Enhancing Customer Engagement Models

Reimagining Customer Marketing: Establishing a Purpose-Driven Engagement Flywheel Powering Adoption, Retention, and Advocacy Yesterday, I shared why customer marketing isn’t just advocacy. Advocacy alone doesn’t scale without a broader strategy that engages customers at every stage. When I joined Freshworks, I wanted to create a purpose-built organization focused on supporting customers across their entire journey to drive customer obsession. We didn’t call it Customer Marketing—we called it Customer Engagement for a reason—our goal was to design a flywheel that actively engages customers at every touchpoint to drive adoption, retention, and ultimately, lifelong loyalty. This flywheel is powered by seven key functions: 1️⃣ Executive Customer Engagement Builds strategic partnerships with customer executives through councils, advisory boards, and tailored programs. By fostering executive relationships and offering engagement opportunities, this team strengthens trust and influence. Additionally, it nurtures executive advocates and grows our share of wallet. 2️⃣ Voice of Customer (VoC) Ensures feedback is consistently captured and acted upon. By running surveys, advisory boards, and feedback loops, this team gathers critical insights that inform product improvements and enhance customer satisfaction. 3️⃣ Community Engagement Creates vibrant spaces where customers connect, share knowledge, and collaborate. Through online forums, ambassador programs, and events, this function drives a sense of belonging while promoting loyalty and advocacy. 4️⃣ Customer Education Empowers customers by offering structured learning programs such as certifications, training and workshops. These initiatives help customers maximize product value, driving higher adoption and long-term satisfaction. 5️⃣ Customer Advocacy Identifies and nurtures raving fans and gives them a platform to showcase their loyalty through things like customer stories, testimonials, reviews, and ongoing feedback—in term growing brand credibility. 6️⃣ Lifecycle & Retention Marketing Keeps customers engaged at key stages—onboarding, adoption, and renewal—by designing personalized multi-channel programs in partnership with cross-functional teams to deliver value across the journey. 7️⃣ Customer Comms Orchestrating 1:many comms while managing the air traffic control through coordinated and targeted comms that drive impact and value. 💡 Key takeaway: Building a scalable customer engagement flywheel means supporting customers at every stage—to ultimately create customers for life. What’s worked for you when building your customer marketing org? #CustomerEngagement #CustomerMarketing #CustomerAdvocacy #LifecycleMarketing #CommunityBuilding #CustomerEducation #CustomerSuccess #Retention #B2BMarketing

Acquiring Customers Is Hard. Losing Them Is Easy. Most businesses—whether eCommerce or SaaS—spend a fortune on ads, influencers, and outreach to get new customers.  But what happens after the first sale or sign-up?  For many, the answer is… nothing. And that’s why they struggle with retention.  Retention isn’t just about keeping customers—it’s about keeping them engaged, happy, and spending more over time. After 20 years in marketing, I’ve seen what works.  For Product-Based Businesses (eCommerce, DTC, Retail) 🔹 Personalized Post-Purchase Sequences – A simple “thank you” email isn’t enough. Instead:   ✅ Follow up with product care tips, how-tos, and customer stories.   ✅ Offer exclusive discounts or early access to new products.   ✅ Gather feedback to show customers their opinions matter.  🔹 Loyalty & Rewards Programs – Customers love to feel appreciated. The best programs:   ✅ Offer points not just for purchases, but also for referrals, reviews, and social shares.   ✅ Provide VIP perks—early access, limited-edition drops, or surprise gifts.   ✅ Focus on emotional loyalty, not just transactional rewards.  🔹 Subscription & Replenishment Offers – Make repeat purchases effortless.   ✅ Automate reminders for products they may be running low on.   ✅ Offer a subscribe-and-save model for recurring purchases.   ✅ Create exclusive subscriber-only benefits.  For SaaS Companies:  🔹 Onboarding That Reduces Drop-off – First impressions make or break retention.   ✅ Guide new users with interactive tutorials and milestone-based check-ins.   ✅ Provide immediate value—don’t overwhelm them with features they don’t need yet.   ✅ Use behavioral emails and in-app nudges to keep engagement high.  🔹 Community & Education – People stay when they feel invested.   ✅ Build an engaged user community (private groups, webinars, AMAs).   ✅ Offer ongoing education (courses, use cases, best practices).   ✅ Showcase real customer success stories to inspire further usage.  🔹 Proactive Customer Support – Don’t wait for churn to happen.   ✅ Identify users at risk (e.g., those who haven’t logged in for weeks).   ✅ Send personalized re-engagement campaigns before they cancel.   ✅ Provide live chat or dedicated support for power users.  Retention isn’t a one-time effort—it’s a strategy.  If your business is struggling with repeat purchases or high churn, it’s not just about your product. It’s about how you engage your customers after the sale.  How is your retention strategy working right now?  #digitalmarketing #technology #management #entreprenuership #marketing

