When done right, marketing doesn’t feel like you’re being sold something. It feels like a good story, with the customer as the protagonist. In the land of eCommerce where consumers are spoilt for choice, it does mean you’ve got to work harder to truly stand out. But hit the engagement nail on the head and you’ll benefit from engaged visitors and a boost in sales.

According to recent research, a whopping 86% of consumers say they’re willing to pay more for experiences that blow them away. That means, if you can encourage high engagement through personalised experiences, customers will feel like they identify with your brand, have a greater sense of loyalty and, ultimately, spend more.

What is customer engagement?

Customer engagement measures the emotional connection between your brand and your customers. Thanks to online marketing, we can now easily measure how engaged each customer is through clicks, likes, shares and conversions.

Why is it important?

Engagement is a critical part of your marketing strategy because highly-engaged customers buy more and actively promote your brand. It also provides invaluable customer insights. As John Russell, former Vice-President of Harley Davidson says “The more you engage with customers, the clearer things become and the easier it is to determine what you should be doing.”

The best strategies for increasing customer engagement in 2022

1. Have a meaningful social media presence

It’s not surprising that social media are high on this list. They’re predicted to reach 4.5 billion users in the new year, who are increasingly savvy to subpar marketing and average products. Successful eCommerce businesses without a social media presence are rare – and for good reason. There are many opportunities for meaningful engagement with your customers on social – think streaming live for product launches, working with influencers or going viral on Tik Tok. So, how can you improve your socials to cut through the noise and grow your customer engagement?

Here’s our advice:

• Prioritise one or two platforms. Figure out where your customers are likely to spend the most time e.g. a 30-year old female is likely to use Instagram and Pinterest.
• Plan your content. Craft a well-curated, constant flow of content that’s valuable to your target customer.
• Keep the conversation flowing. Respond to messages and comments from your customers – don’t just ignore them.
• Show you’re human. Sure, customers love the convenience of shopping online, but they still want to see the face behind the brand.
• Think about starting a loyalty programme. A great way to increase customer engagement is through repeat purchases and feedback. Loyalty programmes have been shown to increase customer spending by up to 67% – and who doesn’t love a freebie? When a customer is deciding between two online stores to buy a new kettle, and yours offers a $10 discount for signing up to a loyalty programme, you’re likely to win the sale. Even better, offer incentives such as a small gift with purchase, free shipping or a next-time discount code on your next order, encouraging higher order volumes and more repeat purchases.

2. User-generated content

Any content created by your customers is eCommerce gold! Why? Because it’s genuine. This means it carries a good chance of influencing a friend or acquaintance who has similar preferences.

Here’s how you can encourage this sort of customer behaviour:

• Reviews. Let customers review your products and be sure to respond to them – even the bad ones. This will show your customers that you’re confident in your offering and always there to help.
• Hashtag campaigns. Craft a memorable hashtag, then encourage your customers to use it when sharing your products online. It’ll get more eyeballs on your products, increase customer reach and engagement and showcase your products in the hands of real-life users.
• Shoppable Instagram feeds. Allow your customers to shop directly from the content you or your customers are sharing on social media. This will enhance engagement by improving the user experience.
• Video content. Believe it or not, YouTube has twice as many monthly users as Instagram. Therefore, YouTube influencer vlogs and any user-created content shared via this video platform can be extremely effective in enhancing user engagement.
• Blogs. Partnering with bloggers who have a good reputation and align well with your brand will increase reach and drive traffic to your online store. It also gives your customers a chance to engage with your product in a new and exciting way.

The key to engagement is consistency

Keeping your customers engaged means being ever-present, relevant and caring. Give customers a reason to engage with your brand and encourage them to share its message. You’ll boost loyalty, increase revenue and potentially find new customers, all while sharing content that’s genuine and shines the best light on your eCommerce business.

For help creating a great customer engagement strategy for your brand, talk to the eCommerce experts at Solutionists today.