A recent Twilio report highlights how 81% of businesses believe they understand their customers, but only 46% of customers agree that businesses truly grasp their needs. The reasons for this gap are:

• Poor data analysis: Businesses are unable to draw actionable insights from customer data flowing in from various sources. Thus, they operate on assumptions about customer needs.
• Multiple channels: Customers interact with brands via channels like social media, email, contact forms on websites, live chats, etc. Businesses fail to maintain a consistent and personalized experience across these touchpoints.
• Lack of personalization: Brands focus on tracking metrics like open rates and click-through rates, but forget about true customer engagement. Generic messages sent at random intervals fail to resonate with customers.
  

Customer engagement automation software can solve these problems and enable brands to drive greater sales by engaging existing customers consistently. 

In this blog post, we’ll explore how to automate customer engagement using such software.

What is Customer Engagement Automation?

Customer engagement automation is the strategic use of technology to streamline repetitive tasks and personalize interactions throughout the customer journey. 

By automating targeted messages and interactions at key touchpoints, businesses can deliver exceptional customer experiences that nurture loyalty and drive growth.

Why is Customer Engagement Automation Important?

It is no longer enough to manually update customer information and send communications. Customer engagement automation is required because of the following reasons:

• Customer journeys are not linear: Customers interact with brands through multiple channels—website to social media to email—seeking information and support. Omnichannel engagement enables brands to anticipate all possible routes and set up interactions based on behavior.
  

• Conversations require context: Automation allows brands to tailor messages based on customer behavior, purchase history, and preferences, making interactions more relevant and impactful.
  

11 Ways to Automate Customer Engagement 

Try out these 11 practical strategies to automate customer engagement:

1. Greet new users with automated welcome screens
   If users are greeted with a blank screen upon logging in for the first time, it adds friction to the process of them engaging with its features. Automated welcome screens introduce your product's core features and functionalities, guide users through the initial setup process, and offer helpful resources for a smooth onboarding experience.
   

2. Use predefined onboarding checklists
   Build a personalized onboarding checklist using customer data pulled from a welcome survey. Based on the user’s job to be done, such checklists can nudge them to activate their accounts, set up preferences, or explore key features. This ensures that users experience the value of the product as quickly as possible.
   

3. Offer contextual tooltips
   Users may only engage with a few features, even if they’re paying for more.  Integrate contextual tooltips and hints within the app to introduce other key features at relevant points so that users adopt them.
   

4. Use interactive walkthroughs
   Interactive walkthroughs are an engaging way to guide users through specific workflows or highlight key product functionalities depending on their specific needs. They provide step-by-step guidance and minimize the learning curve.
   

5. Introduce new features and encourage customers to adopt them
   Users can easily miss new features unless you find a way to point them toward it. Utilize automated email campaigns to announce new features, highlighting their benefits and offering in-app prompts or video tutorials for further exploration.
   

6. Use AI-generated video tutorials
   Consider creating AI-powered video tutorials to walk users through specific tasks or product functionalities, providing an engaging and personalized learning experience.
   

7. Reward loyal users
   Automate loyalty programs that reward customers for continued engagement. This could involve offering exclusive discounts, early access to new features, or personalized recommendations based on their usage patterns.
   

8. Offer on-demand self-service support
   Empower your customers to find answers by setting up a comprehensive resource center with automated search functionality. Integrate knowledge base articles, FAQs, and troubleshooting guides within the app. Thus, users do not have to leave the app, scroll to find the support button, or hunt through help docs to get the answers they need.
   

9. Launch automated surveys at customer touchpoints
   Set up automated surveys within the app to appear at key points in the customer journey, such as after onboarding completion or product usage milestones. This allows you to understand how users interact with your product and what causes churn.
   
10.  Send emails to reactivate disengaged users
    Consider re-engaging dormant users by sending personalized emails based on user inactivity. These emails could offer helpful tips, showcase new features, or even incentivize re-engagement with limited-time offers.
    
11. Offer contextual upsells
    Free trials are a great way to introduce your product, but converting them into paying customers requires a strategic approach. Implement automated in-app messages or email sequences that trigger near the end of the trial period. 

These messages should highlight the value proposition of your paid plans, address potential concerns, and offer clear calls-to-action for conversion.

Best Practices for Customer Engagement Automation 

Let's explore some best practices to automate customer engagement for higher ROI:

• Personalization: Use customer data to personalize your communication. Address customers by name, recommend products based on their purchase history, and tailor content to their specific needs and interests. It enables you to build customer loyalty and trust.

• Segmentation: Segment your audience based on demographics, interests, behavior, or purchase history. This allows you to create targeted campaigns that speak directly to specific customer segments, increasing engagement and conversion rates.

• Iterations: Experiment with different approaches, A/B test subject lines, email copy, and calls-to-action. Track your results and refine your campaigns based on data to ensure you're delivering the most impactful interactions.

• Measure and Analyze: Track key metrics associated with your automated campaigns, such as open rates, click-through rates, conversion rates, and customer satisfaction scores. Use these insights to measure effectiveness and ROI. 
  

How Plivo CX Enables Customer Engagement Automation

Plivo CX stands helps you automate customer engagement with the following features:

• Omnichannel communication: Plivo CX allows you to reach your customers through emails, SMS, in-app messaging, and social media, ensuring a complete and consistent customer experience.
  
• Create A Personized Marketing List: Our platform allows you to import real-time contact sync from Shopify store, Bigcommerce, Magneto and other eCommerce stores.

In just 1 click, capture data from Landing Pages, Opt-in forms and Event triggers on storefront via Plivo CX Engage API.

• Drag-and-Drop Workflow Builder: Businesses can use Plivo CX Engage to create complex automation workflows visually, with ease. This user-friendly interface allows you to design targeted campaigns by segmenting audiences and tailoring interactions based on specific customer behaviors or triggers.
  

• Powerful Analytics and Reporting: Measure the impact of your automation efforts with comprehensive reporting and analytics. Track key metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates to identify successful strategies and optimize your campaigns for continuous improvement.
  

• Seamless Integration with Existing Tools: Plivo CX integrates seamlessly with your existing CRM, marketing automation platform, and other essential business tools, streamlining workflows and centralizing customer data for a unified view.
  

Schedule a FREE demo today to personally experience the new age of customer engagement automation within a few clicks!