Understanding automated customer engagement: Overview, strategies, & use cases

Automating customer engagement is like striking the perfect balance between – personalization, efficiency, and human touch.

Engaged customers are loyal customers with a deeper connection with the brand, driving growth and fostering a positive reputation. Therefore, companies are adopting technology such as AI to fulfill their expectations efficiently.

In this blog post, we will cover —

1. The what—overview of automated customer engagement
2. The how—strategy to implement automation
3. The why—benefits of automated customer engagement
4. Three use cases to get you started

What is automated customer engagement?

Customer engagement is the ongoing interaction and connection between a customer and a brand. It is focused on building an emotional rapport with customers and, further, nurturing the relationship.

Automated customer engagement is the strategic way to automate this process and interactions with technology so that companies can meet and exceed rapidly changing customer expectations with superior product experience, personalized experience, quick resolutions, etc., in the entire customer journey.

There are two ‘T’s that help in facilitating customer engagement automation.

Technology: such as AI and data analytics

Tools: such as chatbot, CRM, and support software

How to implement customer engagement automation?

Implementing automated customer engagement involves using technology to create personalized interactions and strengthen customer relationships. We have prepared a standard step-by-step strategy to automate customer engagement, which can be modified per your business requirements and customer expectations.

Define goals and objectives

Clarify objectives: Determine what you want to achieve with automation – increased sales, better customer retention, streamlined support, etc.

Set SMART goals: Establish specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals to guide your automation strategy.

For example — a specific goal could be to reduce response time to customer inquiries by 30% within the next three months using an automated chatbot system.

In this goal:

• Specific: It focuses on reducing response times to customer inquiries.
• Measurable: A 30% reduction is a quantifiable target.
• Achievable: This is a realistic goal assuming the technology and resources are available.
• Relevant: Faster response times are directly related to improved customer support.
• Time-Bound: The target is set to be achieved within three months.

This goal ensures that your automated customer engagement efforts are directly aimed at enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of your customer support.

Understand your customer journey

Map customer touchpoints: Identify all stages of the customer’s journey where interactions occur.

Analyze customer behavior: Gather insights into customer behaviors, pain points, and preferences at each touchpoint to determine where automation can add value.

For example — a product company can use AI technology to analyze their customer behavior so that they can provide a better engagement experience —

• Utilize CRM and analytics platforms to track and analyze customer interactions across various touchpoints.
• Extract insights on customer behaviors, pain points, and preferences at each stage of their journey.
• Identify opportunities for automation implementation to enhance the customer experience, such as personalized campaigns, AI-driven support, and targeted recommendations.

Choose suitable tools and platforms

Select automation tools: Choose customer engagement tools and platforms aligned with your goals and customer journey needs. Consider CRM systems, marketing automation software, chatbots, etc.

Ensure integration: Ensure seamless integration of these tools with your existing systems for efficient data sharing and workflows.

For example — automation platforms can be used to provide an engaging experience at different stages in the journey.

• CRM: Centralize customer data for personalized interactions and relationship management.
• Chatbots: Provide instant support and guidance throughout the customer journey.
• Marketing automation software: Automate targeted campaigns based on customer behaviors and preferences across multiple channels.

Collect and analyze customer data

Gather customer data: Collect relevant customer data from various sources such as CRM, website interactions, social media, etc.

Analyze insights: Analyzing customer data with data analytics will help you derive actionable insights from the data collected to personalize and target customer engagements effectively.

For example — a product company can gather customer data and derive actionable insights for a better engagement experience.

• Chatbot interactions gather real-time queries, concerns, and feedback, allowing for improved customer service and product enhancement based on direct user input.
• Social media engagement to understand customer sentiments, preferences, and trends, aiding in refining marketing strategies, creating relevant content, and addressing customer needs proactively.
• Marketing campaigns to track effectiveness, measure customer responses, and adjust strategies, ensuring targeted and personalized outreach for higher engagement and conversion rates.

