{"id":19788,"date":"2021-11-04T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-11-04T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.helpshift.com\/glossary-term\/customer-engagement\/"},"modified":"2023-11-02T12:24:31","modified_gmt":"2023-11-02T19:24:31","slug":"customer-engagement","status":"publish","type":"glossary","link":"https:\/\/www.helpshift.com\/glossary\/customer-engagement\/","title":{"rendered":"Customer Engagement"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_63 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title \" >Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.helpshift.com\/glossary\/customer-engagement\/#Why_Is_Customer_Engagement_Important\" title=\"Why Is Customer Engagement Important?\">Why Is Customer Engagement Important?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.helpshift.com\/glossary\/customer-engagement\/#Longer-Lasting_Customer_Relationships\" title=\"Longer-Lasting Customer Relationships\">Longer-Lasting Customer Relationships<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.helpshift.com\/glossary\/customer-engagement\/#Better_Customer_Retention\" title=\"Better Customer Retention\">Better Customer Retention<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.helpshift.com\/glossary\/customer-engagement\/#Increased_CLV\" title=\"Increased CLV\">Increased CLV<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.helpshift.com\/glossary\/customer-engagement\/#Improved_Customer_Service\" title=\"Improved Customer Service\">Improved Customer Service<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.helpshift.com\/glossary\/customer-engagement\/#How_Is_Customer_Engagement_Measured\" title=\"How Is Customer Engagement Measured?&nbsp;\">How Is Customer Engagement Measured?&nbsp;<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.helpshift.com\/glossary\/customer-engagement\/#Customer_Engagement_Best_Practices\" title=\"Customer Engagement Best Practices\">Customer Engagement Best Practices<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.helpshift.com\/glossary\/customer-engagement\/#How_Helpshift_Can_Enhance_Customer_Engagement\" title=\"How Helpshift Can Enhance Customer Engagement\">How Helpshift Can Enhance Customer Engagement<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.helpshift.com\/glossary\/customer-engagement\/#Related_Resources\" title=\"Related Resources:\">Related Resources:<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<p>Unless you\u2019re in a market with zero competitors \u2013 and you\u2019re the only one providing a service or selling a product that people absolutely need \u2013 you must attract and retain customers. And customer engagement is a critical part of that process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What is customer engagement? It\u2019s a positive emotional connection between an individual and a company. It\u2019s fostered through personalization, communication, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.helpshift.com\/glossary\/customer-experience\/\">paying attention to the customer experience<\/a> throughout every channel, touchpoint, and interaction. Brands who show empathy to their customers, who speak to their customers\u2019 values, and who make them feel like a valued part of their \u2018tribe\u2019 usually do well at customer engagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For companies, customer engagement means planning your interactions with customers across all channels with the goal of building a strong relationship (not necessarily making a sale!). This usually happens through channels like social media, email, web content, and other spaces where information is shared and consumed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_Is_Customer_Engagement_Important\"><\/span>Why Is Customer Engagement Important?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Unless you excel at customer engagement, you\u2019ll almost certainly lose customers to the competition \u2013 because smart competitors are paying attention to building their customer experience. Aside from that, it\u2019s good financial and business sense to keep customers engaged and happy. Below are four excellent reasons why this is so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Longer-Lasting_Customer_Relationships\"><\/span>Longer-Lasting Customer Relationships<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Churn is the marketing term for when customers leave a company and take their business to the competition. By focusing on customer relationships instead of simply pushing sales, you make the customer feel important and nurtured. This will increase their satisfaction. It can even buy you some extra time if a problem arises; customers will be less likely to churn if they have a history of positive interactions with your brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Better_Customer_Retention\"><\/span>Better Customer Retention<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>We all know the oft-quoted statistic that it\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.helpshift.com\/glossary\/what-is-customer-acquisition-cost\/\">5 times more expensive to convert a new customer<\/a> than to retain an active customer. But customer engagement goes beyond simply keeping customers; it\u2019s about creating happy and attached customers who will choose your brand over the competition \u2013 even if they have to pay a bit more or go to some inconvenience for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Increased_CLV\"><\/span>Increased CLV<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Customer lifetime value, or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.helpshift.com\/glossary\/lifetime-value\/\">CLV<\/a>, is the amount of profit a company can expect to gain during the time one customer remains an active consumer or buyer. Not only do happy customers buy more, they also stick with the company longer. Essentially, they raise profit while costing far less than new customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Improved_Customer_Service\"><\/span>Improved Customer Service<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A customer-centric approach is critical to successful customer service. And guess what is critical to a customer-centric approach? Feedback from engaged customers. While disappointed and disengaged customers will often simply stop doing business with a company, customers who feel their voice and opinion is important will help you see where you can improve \u2013 but only if you listen to what they\u2019re saying both <em>to <\/em>you and <em>about<\/em> you on social media and other forums.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Is_Customer_Engagement_Measured\"><\/span>How Is Customer Engagement Measured?