Author: Aj Agrawal / Source: Entrepreneur What makes a brand strong in 2017? If you’re thinking top-notch social media strategy and cutti
What makes a brand strong in 2017? If you’re thinking top-notch social media strategy and cutting-edge product development you’re not wrong — but you’re still overlooking a critical component: customer service.
Customer service doesn’t always generate the same media buzz as other brand practices, but it’s the glue that holds a brand together. Customer service is also your best marketing tool; if you succeed at delivering a wow-worthy experience, your customers will come back — and they might even bring their friends.
Today, customers can find out in an instant if a brand is dedicated to creating a positive experience. If a company fails to provide exemplary service, every potential customer may just find out and, subsequently, take his or her business elsewhere. That’s how much social media and review sites have raised the stakes for businesses.
However, there still remain tried and true tactics you can employ to ensure you’re delivering the best experience possible.
Develop customer insights.
You simply cannot design an effective customer experience if you don’t first understand your customer. Market research, competitive analysis and qualitative target customer insights must all be prioritized when you are identifying your customer’s journey from discovery to purchase and, hopefully, repeat purchases.
Imagine you are the manager of a thriving New York restaurant group and you decide it’s time to expand to other locations outside the Big Apple. Surely, if your winning formula has spelled success in New York, it will work in other cities, right? Not necessarily; the customers in your target markets might have different likes and expectations, but the only way you can understand those future customers and plan your service around their needs is to first research and compile a comprehensive audience analysis.
Too often, audience analysis and the resulting insights are hastily executed. But, the better you understand your target demographic, the better you can design an experience…
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