How to build customer engagement online

As we shift the focus from the masses to the individual customer, ask yourself, how are you building customer engagement online?

Similar to the way you recognise that every customer is different offline; the same should be applied online.  Through social media, we are able to learn, listen and engage with our audience.

Here’s how:

1. Create your online persona

Who will you be online? The persona you choose should be reflective of your organisation and interact in a way that would reflect the interaction an individual would have if they met you face to face. Keep it human like.

2. Understand your customer

Be your customer. Understand how to communicate and talk with them. Discover what they see as valuable.

3. Be proactive

Don’t wait for your customers, be proactive. Generate conversation, share experiences and ask questions. Allow your customers to be open and honest about theirs and try not to hard sell, it’s not the primary purpose of engaging in social media.

4. Monitor your brand

Ensure you are across what is being said about your brand and organisation online. It provides you with many opportunities to answer questions, respond to dissatisfaction, and gain the trust of your online fans.

As a brand, you have to be more committed than your customers want you to be. You want them to lead the discussion to grow your brand online. You do this by communicating, exchanging and engaging.

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Friday Wrap Up – The Week That Was ‘Enhancing Customer Contact’

Welcome to ‘The Week that Was’, our regular Friday blog post bringing you the very best from, well…the week that was.

The Week that Was will share with you what we believe was some of the best online info relating to social media, marketing communications, & PR, from the week that was.

Looking for a resource to provide you with a quick grab – subscribe to Rewire and make sure you never miss out on your take of ‘the week that was’.

This week we look at ways to Enhance Customer Contact. Enjoy!

6 areas of your business that should be paying attention

According to Radian6 CEO Marcel Lebrun customer contact has changed from a central phone switchboard to the social phone. The dynamics of communication between an organisation and its consumer has altered, resulting in more areas of the business required to take note.

Here are 6 areas of your business that should be listening from Customer Service through to the CEO.

68% of Brands shift towards Branded Content

A recent survey found that 68% of brands were shifting away from traditional advertising towards branded content. We continue to see this more and more as the consumers journey to the point of sales changes.

In many instances, your first touch point with a customer will be via social media, an environment where you are not trying to sell to them. How are you building your social currency?

Getting to know your competitor through Social Networks, Search Engines & Other Outlets

Using social media to research competitors can provide useful information for any business looking to create a smart strategy.

It allows you to discover how they are positioning themselves in the market. Using Twitter for example, are they tweeting about discounts, product information or interacting with their following? Or in the instance of Facebook, how are they using their wall to engage with their fan base?

Since the introduction of the social web, interaction with an organisation and its consumer has altered significantly. Information available to competitors, has, as a result increased. Use this information to differentiate your business and engage with your consumers in a ways that’s meaningful to them.

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What are the Fundamentals of Social CRM?

Much has been written about Social CRM in recent times so I thought we could take this opportunity to share with you, some of the fundamentals.

Before we explore what Social CRM is, let’s start by defining CRM. CRM is, according to Wikipedia “a widely-implemented strategy for managing a company’s interactions with customers, clients and sales prospects.”

CRM is traditionally one-way communication flow between the organisation and the customer, depicted below by Chess Media Group. It has been very successful in the operational and transaction-based requirements of businesses when it comes to customers.

Most organisations have some form of database, albeit in some cases as little as an excel spreadsheet, that is used to hold customer details, track customer interaction, invoicing etc. Put simply, contact management to sales pipeline management. This information is used to better target existing customers in an attempt to have them spend more or use more services, and target new customers.

What it is unable to do is keep up with the level of social interaction a customer is having with an organisation, through word-of-mouth, social networking, online advertising and the like that results in a purchase of their own or one of their peers.

Social CRM is the extension of CRM in that it allows for a 360-degree view of the customer. It has been said that in years to come social networks will be more powerful than corporate websites, and so the evolution of Social CRM begins. By giving the organisation a 360-degree view of the customer, marketing and sales teams can make informed decisions on cross-selling, up-selling and new business opportunities through the shaping of marketing communications strategies.

According to Social Media Marketing, Social CRM has the ability to:

• Humanise the organisation by converting content to conversations
• Put the customer at the core of the organisations strategy by extending conversations into collaborative experiences
• Transform customer experiences into meaningful relationships

As describe in point two above, the customer is placed at the core of the organisation which can be seen from the below.