&nbsp;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>So, how do you know if your customer engagement strategy is working? A look at the following indicators will let you know if you\u2019re heading in the right direction:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>CTR (Click-Through Rate) and Form Fills&nbsp;<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Click-through rates show how many people answered your call to action in an email, on a web page, etc. Along with form fills, lets you know if your offer is relevant to their needs <em>and<\/em> whether you\u2019re effectively getting your message across. (Form fills provide an extra dimension here; they let you know if your offer is interesting enough to move a prospect to give you their contact details in exchange for more&nbsp; information.) If CTRs are low, it may not be that your product or service is irrelevant; it may be there\u2019s a problem in how you\u2019re communicating about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Session Length<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The amount of time spent on your company\u2019s website, blog, etc. is an excellent barometer of how well you are capturing their interest \u2013 and potentially positioning yourself as a solution to a problem or their trustworthy ally. Investing in high-quality content that\u2019s designed to meet your audience\u2019s needs is a must here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Interactions, Comments, and Social Media Activity<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Social media is great because it allows customers to connect with brands outside of formal channels (like the customer support line). It can be a fertile ground for new ideas and suggestions for improvement as well as a place to spot new trends. And for direct engagement with brand ambassadors, businesses can\u2019t replace social media.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Renewals and Repeat Purchases<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This is a bit of a no-brainer, but unhappy customers are far less likely to be repeat customers. If your repeat purchase or renewal numbers are high, you\u2019re probably doing something right in the area of customer engagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Customer_Engagement_Best_Practices\"><\/span>Customer Engagement Best Practices<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Even if your current customer satisfaction metrics are high, you can always do more to create a positive customer experience. Here are four ways you can create better customer engagement regardless of your industry or market:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Use clear, consistent messaging across all channels<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Remember, omnichannel isn\u2019t just a marketing term; it\u2019s an actual expectation that customers have. It basically means they expect the same messaging and the same experience regardless of how they contact a company: email, chatbot, social media, etc. Of course, the mechanism of the communication may be different, but the messaging and how the customer feels about the experience should be consistent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"2\">\n<li><strong>Embrace personalization<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>If you want customers to feel devalued, send them an impersonal, irrelevant email. Companies work hard to avoid this because it\u2019s an all-around terrible idea. Not only do today\u2019s customers thrive on highly targeted, personalized interactions, they expect them. To succeed at personalization, you\u2019ll need to understand customer segmentation and the many strategies and tools that allow you to connect to customers as individuals rather than as a faceless crowd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"3\">\n<li><strong>Create relevant content<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>This flows with the point made above; unless your content matches your target audience\u2019s needs and values, it will be brushed aside. But carefully crafted content that shows you\u2019ve thought about their goals or problems \u2013 and can help solve them \u2013 is a tremendous boost to customer engagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"4\">\n<li><strong>Incorporate customer feedback<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>There&#8217;s one fail-safe way to make customers feel heard: listen to them. Pay attention to customer service trends, to complaints, to social media buzz, and to favorable and unfavorable reviews. They\u2019re your customers telling you exactly what they like and what they don\u2019t like about your brand.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Helpshift_Can_Enhance_Customer_Engagement\"><\/span>How Helpshift Can Enhance Customer Engagement<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>With Helpshift, teams are gaining the tools they need to enhance their customer engagement with top-tie customer service. With unified conversational help features that are fast and effective but still feel as natural as talking to a friend, teams can benefit from stronger relationships and more efficient service.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Helpshift is helping to deliver frustration-free experiences to maximize engagement. \u200b\u200bAutomatic issue categorization ensures queries are routed to useful resources and FAQs in the knowledge base to help customers to self-serve, or else promptly escalated to the right human team member. In-channel survey requetes are making it easier to capture and incorporate customer feedback in order to improve engagement going forward.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Related_Resources\"><\/span>Related Resources:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Product: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.helpshift.com\/products\/chat-conversational-help\/\">Conversational Help<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[397],"acf":[],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":397,"label":"Customer Experience and Engagement"}]},"featured_image_src_large":false,"author_info":{"display_name":"Erik Ashby","author_link":"https:\/\/www.helpshift.com\/author\/erikhelpshift-com\/"},"comment_info":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.helpshift.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/glossary\/19788"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.helpshift.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/glossary"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.helpshift.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/glossary"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.helpshift.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.helpshift.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/glossary\/19788\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28756,"href":"https:\/\/www.helpshift.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/glossary\/19788\/revisions\/28756"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.helpshift.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19788"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.helpshift.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19788"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}