Today, digital engagement has accelerated tremendously, and top companies have shifted quickly to focus spend on replacing or enhancing in store experiences using digital marketing tools.
COVID-19 has brought uncertainty and many consumers inside. With new customers coming online and existing customers developing new behaviors, what was once common behavior is now changing quickly. Companies that adjust to the dynamic needs of customers will recover more rapidly and be better positioned than competitors.
Properly managing the digital customer’s experience with these strategies can prepare customer forward companies for success in the days after COVID-19.
1. OPTIMIZE BUDGET SPEND
Social media strategies now require a large percentage of our marketing budgets. In fact, before the pandemic, eMarketer research forecasted that US social media spending would increase 20.4% in 2020 to more than $43 billion.
Today, digital engagement has accelerated tremendously, and top companies have shifted quickly to focus spend on replacing or enhancing in store experiences using digital marketing tools.
2. RESPOND TO CX COMMENTARY
Customers post their digital customer experience comments to both corporate and site level Facebook and Twitter pages. Especially in times of crisis, a customer’s interaction with a company can trigger an immediate effect on their sense of loyalty or trust. These interactions can lead to discussions online around your brand.
Top brands have built strategies for managing those comments, focusing on taking negative commentary offline and recovering unhappy customers. Positive commentary can be used to uplift and motivate employees. Direct recognition for great work can immediately impact morale!
3. CREATE ENGAGEMENT AND INNOVATION THROUGH MARKETING
The coronavirus pandemic is accelerating brands’ move to digital, and now is the time for marketing leaders to re-evaluate their digital marketing initiatives, according to Gartner, Inc. Use your digital marketing strategy to create experiences that connect more emotionally and contextually.
Listen to your customers, use real time data to better understand their experience and needs.
Reviews posted to Yelp, Trip Advisor and other third-party sites have become increasingly important. For example, understanding sentiment, categories of commentary, and trends—and comparing that information to key competitors—form the very basics of what your brand needs to be watching.
As you think about your own budget for social media, divide it into those things that will a) create and drive revenue by engaging your customer base through advertising, b) help you mitigate risk; for example, taking negative conversations offline, and c) help you drive down costs, like using commentary and third party reviews to help your teams perform better. Every dollar you spend can be leveraged to drive your business and create meaningful digital engagement.
If effectively designed, your digital customer experience program can be a highly scientific tool to manage your business, placing the wants and needs of your customers at the forefront of decision-making.
Contact our experts today to schedule a free 30-minute consultation that will help you determine whether it’s time to revisit your digital customer experience strategy.
