Nine Ways Businesses Can Improve Customer Communication and Engagement in 2024
As companies begin reflecting on the past year and planning for the next one, they’re likely setting goals for the new year and the steps they need to take in order to better their company and their bottom line. For many companies, that means working on customer communication and engagement. As the way companies treat their customers can have a huge impact on overall customer interest and loyalty to a brand, ensuring helpful, consistent communication and regular engagement is critical to increasing sales.
But improving your communication with customers isn’t as easy as just answering their questions. Here, the business leaders of Rolling Stone Culture Council share nine tips for improving your customer communication and engagement in 2024 and why doing so can help you start your year off on a positive note.
Start by Being a Little More Transparent
Transparency is the best-kept secret that everyone knows about. When you can share not just a peek but a full tour “behind the curtain,” it allows you to build an enhanced level of trust. This trust often converts into your community feeling more involved and in tune with the identity of the brand itself. – Josh Camitta, Medusa Distribution
Incorporate AI for Quicker Response Times
Implementing AI as a way to respond quickly to clients is a great way to improve communication and engagement. As humans, we aren’t always able to multitask like AI can. Having quick and direct responses can improve communication and engagement in many ways! – Christian Anderson (Trust’N), Lost Boy Entertainment LLC
Take a More Personalized Approach
Prioritizing personalized interactions with customers would be a great way to improve engagement. Personalized communication shows that you understand your customers’ needs and values. This also helps with targeted offers and promotions. AI-powered tools can help with this personalization. – Kristin Marquet, Marquet Media, LLC
Interact With Customers as Much as Possible
Try to maximize employee and customer interaction as much as possible. As you move higher up in an organization, your interaction with customers may go to zero. Set up projects and keep managers accountable for talking with customers. Teams should report on the customer conversations they have had and what they are learning and hearing from them. Great companies start to fail when they lose touch. – Harrison Bard, Custom Cones USA
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Ask Customers What Topics They’re Most Interested In
We look at our newsletter clicks. Which topics received the most engagement? Which received the least? Then we add a quick survey in the following email — three choices, pick your favorite answer. This helps us know where to focus. Even if all three ideas were equally voted on, that helps us too. – Susan Johnston, New Media Film Festival®
Make Connection Accessible and Convenient
Starting a new year is often intimidating with new goals and schedules. Find ways to make connecting to customers accessible and convenient. Assuming that digital engagement is the most suitable for customers, know that one size doesn’t fit all, so consider whether that means automated emailing, social media engagement, review responses, online surveys or hosting virtual meetups and giveaways. – Cynthia Johnson, Bell + Ivy
Focus on Storytelling
In 2024, adopt a bard’s approach: Craft product narratives, share company legends and spotlight customers-turned-heroes. Amid data and digits, the heart yearns for compelling tales. Command attention with epic stories! – Arvin Khamseh, SOLDOUT NFTs
Maintain a Human Touch
AI is becoming all the rage this year, and while it is so amazing and useful, it could be the death of your business if you forget to add a personal touch where it is needed. An easy example is if you use AI to write correspondence and send emails without reading them, embarrassing situations could arise. Be careful and remember to keep your brand in alignment! – Victoria Kennedy, Marisa Johnson
Invest in Customers’ Goals
To engage customers (and their employees), ask about, invest in and support their personal goals. This will enable you to create long-lasting relationships that are on a deeper level than a transactional workplace. – Bridget Hilton, Experiential Billionaire