The New Approach to Customer Marketing
How do we get people to buy our product?
The digital age has presented a new approach to marketing, and it’s called customer experience (CX). CX is a term that describes the journey of a consumer interacting with your brand. It’s gauged by the time, effort, and value that consumers receive in return. If you are able to create an engaging experience for your customers at every touch point of their journey with your company or product, then you will most likely be rewarded with purchases and referrals. In fact, there is even evidence that this approach can lead to increased sales and revenue.
This approach to marketing is not only going to increase the bottom line, it also has the potential to boost employee engagement and loyalty. The benefits that CX will provide are invaluable, as businesses aim for their customers to live a “better life.” What does this mean? You want your customers to be happy in order for them to tell their friends and family about you, which is one of the largest factors in determining how successful you are at achieving your marketing goals.
Research shows that there are also substantial monetary rewards for companies when customers feel like they’re getting value out of their relationship with brands. For example, if you are providing customers with exceptional experiences, they will be more likely to return and purchase from you again. The fact that people are willing to go out of their way to tell their friends about what a great experience they had speaks volumes about the value of your product or service, which is why it’s important to consider how your brand can thrive with CX.
But wait! How exactly does this work? And what specific actions must companies take in order to implement CX?
Technology Is the Key Player in Customer Experience
There is a growing body of research that proves technological advances have created new opportunities for brands. We have seen the emergence of mobile devices, websites, and social media. This technology has taken us to a place where digital interactions are ubiquitous.
Companies no longer require their customers to physically visit one of their brick-and-mortar locations. There was a time when people would only use the telephone for business purposes. But as our phones continue to become smaller and more sophisticated, we are now able to conduct our life in between calls – browsing the Internet, sending texts, and spending quality time on social media sites like Facebook. This form of communication has become so prevalent that it’s even impacting face-to-face meetings with acquaintances and coworkers.
Of course, the rise of social media doesn’t just impact your business through the Internet. It’s also about the virtual world in which you can reach and interact with more consumers. Tweeting and blogging have made it easy for people to share and interact with one another virtually, making it easier to network with new customers and potential partners.
There is a reason that companies like Google and Facebook have become so successful. They have developed products that are extremely useful to their customers – even when they don’t need them at that precise moment! As our phones continue to become more sophisticated, consumers expect us to deliver more than just a standard level of service in their interactions.
The smartphone is quickly becoming the most essential tool that many of us carry with us everyday. Because of this, people are using our apps to get more and more things done. They are consistently looking for a new service or product that can make life easier – especially if it doesn’t distract them from what they’re doing.
For example, you likely wouldn’t want to let your call go to voicemail when you have important business to discuss or a meeting where you need to be present. But on the other hand, there are plenty of moments where you’re just bored and in need of entertainment. It is for these reasons that we turn to apps like Facebook and Twitter. These companies have capitalized on their ability to provide value for consumers.
Not only do their products create a more convenient experience, they are also a lot more effective. Email marketing has become almost obsolete, due to the sheer volume of spam that people receive on a daily basis. The subscription process is also quite tedious, especially when it comes to social media sites like Twitter and Facebook. If people have to jump through hoops just to connect with your brand, then you are essentially lowering the amount of value that your consumer receives from interacting with you.
The key here is to provide your customers with the ability to seamlessly interact with you – right when they want to. The only way that you can get this done is through technology and smart marketing.
Building a Brand With CX in Mind: Three Keys
There are three keys that you need in order to successfully build a brand that is focused on customer experience. These three keys include: 1) data, 2) messaging, and 3) usability. To start, let’s look at each of these concepts in more detail.
Data: Leveraging Data
The usefulness of data for marketing purposes will continue to increase over the coming years. The main reason for this is that data is empowering us to take action. In other words, we are able to make better decisions based on the information that we collect.
For example, imagine you’re in your car and the radio signal you’re on just doesn’t sound right. You realize that the signal is almost perfectly clear, but there is an odd buzzing sound in the background. You reach over and switch over to another station – only to hear something similar happening! At this point, it becomes clear that you were listening to two different radio stations at once – they were both so clear that they blended together.
This example shows how data can be useful for making decisions, even if it’s not perfect. In the case of the radio signal, we were still able to make a decision on which station to switch to. If you take this concept and apply it to your business, you will realize just how useful data can be for improving your customer experience.
If you’re using social media sites like Facebook and Twitter for marketing purposes, than having your own proprietary application can be quite beneficial. For example, if someone specifically tweets about your company or its products – or comments on Facebook about a particular issue or concern – then the ability to respond is crucial.
Now consider the potential of this data if it were to be continually updated. Being able to monitor what is happening in your community, on an ongoing basis, can provide you with a wealth of information that can help you better understand your consumers. Being able to use data like this, combined with overall principles of good customer experience, will allow you to improve the way that you talk to your clients or customers.
Message: Presenting Your Message
The second key in building a brand that is built upon CX is messaging. This means creating value for your consumers – delivering specific messages based on their interactions with your company.
Conclusion: Being Targeted
There is nothing more frustrating than your own business – or any other business that you care about – being ignored. That’s why building a brand with customer experience in mind should be the goal of businesses across the board. If you’re not delivering great customer service, then you are missing out on something that so many companies take for granted.
The power of this information lies in the fact that it can be used to make better decisions – including decisions such as who to target as your customers, what your plans are for marketing and advertising, and when to change your brand strategy. Keeping these things in mind will allow you to be successful in the long run.