward to the additional information and appreciate being more educated about the industry. This ongoing connection with the customer keeps them welcoming additional communication, and builds their good opinion of the organization.
Trust
By reaching out to the customer with ongoing, quality information, they develop professional respect and trust in the company. This improved credibility gives the customer a solid reason to remain with the company, increasing sales retention and encouraging repeat purchases. It also spurs the customer to self-promote the services of the company to other consumers, building your customer base incrementally.
Value
As the company invests further into the relationship, the customer begins to appreciate the value of their services and become more devoted to their offerings. Continuing to offer them increased value, special deals for repeat customers, and other benefits for faithful purchasers will help them differentiate your company in their minds as the best.
Passion
The efforts expended to reach out to the customer on a personal level will touch them with a sense of caring, that they are special to the company. This feeling of passion builds customer confidence and makes them feel secure, leading to an even deeper relationship. This enhanced personal connection anchors them to your company and results in increased ongoing business.
Communication is Key
The digital world we live in offers more opportunities than ever to communicate effectively with the customer and retain that competitive edge. We have instant, powerful options for engagement with the customer, and we can use these opportunities to differentiate our business from the rest.
- Social Media. The quickest, most effective method of connecting with the customer is through Social Media. Everyone is on at least one platform these days, and most are on several. You can communicate using any style of message from humor to drama, and enhance the message of supplements with pictures or video or even go live at special times. Your customers will become comfortable with the flow of information, and look forward to your posts.
- Email Campaigns. Targeted email promotions allow the information to be customized to specific attributes and patterns of the consumer, exacting a more precise match to their tastes, desires and needs. Well written emails can provoke thought, entice passions, invite responses and pique curiosity
- Contests and Rewards. Create giveaways, contests and rewards programs to keep the customer excited about the returns on their time and attention, and always coming back for more.
- Loyalty and Referral Programs. Build on relationships with faithful repeat customers by offering benefits for loyalty and for referring others to your services.
- Enhanced Customer Service. The digital age also provides multiple options for taking care of customers when they have a problem or need to be a priority. Satisfying the customer creates a bond that will endure the test of time.
Enhanced Customer Service
In the competitive supplements industry, a marketer needs to leverage every advantage possible to grow their business successfully. Customer engagement can provide the seeds of growth and prosperity that every enterprise desires. Begin by laying out a rudimentary plan for processing customer data into relevant demographics, and act on those figures with specific actions to reach out to customers with targeted efforts. The rewards can be phenomenal.