Based on the above we have moved away from one-way communication flow to shared communication with the customer. PR has now come into the mix, as the area dedicated to managing the social presence of brands and customer engagement management.

By adopting Social CRM thinking, organisations are now collaborating with customers to better their business, empowering customers to shape their own experiences and building two-way relationships with customers who will hopefully turn into advocates for the business.

Stay tuned for the next instalment of Social CRM where we will explore ‘How organisations can adopt Social CRM thinking’. Don’t miss out, subscribe to Rewire today and have it delivered directly to your inbox.

Friday Wrap Up – The Week That Was

Welcome to this week’s ‘The Week that Was’.

Our regular Friday blog instalment that will share with you what we believe was some of the best online info relating to social media, marketing communications, & PR, from the week that was.

Looking for a resource to provide you with a quick grab – subscribe to Rewire and make sure you never miss out on your take of ‘the week that was’.

This week we focus on customer engagement following our post yesterday ‘Tips to ensure your e-Newsletter becomes one of your most powerful communication tools’

Personalisation = Higher Engagement Online

Online engagement involves a much deeper approach in your interaction with your customer than offline. This post provides a good snapshot of how personalising an experience online can lead to higher levels of engagement.

The New CRM – Social CRM

Social Media Examiner this week explores traditional Customer Relationship Management (CRM), comparing it with the new CRM; Social CRM. Whilst traditionally CRM involved sales, marketing, service and support, Social CRM integrates these with advocacy, PR and the customer experience.

Nespresso Uses Customer Engagement to Launch New Campaign

This week Nespresso displayed the potential of media blending, customer engagement and word of mouth advertising during the launch of their new campaign. Emailing customers to participate in a Director’s Cut contest, where participants have an opportunity to reassemble Nespresso’s new TV ad with the George Clooney and John Malkovich, participants are then asked to ‘share their commercial with friends and with Nespresso for the opportunity to win a VIP pass for the next Cannes Film Festival.

Tips to ensure your e-Newsletter becomes one of your most powerful communication tools

Some might say that the e-newsletter’s effect is declining but we believe that if done correctly, provides your organisation with a powerful marketing communications tool.

Traditionally, the newsletter was a paper-based tool, distributed to consumers, often showcasing product, reviews, discounts and the like. Today, newsletters aim to directly engage with one’s consumer, enticing them to build a relationship with the organisation by providing not just a showcase of products, but information deemed valuable to the reader.

Take for example; you are an electronics business that sells cameras. You no longer provide a wrap of new products and reviews but engage with your audience through specialist advice i.e. how to take the best photo at night and tips for capturing the best light.

But how do you know that this is the advice they are after, and that by providing such will lead to higher levels of engagement?

It’s simple, you asked.

The biggest mistake we see people make when determining what content is to be included in a newsletter is that they have failed to first engage with their readers or potential readers to determine what content they want to see.

1. How do I find out what my reader wants to see?
   A reader survey is the most common tool used to discover what your reader wants to see from your newsletter. This type of survey can help you answer some important questions in relation to format and content. Reader surveys should be kept simple, and like any survey, the most important questions you want answered should be asked first to increase the chances a reader will complete it. Some popular online survey platforms include Survey Monkey and Zoomerang. Both are user friendly and provide an ample amount of data run reports.
   
2. Now that I know what my audience want to see, what’s the best way to get the information to them?
   The benefit of an online newsletter is ROI (Return on Investment), because of its ability to track reader’s activity. Depending on the type of email marketing platform you use to distribute your e-Newsletter, you need to make sure you are able to measure open rates, click through rate (CTR), bounces etc that will allow you to measure trends and establish what’s working, what’s not, and what might areas might need improving.
   
3. The importance of choosing the right email marketing platform
   What email-marketing platform you choose to distribute your newsletter is just as important as the newsletter itself. Firstly, deliverability is key. You want to ensure you choose a platform that maximizes your delivery and open rates through an optimized service. Without getting technical, you need to make certain that your email is not going to be seen as SPAM to the end user – your reader. Some of the best platforms for this include Melon Media & Campaign Master.
   
4. Review, Review and Review some more what your readers want to see
   You cannot underestimate the power of the reader’s influence. The aim of any newsletter, whilst primarily to engage with your audience, is to have your readers ‘forward to a friend’, thereby recommending your product or service.  To continue to meet the needs of your readers you must consistently review your newsletter. Return to point 1 – How do I find out what my reader wants to see?, and continue to come back to this on a regular basis.

