How to Use Online Engagement to Increase the Sales of Your Offline Business
As more people around the world have begun to depend on the Internet for many things, it’s become almost impossible to run a business that doesn’t have a digital footprint successfully. What’s more, even if you don’t have your own online platform, people might be reviewing your business on Google Maps or discussing it on social media.
The good news is you can take control of what your customers or prospective customers see when they search for your business online. You can use various digital channels to improve your customer engagement online and drive more sales to your offline business. In fact, statistics show that omnichannel marketing can help increase your sales by 250%.
How to Create Online Engagement Using Different Digital Channels
The following are easy-to-use and affordable platforms for online engagement
Social Media
Social media platforms help in customer engagement in various ways.
For one, you can engage directly with prospective customers through branded content. You can also work with influencers, run ads, or hold contests and challenges.
You can also use social media for crisis management and customer support. Listening through social media can improve your online reputation by knowing when people are talking about your business and then immediately addressing any queries or complaints.
With social media, you can create a rapport with your customers and future customers. This is something that you can’t do with traditional advertising. Social media allows you to put names and faces to boost your company image and connect with your customers personally.
By making sure your social media posts are relevant and high-quality, you can get positive reactions from your audience as you engage with them. When this happens, your customers start to look at you as more than just a logo or a name.
Just remember to choose the proper social media channels by knowing who your target audience is.
Messengers
Mark Zuckerberg claimed that messaging is the future of Facebook. In fact, there are now more users on messaging apps than on social networks. As such, top messenger app providers today, such as Facebook, have begun offering tools that businesses can use to interact with customers.
One important messenger tool that is underused is chatbots. Chatbots help grow your engagement through messenger applications and improve customer service. You can use them to address many inquiries of your customers.
Chatbots can act as your customer service chatbot, contact list builder, FAQ chatbot, and more. The best part? Chatbots are available 24/7 so you don’t need to depend on the schedules of live operators.
While a little older than the other platforms on the list, email can still be a powerful channel for customer engagement. Triggered messages in particular are the most popular email marketing method and are heavily used by retailers. You can use triggered messages when announcing events, introducing new products, asking for visitor feedback, or distributing discounts.
You can also create an email list and then start a newsletter. Use it to educate your customers about your product or service. Keep them engaged with entertaining or informative content.
Loyalty Programs
Loyalty programs encourage your customers to return to your business again and again. When you offer discounts or rewards, customers are more likely to buy from you again.
You can build a stronger customer-brand connection through a loyalty program. It can create emotional connections in various ways. For example, customers will feel an affinity towards your brand simply by being in a loyalty program.
Notifications
You can use notifications to inform your customers about current deals, new arrivals, or discounts. You can prompt them to sign up for a newsletter or enter your contests as well.
The best thing about notifications? Unlike emails, they let you engage your customers on the spot. They also allow you to respond to customer actions immediately instead of trying to connect later. Two types of notifications are push notifications and in-app notifications.
- Push notifications are messages that the user sees without opening the app. These are used most often. Push notifications are an effective way to reach your audience in real-time. They are also a great way to retain your audience over longer periods.
- In-app notifications are messages that the user gets inside an application after they have opened it. These are designed to send more context-sensitive and targeted messages. In-app notifications are a great way to communicate with your customers on their latest points of interest.
Online engagement is essential to any offline business that desires to stay competitive and drive more sales. Hopefully, this article will inspire and help you as you build your own business strategy for online engagement.
