Customer engagement : The art of connecting with your customers

Did you know that companies with a high level of engagement with their customers are 60% more likely to retain them? Having loyal customers is not a matter of luck, but of strategy. The secret lies in customer engagement, or in other words, the art of connecting with your customers in a genuine way.

What is customer engagement?

Imagine that your company is like a person at a party. Customer engagement is being that friendly guest that everyone wants to be around. It’s not just about selling, it’s about creating an authentic relationship with your customers that goes beyond the simple transaction.

Example: Brands like Apple and Nike have managed to build communities of loyal customers who feel a deep connection with the brand. In the case of Apple, it’s not just because of the quality of its products, but because of the way it engages its users, offering them a personalized experience and a sense of belonging to something bigger.

Why it’s important

Think of it this way: would you rather buy from a pushy salesperson or a friend who knows your tastes? Engaged customers are like friends of your brand. They buy more, speak well of you and stick with you through thick and thin.

Example: Starbucks is another notable case. The brand not only sells coffee, but has created an experience around its products. From its loyalty program to the personalization of beverages, they make each customer feel valued and understood, thus fostering loyalty and repeat purchases.

How to achieve it (without dying trying)

1. Know your people: Not all your customers are the same. Find out what they like, what they need and how you can help them.
2. Communicate like a human being: Forget robotic language. Talk to your customers like you would talk to a friend (but don’t be overconfident).
3. Listen, listen and listen again: The best ideas for improving your business come from your customers. Pay attention to what they say.
4. Surprise from time to time: An unexpected discount? A gift for their birthday? These little surprises make your customers feel special.
5. Be honest: If you screw up, admit it. Customers value honesty more than perfection.
6. Make it easy: No one wants to spend hours trying to contact you. Make it easy to buy, to support, to do everything.
7. Personalize the experience: Treat each customer as if they were your only customer. Use the information you have to offer them what they really need.

The final secret

True customer engagement is not about tricks or techniques. It’s about creating a culture in your company where the customer is at the center of everything you do. If you can get everyone on your team to understand this, you’ll be on the right track. To go deeper into this aspect, we recommend you review these 15 strategies to improve customer service, which will help you strengthen the relationship with your customers and improve their experience with your brand.

Remember, it’s not about being perfect, it’s about being authentic and showing that you really care about your customers. Get it right and you won’t just have customers, you’ll have fans.

Implementing customer engagement in your agency

The effective implementation of customer engagement in a marketing agency can be divided into four key phases:

• Internal improvement
  • Train your team in communication skills and empathy
  • Implement CRM systems to effectively track customer interactions.
  • Foster a customer-centric culture throughout the agency.
• Practical Application
  • Establish more frequent and personalized communications with each client.
  • Offer free strategy sessions to better understand your customers’ needs.
  • Create a loyalty program for existing customers.
• Analysis and learning
  • Measure customer satisfaction, retention rates and referrals.
  • Identify which engagement strategies work best for your agency.
  • Collect success stories and lessons learned for further improvement.
• Development of new services.
  • Create consulting services focused on customer engagement based on your expertise.
  • Develop training programs for your clients’ teams, helping them to implement these strategies.
  • Offer implementation and audit services for engagement strategies to ensure their effectiveness.

Practical example for agencies: “Loyalty program based on added value”

A digital marketing agency called Creativa decides to improve the connection with its customers by implementing a loyalty program that goes beyond simple discounts. Its strategy is based on offering added value to its current customers, strengthening the relationship and ensuring their satisfaction.

Phase 1: Know your customers

• The agency conducts satisfaction surveys and quick interviews to identify areas where clients feel they could receive more support.
• Clients mention that, in addition to receiving monthly reports, they would like to have access to training on digital marketing trends to better understand the services they receive.

Phase 2: Create personalized value

• In response, Creativa launches a program of free exclusive webinars for its clients. These webinars focus on topics of common interest such as advanced SEO, social media usage and ad campaign analysis.
• Each client receives personalized recommendations on the most relevant webinars based on their current needs, demonstrating the agency’s understanding of their challenges.

Phase 3: Incentivize loyalty with surprises

• In addition, as part of the program, each client who renews their contract with the agency receives a free analysis of their competition or an extra quarterly report, something that would normally be charged as an additional service.
• The agency also surprises clients on key dates, such as their contract anniversary, by sending them a small gift, such as an exclusive e-book or a personalized card thanking them for their trust.

Expected results:

• Thanks to this approach, clients not only see Creativa as an agency that manages their campaigns, but as a strategic partner that empowers them and helps them improve in other areas.
• As a result, the agency increases its client retention rate by 25% and receives more referrals from satisfied clients who share their positive experience.

How can you apply this to your business?

• Identify what your clients value beyond the service you already offer them.
• Offer access to exclusive resources, such as training, analytics or additional content.
• Surprise your customers with small gestures of appreciation and extra benefits at key moments (renewals, anniversaries, important events).
• Continually track customer satisfaction and adjust your approach according to their needs.

This type of program creates a relationship based on added value, rather than just transactions. It also helps the agency stand out from the competition by focusing on the client’s long-term needs.

Now, how about starting by asking yourself how you can make your next client interaction just a little bit better?