Marketing uses real jargon and lots of buzzwords. Of rebound rate to personas, Conversion rate at cost per lead, it can sometimes feel like marketers are speaking a foreign language. Understanding the ins and outs of what you're talking about is the first step to success. Take customer experience and customer engagement. Does your team really know the difference? Is there a link between the 2?
Customer experience and customer engagement: what do they have in common? what differences?
Forrester defines customer experience as “how customers perceive their interactions with your company”. Customer experience is based on interaction and what constitutes its measurement is customer perception. The customer experience is therefore a subjective reality. It is a proper, individual, relative judgement, which depends on the experiences and values of each individual.
Customer engagement is defined as “an ongoing relationship that focuses on the value generated through the interaction between a customer and a business. This commitment is motivated by the reasons, needs and choices of the client”.
In this definition of customer engagement, how a customer perceives their interactions with your brand (customer experience) is important, but it's the flow of experiences that drives engagement. However, you cannot really manage experiences, since they are perceptions. But you can try to optimize engagement and thus generate value for your brand and for your customers.
A customer can spend many minutes interacting with a brand through a variety of touchpoints, with each experience bringing them closer to their end goal. In each transaction or interaction, customers will then be more or less satisfied. Note that it only takes one negative experience to damage the memory of the entire experience and give negative points to the brand. It is these negative experiences that then lead to a disengaged customer.
It is the practices related to contextual marketing that are detrimental to customer engagement. Indeed, according to a survey conducted by The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), practices that make customers uncomfortable due to non-transparent use of personal data are considered the greatest risk associated with marketing. contextual.
Note, however, that according to Thunderhead's research report on Engagement 3.0, a third of individuals will share their personal data if it saves them time in the future. In addition, if throughout their journey, you demonstrate that you take advantage of the information and knowledge you have about your customers, you in turn offer them something relevant, which is particularly appreciated.
The perception of the customer experience evolves as the different stages of the customer journey omnichannel are lived. The flow of experiences over time is critical to engagement. The customer journey from A to Z is the real source of value. It is no longer about focusing on separate individual interactions. The focus should be on creating value through a suite of interactions, through a distinct conversation with each customer. It is also no longer a question of focusing solely on transactional interactions. The value lies in creating loyalty, satisfaction, reduced attrition, reduced service costs, product and service improvements, etc. To improve customer lifetime value, brands need to think beyond individual interactions and focus on the customer journey.
How to strengthen customer engagement?
Providing a seamless meta-experience across multiple channels should be the core customer engagement strategy for any business, at any time. Customers need to know that their needs will be met, whether they're interacting with an employee on the phone or asking a question on social media.
Capitalize on every interaction
For businesses, it's about seeing every interaction as an opportunity and a chance to impress customers with perfectly tailored customer service.
In the digital world, the rise of artificial intelligence presents businesses with an opportunity to improve and personalize the customer experience. In the future, it is expected that chatbots can facilitate certain logistical tasks such as offering concierge service such as booking flights based on browser history. This is where chatbots will really come to life in the customer journey and above all offer real added value.
Remember the power of loyalty
Remember that it can cost five times more to acquire a new customer than to retain one. According to a study by Bain & Company, a 5% increase in retention rates can increase profits by 25% to 95%.
On the other hand, according to The Connected Customer, there is a direct link between a customer's intention to stay with a company, his intention to buy and, finally, his intention to recommend the supplier to others.
Customers who are engaged in an interaction with a company and who are satisfied with their experience, their journey, are more likely to become longer-term brand advocates.
Understand the customer journey
Different factors play a different role at each stage of the customer journey. Satisfaction, trust, etc., have an impact throughout the process. Emotional factors also play an important role during the “journey”.
Le " peer to peer " is often a crucial factor in customer acquisition. Customers are more likely to choose a business based on recommendations from family and friends, rather than making choices based on advertisements.
When it comes to increasing engagement, businesses need to engage with their customers at relevant and timely times, with personalized, data-driven messages.
