With 2019 in full swing, you should have already reviewed the past 12 months for a clear idea of what worked for your business, where you came up short, and the areas where you should allocate the most resources in the new year.

If you struggled with customer engagement last year, you’re in luck. Here’s why: with so many ways to improve, you don’t have to go down the same path in 2019.

Here are several simple ways to improve customer engagement:

Personalize Communication

Rather than treat every customer the same, look for ways to personalize your communication.

For example, you could send a handwritten note to all new customers to thank them for their business.

Yes, it takes extra time and money to personalize your communication, but it boosts engagement and puts you in position to form a long-term relationship.

Get Creative With Your Marketing

If you rely on the “same old, same old” marketing strategy, you’re likely to get the “same old, same old” results.

There’s never been a better time than now to get creative with your marketing plan, as there are numerous high level strategies that have been proven effective.

We recently discussed the benefits of text marketing, with an emphasis on why it’s so powerful. Here’s an excerpt from the post:

“If you’re going to send out a business-related text, make it worth their while. People love to receive a good deal. Everyone wants to work with the business that will give them the most bang for their buck. The good thing about text messages are that they’re short and sweet.”

Don’t shy away from text message marketing because you haven’t used this strategy in the past. Embrace this idea, get creative, and see what happens. You may be surprised to find that your customers love to engage via text.

Listen to Your Audience

There’s a good chance your engagement is low because you’re not listening to your audience. You think you know what they want and how they feel, but you’re actually missing the mark.

There are many ways to better understand your audience, such as:

• Reading every online review your company receives (good and bad)
• Communicating with your audience on social media
• Asking customers to complete a brief survey

When you truly listen to your audience, you’ll gain a better feel for what they want and how you can give it to them. This naturally allows you to improve engagement.

For more insights on marketing strategy that actually works for small business, subscribe to the FreshLime Newsletter here. Connect with Jay Bean, Founder of FreshLime and Small Business Marketing Expert on LinkedIn and Twitter. And last of all, if any of these tips have helped you or if you have anything to add please comment below. We’d love to hear from you!