The coronavirus pandemic has forced businesses to rethink virtually everything about how they operate, including how they engage with their customers. While this can be viewed as an unwelcome obstacle, the smart entrepreneur knows that it presents an opportunity.
Shifting your attention to online engagement today will put you in a strong position for the future. After all, the digital world will stay long after the coronavirus pandemic has passed.
In this blog, we’re going to take a look at a few different methods for engaging with your customers, when you can’t do so (at least as much as normal) in person.
Online Communities
If people believe in your company, products, services, and so on, then they’ll be eager to dive deeper into the world. In the real world, that would mean visiting your location or an event, and meeting with like-minded people.
When things have moved online, that’ll mean participating in online discussions, forums, live chats, Facebook groups, things like that. You can do this by adding them to your website, or you can just use the existing social media websites. It’s all about giving your customers a place to discuss your business.
Interactive Webinars
As a company, you’d probably be participating in trade shows or hosting your own conferences. They’ve all been put on hold for now, at least in the real world. Fortunately, there is another option — hosting a conference or webinar online.
This is a great way to dive deeper with your customers and give them valuable knowledge and insight. Because it’s more difficult to engage people virtually than it is in real life, it’s important to incorporate ways to increase engagement, such as having a virtual photo booth, virtual happy hours, and engaging speakers and visuals.
In doing so, you’ll find that you’re able to benefit both your customers and your business.
Hosting Competitions and Consumer Input
Everyone can get on board with a challenge, especially if there are prizes to be won. One of the best ways to engage with your customers is to ask for their input regarding decisions that you’re going to make.
Thinking about changing your logo? Want to know what subject your next white paper should be about? Then ask your customers. They might have some great ideas. Another way to get people involved is to host competitions — is it possible that you could give away a new product or subscription to a service? It’s a great way to improve engagement at your business.
Invest in Your Customer Service
If you’re usually running things in the real world, then you’ll have engaged in some virtual customer service, but it’s unlikely that it was the biggest priority. You knew that if there was an issue, then people could stop by your premises, or they could call up your office, and you’d be there.
But in the age of the coronavirus, then your physical premises are likely to be less in use. However, people are still going to have questions about your products and services. Is now the time to look at improving your customer service?
There are many ways to do this, but the easiest way is to simply look at outsourcing your customer service to a third party. That way, you’ll know that the phones will always be answered. You’ll also want to list as many different contact methods on your website.
Customer-Focused Content
The digital world was slowly taking over the planet, of course, but the coronavirus pandemic has amplified this growth. Today, people are much more likely to search online for a company, in large part because they’re spending more time online than normal.
So is now the time to brush up your website, and make it more engaging? On your website, look at publishing customer-focused content, in the form of blogs, white papers, ebooks, and podcasts. It’ll help to establish your expertise, and also give your customers something of real value that they can use again and again.
Social Media Updates
As well as on your website, you should look at upping your social media game. The pandemic has given companies a nudge to solidify their internet presence. Go to where the people are!
Publishing valuable content on your Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages will be of use to your customers, and it can also be used as a way to engage with them in a direct way. In this day and age, it’s always valuable to have a direct line to your customers, and that’s just what these websites allow.