Crystal Mullins of OSG, emphasizes the need for businesses to modernize Customer Communications Management (CCM) to meet evolving consumer expectations. Companies must move from compliance-focused documents to dynamic, interactive, and user-friendly communications. Crystal Mullins highlights five key strategies for modernizing CCM: 📖 Prioritize Readability and Usability Beyond compliance, documents should be optimized for various devices, especially mobile. Clear layouts and concise content improve comprehension by 47%, reducing customer support inquiries. ⚡ Leverage Interactive Features Interactive documents—like one-click payments and embedded tools—boost engagement by 35% and streamline customer actions. 🤖 Enhance Self-Service Capabilities Embedding AI-powered chatbots and FAQs within digital documents allows customers to resolve issues independently. Over 60% of customers prefer self-service over direct support interactions. 🎯 Personalize Communications Using data analytics to tailor content strengthens relationships and boosts satisfaction by 20%, fostering brand loyalty. 📲 Enable Multichannel Delivery Providing seamless communication across email, SMS, and mobile apps increases digital adoption by 25%, reducing reliance on paper-based communication. 🏆 OSG and InfoSlips’ Award-Winning Innovation OSG and InfoSlips won the 2024 Xplor Application of the Year Award for transforming Explanation of Benefits (EOB) documents into interactive, customer-centric experiences, enhancing engagement and efficiency. Businesses must embrace customer-centric CCM strategies to stay competitive. Enhancing readability, interactivity, self-service, personalization, and multichannel delivery ensures superior customer experiences and long-term success.

Every delightful customer interaction begins with the marketer, and it can only be as powerful as the #CRM and #metadata underpinning it. With agents supporting them at every step of the customer journey creation process, marketers and #customerengagement teams can now create superior experiences shaped by intelligent and emotionally resonant conversations. At a cognitive level, the human brain no longer perceives AI as a “chatbot.” It perceives a relationship. This emotional shift fundamentally changes how consumers relate to brands, fostering deeper loyalty and trust. When customers interact with agents in a way that feels natural, their engagement deepens. The implications go far beyond engagement. Every AI-driven interaction generates a wealth of contextual data, far richer than what brands could ever collect from a single web form or survey. In one conversation, an agent can gather insights about a customer’s preferences, behaviors, and intent, building a more complete, dynamic customer profile. This continuous intelligence loop allows brands to maximize the value of every interaction. Let’s bring this to life with an example... Imagine Melanie, one of your many potential customers. She’s been thinking about joining Posh Fitness, a popular gym chain in her city. Instead of filling out a form, she decides to engage with the agent on their website. As they chat, it quickly feels more like a friendly exchange than a transaction. Melanie shares her fitness goals, whether she wants to lose weight, gain muscle, or improve flexibility, and the agent listens closely, asking the right questions to understand her needs and intent. The agent gathers valuable insights through this conversation that a simple web form could never capture. Melanie mentions her dietary restrictions, her preference for a supportive personal trainer style, and that she loves outdoor workouts but needs a flexible schedule due to her busy life. In just a few minutes, the agent collects a wealth of data about Melanie: her goals, preferences, and availability—all essential to crafting a personalized experience. And because the conversation feels human-like and emotionally resonant, it creates an immediate connection to Posh Fitness. By collecting this richer data early in the relationship, Posh Fitness can offer tailored recommendations and build Melanie’s loyalty well before she signs up. This isn’t just about closing a sale. It’s about building trust and delivering personalized experiences that evoke emotions and feel deeply human. Brands that will thrive in the era of #Agentic #AI are those that recognize the shift from transactional interactions to relationship-driven engagement. This isn’t just about personalization; it’s about creating experiences and dialogues that feel alive—where AI and marketers co-create journeys that adapt in real time, amplifying the impact of every customer moment.