Remember, the more engaged your reader is the more value they will see in your communication and ultimately your product or service.

Possibly related posts:

Yesterday’s Marketer vs Today’s Marketer

Why Thinking Strategically is a Must

Friday Wrap Up – The Week That Was

Welcome to the first ‘The Week that Was’

Our regular Friday blog installment that will share with you what we believe was some of the best online info relating to social media, marketing communications, & PR, from the week that was.

Looking for a resource to provide you with a quick grab – subscribe to Rewire and make sure you never miss out on your take of ‘the

week that was’.

This week we focus on social media, in particular its power to be used as an engagement tool for organisations to interact with their audience.

Australian Companies Trail in Social Media

A recent study has found that 40% of Australian companies have a social media presence, well below the 70% global average. It found the most used form of social media, used by organisations surveyed, are micro blogs (30%) and video sharing sites (20%). The study undertaken by PR firm Burson-Marsteller, said that results indicate that ‘companies are using social media to portray a ‘softer’ corporate image in a way that is less likely to invoke interaction or negative commentary. ‘

How To Convert Engagement into Sales

This interview with Brian Solis, author of best selling book Engage! explores the opportunity for organisations to engage with their audience via social media.

A few things you’ll learn along the way:

• What the consequences are of not engaging in social media
• The meaning of “Digital Darwinism”
• What geo-location means for the different players
• Why local businesses have new tools to use on the web
• How culture is changing as people interact more on their social graph
• When it’s possible to convert engagement into sales

Checkout the full post here

MySpace to Reinvent & Relaunch

Loss of market share to the likes of Facebook and Twitter over recent years has seen MySpace unveil a complete redesign and relaunch this week. In a statement released via the MySpace Pressroom, it said: “Myspace is creating a rich, highly personalized experience for people to discover content and connect with other fans who share similar interests.”

New MySpace Preview

6 Easy Ways to Get More Visitors to Your Blog

We all know that content is king & the importance of it to an organisation when looking to engage with its audience in a meaningful way. I specifically didn’t mention the term Blog here for a reason, as I think this post’s tips go beyond just that of a blog, and encompass ideas that all organisations can use to enhance their communication with their audience.

4 Strategies to Make Your Online Content Shareable

Today, there are many ways of people viewing content online, however, more recently we have seen a shift away from ‘ensure as many people visit your website as possible’ to ‘ensure as many people see your content as possible’.  You still want the majority of people to see your content via your own site but the more transportable you can make your content, the better.

How To Decide if Social Media is right for your business?

Put simply, there is no cookie-cutter approach to social media. Every business is unique. Even if you sell the same products or services as another, you will certainly have your own approach to branding, marketing etc.

Rule #1 – don’t follow your competition. Just because your competition has a Twitter account or blog, doesn’t mean you need to have one. If you become too focused on what your competition is doing you may miss the opportunity to engage with your own audience.

Rule #2 – whilst something such as Foursquare may be the latest social media application, it doesn’t mean it is right for your business and the biggest mistake you can make is to jump into social media without first understanding your audience in this sphere.

For example, you could invest time and money into setting up a Facebook page when your audience is actively conversing in a niche blog.

Rule #3 – one of your most valuable resources is your customer service team. They are the individuals dealing with your consumer on a daily basis. Use these conversations as an extension into social media where consumers can read about their perspectives.

Rule #4 – listen first. What’s your consumer saying about you online?

Effective social media marketing involves research, strategy, planning and measuring.

Before you blindly apply marketing tactics without a sound social media marketing strategy ask yourself:

1. What do you hope to achieve from social media?
2. What does your online audience currently know about your business?
3. How does your audience use social media?
4. What types of social media platforms will you use? i.e. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Foursquare
5. How will you measure success?

Finally, be open to change. Social Media is changing everyday. Every social media platform is different and your audience is likely to move around. Be open to changing your tactics and admitting when something didn’t work.

Possibly related posts:

Social Media is the modern PR

Socialnomics – transforming the way we do business

Social Media is the modern PR

Often referred to as ‘Modern PR’, social media is changing the way we interact and engage with people, on both a social and corporate level. Modern PR is offering individuals more tools to expand their reach, engage with their audience and strongly deliver return on investment (ROI).

After reading a post by Brian Halligan, HubSpot CEO and Founder I discovered this video where Paul Roetzer of PR 20/20, explains how Inbound Marketing is changing the PR industry.

