10 tips for increasing customer engagement

It used to be that the quality of goods or services is what created a happy customer. But that was then. And this is the age of customer engagement: Today, customers want to feel appreciated, engaged and connected with their chosen brands. Here’s proof:

• 86% of buyers will pay more for a better customer experience
• By 2020, customer experience will overtake price and product as the key brand differentiator (Walker)   

Research is also finding that, even in today’s digital era, customers are seeking more authentic, human-centered interaction—but without constant interruption. This is the challenge that we face as marketers: To connect with customers in ways that are real and relevant, while providing transparency, in a frequency that keeps them engaged.

If you don’t have a customer engagement program in place to create those connections, it’s time to jump on board: Excited and engaged customers bring in 23 percent more profits. (Gallup)

This article in Entrepreneur magazine offers 10 ideas for boosting customer engagement https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/310656. Here’s a quick-read summary of those tips:

1. Share behind-the-scenes content. Think about sharing employee stories or a tour of your facilities/properties.
2. Launch a user conference. Bring people together to meet and share their experience with your brand—these trigger emotional connections and lead to better brand attitudes. 
3. Survey customer to better understand them. And then use that data to align your service or product offerings.
4. Use personalization. Eighty percent of people say that brands are not tailored to their needs—stand out by making a personal connection with your customers.
5. Package products in unique ways. Make it memorable.
6. Create a purposeful brand. Generation X and millennials want to believe companies care about the same causes they do.
7. Launch a contest. Contests on social media increase online audiences by as much as 34 percent and boost email sign-ups by a similar amount (Hubspot).
8. Develop a product for an underserved niche. This offers the opportunity to quickly build brand loyalty.
9. Focus on creating added value. Give customers what they want and need—that’s true value. Be deliberate about communicating that value statement.
10. Try something new. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box and implement a new campaign element or try a new media channel—changing up your game could be what your brand needs to make breakthrough connections.

What tips do you have for creating engaging connections with your customers? I’m interested in hearing from you. emoriarty@shamrockcompanies.net

Ellen Moriarty

Culture Matters. blog part 1 of 2

Mission statements. Core values. These are the guiding principles that capture the essence of our businesses, articulating who we are, what we do, and why we do it. But these words on paper are only effective if they translate into everyday action.

That action is something we’re deliberate about at Shamrock: We work to align our actions—to not only do what we say we’re going to do, but to be thoughtful and deliberate about how we approach that work, and one another. In doing so, we’ve created a unique corporate culture.

By its definition, corporate culture is the beliefs and behaviors that determine how a company's employees and management interact and handle outside business transactions. Every company has its own culture. Some good, some not so good. So, how do you create and nurture a dynamic and engaging corporate culture? I have a few thoughts:

Define your purpose. If you want your employees to be inspired, they need to feel like there is a bigger purpose to their work and that their contributions make a difference. To accomplish this, start by defining your values and beliefs and then actively communicate them to all employees. This will set the standard and guide all internal communications and decision making.

This quote from Simon Sinek sums up the value of working with purpose: “If you hire people just because they can do a job, they’ll work for your money. But if you hire people who believe what you believe, they’ll work for you with blood and sweat and tears.”

Share your vision. Clients care about your beliefs, as well. “People don't buy what you do; they buy why you do it.” (Simon Sinek) So, be creative about including your clients in your work—invite them to be part of charitable events, use social media to share and engage them in your campaigns and encourage their participation. (On the flip side, offer to contribute and lend a hand in their efforts, as well!)

Get specific. At Shamrock, we believe in being much more than a company that provides great marketing-related products and services. We believe in helping individuals and companies perform at their highest levels.

So, what does that look like? How do we provide the support to drive that performance?

We focus our work on four areas (or audiences) in order to accomplish our mission, all of which shape our culture by validating what’s most important to us as a company. We’ve identified these as our primary pillars:

1. Individual employees
2. Our Company and how we work together
3. The communities and charities that we support
4. Our clients and how we serve them

In next week’s blog, I’ll break down each of these important groups and identify the programs we’ve implemented to support them. 

All the Best,

Bob De Garmo