How Implementing Live Chat Transformed Customer Engagement for Client of Mine. Case Study: Improving Customer Engagement and Efficiency with Live Chat Implementation A client of mine, a mid-sized E-commerce business, approached me as they were struggling with a few common pain points: ❌️Slow response times to customer inquiries ❌️Low engagement and high abandonment rates on their website ❌️A high customer service cost due to reliance on phone and email support The solution? Live Chat. After analysing their customer journey, I identified strategic points on their website where live chat could make the most impact: on product pages, checkout pages, and the support section. Here’s how I did it: 1. Selecting the Right Live Chat Tool: We implemented a robust, scalable live chat platform with automation capabilities. 2. Training the Customer Service Team: We provided live chat training focused on quick responses, effective communication, and upselling tactics. 3. Setting Up Chatbots for FAQs: For common questions, we designed a chatbot to handle simple inquiries, allowing human agents to focus on complex issues. The Result: ✔️ Response Times Improved by 80%: ✔️ Increased Sales Conversion by 25%: ✔️ Cost Savings of 30%: ✔️ Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) increased to 95%: In just three months, their customer experience and saw measurable improvements in engagement, satisfaction, and sales. Key Takeaway: If your business relies heavily on customer interactions, live chat can be an option to explore. Whether you’re in eCommerce, B2B, or services, adding live chat is one of the most effective ways to evolve. Considering live chat for your business? Let’s chat about how to make it work for you!

Just closing a sale is NOT enough. What truly matters is how you build a lasting relationship. You might not realize this, but: HOW you engage with your customers is more important than WHAT you sell. So, if you want to excel in customer relationships: ⦿ Focus on building trust ⦿ Provide consistent value ⦿ Foster ongoing engagement Here’s how I approach it in 9 simple steps: 1. Start by understanding your customer’s needs. 2. Personalize your interactions and communication. 3. Follow up regularly, not just when you’re selling. 4. Provide value through useful content and advice. 5. Address concerns promptly and effectively. 6. Show appreciation with personalized thank-you or rewards. 7. Listen actively and adapt to feedback. 8. Create opportunities for customers to give input and feel involved. 9. Use CRM tools to track and manage interactions. Great products or services can lose their appeal if they’re not supported by strong customer relationships. So, creating customers isn’t just important—it’s everything. Next time you engage with a customer, remember: You’re not just making a sale; you’re building a lasting relationship. Make it a meaningful one. 🤝 PS. Do you focus on customer relationships or just closing sales? Yes/No? #brandstrategist

In today's competitive high street retail landscape, staying relevant to new generations and shopping trends is key. Partnering with brands and retailers daily, I witness the exciting changes taking place to drive increased share, customer retention, and acquisition through effective cross-channel personalization strategies. 1. Harnessing the Power of AI for Predictive Insights. By leveraging AI to analyze customer behavior, businesses can identify trends and preferences, enabling personalized messaging and tailored offers. This data-driven approach fosters loyalty among existing customers and attracts new ones. 2. Adopting Personalized Product Discovery (PDP). Implementing PDP customizes the shopping experience based on individual preferences. Dynamic search features suggest products aligned with past interactions online, while in-store digital kiosks enhance personalized recommendations, merging online and offline experiences seamlessly. 3. Creating a Unified Customer View. Integrating data from various channels provides a comprehensive understanding of the customer journey. This unified view enables consistent communication, real-time personalization, and effective tracking of customer engagement. 4. Cultivating Customer Loyalty through Personalized Rewards. Tailoring loyalty programs to individual spending habits and preferences using AI and customer data enhances customer loyalty. Exclusive events, early collection access, and personalized discounts resonate more with customers, fostering long-term loyalty. 5. Elevating Creativity Across All Channels. Creative excellence enhances personalized strategies. Compelling visuals, authentic storytelling, and innovative campaigns across email marketing, social media, and in-store promotions captivate customers and drive engagement. Creative design elements play a crucial role in building loyalty. By embracing these strategies, high street retailers can navigate personalization successfully, creating engaging customer experiences that nurture loyalty and attract new clientele. For further insights, feel free to reach out directly!