In the past, there has been virtually no relationship between marketing and customer service departments. In today’s digital world, one good customer experience can reach and convert prospects at a rapid speed. This makes the alignment between the two more important now than ever. Think about it. Marketing efforts typically focus on lead generation and customer acquisition while customer service focuses on customer retention. Simply put, the two go hand in hand.
Why your customer service and marketing should be aligned
According to HubSpot research, at least 71% of customers who receive a good experience with a brand via social media, are likely to recommend it. So, combing marketing and customer service in order to improve overall customer experience should be a no-brainer.
It’s no secret that customers value a streamlined experience from brands. In fact 86% of buyers are willing to pay more for a great customer experience. So in today’s competitive market, businesses that are are customer experience focused outperform those that aren’t.
How to implement customer service in your marketing strategy
Real time customer support
Customers prefer to speak with brands in real time and channels such as social media and chatbots help to facilitate this. According to Sprout Social, 40% of consumers expect brands to respond within the first hour of reaching out on social media, while 79% expect a response in the first 24 hours. Using these channels to solve customer queries and improve experiences can have significant impact on conversions.
Customer reviews
92% of consumers trust word of mouth more than any other form of advertising. Utilising customer reviews to highlight key company strengths such as the quality of customer support you provide is great for building trust and boosting conversions. Plus the customer feedback can also encourage other customers to join in.
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Social listening
Monitoring customer experiences with your brand is a great way to find out what you are doing well and where you may require some improvements. All in all, it can help establish which customer needs are being met and identify areas of improvement. Implementing this technique in your strategy is a great way to align customer service and marketing and improve customer experience.
Content
Approximately one third of customer questions are repeated. These common queries should help develop content that serves your customers. From website Q&As to social media graphics, using relevant content in order to solve customer queries and boost their experience with your brand is key.
For more on the latest digital marketing strategies and best practices, you can get my latest book, Digital Marketing Strategy.