Client participation is key says Roetzer. Success in this space comes from clients proactively involving themselves in social media, he said. It doesn’t have to sit at the executive level but there does need to be one or more organisation champions. Like any new initiative, someone needs to take ownership.

Organisations are now using social media to stay ahead of the competition and engage with their audience in a completely different way to traditional means. Another post  ‘Understanding the ROI of Customer Evangelism’ makes the following statement based on a 2008 study by BzzAgent that showed return on investment reaches about 400 per cent with the right engagement strategy.

“If a company spent 50 cents on generating a discussion, it would profit 38 cents every time a consumer engaged in an eight-minute conversation about the brand”.

Modern PR…it’s more than just a trendy word or phrase, its a business philosophy.

Is it time for monovision?

mono- a combining form meaning “alone,” “single,” “one”

How many times have you experienced a long winded sales pitch where the individual reels off every service you could possibly imagine an organisation to offer? Establishing your ‘single-minded’ proposition will be crucial to your success and allow you to communicate clearly with customers and prospects exactly what solution your provide.

Put simply, what does your organisation do from your customers’ perspective?
You may be surprised to know that what you may think you do and provide is different to what your customers think you do and provide. Have you ever asked them the question? The major benefit in asking is that these people will assist you in finding the best way to market and communicate your business.

I found an excellent example of this in Wendy Evans – Choose & Grow your own business in 90 days.

“The single-minded reason for sending red roses is sex & guilt. I see no reason to disagree! Yet most florists promote their wares generally and delivery service primarily. One memorable day I did a workshop on the single minded proposition with an advertising agency. My brief to them was to create the name of and the tag line (from the single minded proposition) for a business that sold only red roses: 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, plus the balloons and cards that went with such a purchase. Their response?

The name was to be Bad Boys and the tag line, based on the understanding that red roses were about sex and guild, was to be, ‘We get you into and out of trouble, 24 hours a day’.”

Spend time listening to your customers, listen to the language they use to describe your business that you can use to promote your business. Go on to communicate this correctly and you will have established exactly what you do and why people should buy from you.

It’s time for monovision – differentiate yourself!

Writing a PR Style Guide

One of the most common questions from organisations is ‘what is Public Relations and what does it entail?’ Fundamentally, it is the management of communication between an organisation and its audience or public.

It is the process of communicating topics of interest and news that portrays your organisation in a positive light that results in a positive perception of your brand to the media and public. These communications are broadcast through a variety of mediums using a tailored and consistent message.

To ensure that, as an individual or organisation, you are speaking with a common voice, a PR Style Guide is used to guide you through the process. A consistent and comprehensive PR Style Guide will create a unified message and system for delivery that meets your objectives.

So what does it include?

1. Who are you and what do you do? List the products/services that your organisation offers.
2. A point of contact. If stakeholders have been contacted by the media or have general PR questions, whom do they contact? List this person and make them accessible.
3. When do I contact the PR person? List the items that the PR team is responsible for what purpose they should be contacted e.g. media relations (press releases, photography, story ideas).
4. What mediums does the PR team use to engage its audience? E.g. responding to media enquiries, responsible for Social Media updates, writing and distributing press releases, providing marketing communications collateral.
5. Target audience. List internal and external audiences and relevant stakeholders.
6. Annual Calendar. This is a good way to be across what’s happening throughout the year that will require a PR effort.
7. When contacted by the media. What is the process for speaking to them?
8. Media response. What is the process for responding to the media? Provide details of who can make comment and what can be commented on.
9. Crisis Communication. A process should be put in place to deal with a crisis or major event that could have a damaging and lasting effect on the organisation. This should include scenario planning and process for responding to stakeholders.
10. Media kit. Having a good media kit is necessary! It contains readily available information such as backgrounds sheets, fact sheets, press releases, publicity photos, audio files, MP3, HTML links etc. It is information that can easily be distributed and should be updated regularly.
11. Key messages & themes. Detail the organisations key messages and themes. These will be woven into communications that allow the organisation to speak with a common voice. It should include the organisations stand on certain issues, theme of conversations, what to say in a crisis and the like.
12. Written voice. Clearly articulate how your organisation should appear in the written form. E.g. the organisation’s name should always be written with a Capital letter, when referring to position titles the same applies, when using social media our approach is casual and relaxed using terms like ‘Hi’ and ‘Thanks’ as oppose to ‘Hello’ and ‘Thank You’.