Develop personalized marketing campaigns

Create compelling content: Develop engaging content – emails, in-app messages, tutorials—that resonate with your audience.

Design workflow sequences: Construct automation workflows for onboarding, support, feedback collection, upselling, etc., aligned with the customer journey stages.

For example — with gathered customer data, you can craft sales and marketing campaigns along with support materials. You can –

• Use customer insights to personalize social media campaigns and innovate product development.
• Utilize analytics to identify market trends and gaps, fostering innovation and competitive advantage in your industry.

Implement automation workflows

Configure automation triggers: Set up triggers that initiate automated actions based on predefined criteria or customer behavior.

Build sequences: Develop automated sequences that guide customers through their journey, offering relevant information or assistance.

For example — a product company can automate the following experiences with trigger-based workflows.

• Automatically send follow-up emails or personalized offers.
• Build sequences for onboarding new users, providing automated tutorials or guides that adapt based on their progress and engagement level.
• Implement triggers tied to customer inquiries, directing them to relevant support resources or escalating to human assistance based on complexity, optimizing the support process.

Test, optimize, and refine

Conduct testing: Perform A/B testing to refine automated workflows and messages for better engagement.

Analyze performance: Measure and analyze key performance indicators (KPIs) to gauge the effectiveness of automation.

Iterate and refine: Continuously optimize based on test results and customer feedback to improve performance.

Scale and evolve

Scale automation efforts: As your business grows, scale your automation efforts to handle larger volumes of customer interactions while maintaining personalized experiences.

Embrace innovation: Embrace new technologies and innovations to enhance your automation strategies continually.

You can bring in an AI-native CRM such as DevRev to streamline and automate customer engagement. It will help you streamline customer data management, automate workflows, derive insightful analytics, initiate tailored engagements, deliver personalized messages, and ultimately enhance customer experience.

We have identified primary customer journey touchpoints for you to get started. You can later modify and step up your customer engagement strategies as per your goals and customer requirements.

Implementing customer engagement automation requires a strategic and iterative approach that is customer-centric, data-driven, and adaptable to achieve meaningful and impactful results in improving customer experiences and driving revenue growth. Using customer feedback to improve your product will help you build loyalty and stay ahead of the curve.

What are the benefits of customer engagement automation?

Automating customer engagement results in substantial benefits affecting two major functions: operations and business. Automating an engaging experience at every customer touchpoint helps sales, marketing, and support teams reach out to the right customers, deliver the right message, provide a personal touch, and ultimately provide an outstanding experience.

Operational benefits of customer engagement automation

Increase operational efficiency

Customer engagement automation streamlines repetitive tasks, such as sending automated responses or routing support tickets. As a result, engagement automation frees up valuable time for customer support teams to focus on complex issues, improving overall productivity.

Consistent and personalized communication

Engagement automation ensures consistent and personal communication across touchpoints, allowing brands to maintain and standardize the level of service, all the while reducing the chances of miscommunication or delays.

Data-driven insights

Customer engagement platform helps companies gather and analyze customer data, providing valuable insights into customer behavior, preferences, and trends. These insights empower businesses to make informed decisions and tailor engagement strategies for better customer satisfaction.

Business benefits of customer engagement automation

Improve customer retention

Automated engagement fosters stronger customer relationships by delivering personalized experiences and establishing an emotional connection with your customers. You can address customer needs promptly and proactively to enhance brand loyalty, reduce churn rate, and strengthen long-term relationships.

Increase sales and revenue

Targeted automation, such as personalized recommendations or timely promotions, can drive upsells, cross-sells, and repeat purchases. You can initiate automation intelligently to boost sales and revenue streams.

Enhance brand reputation

Consistent and efficient automated interactions positively impact brand perception. You can deliver seamless experiences and address queries promptly to build a reputation for reliability, leading to increased trust and positive word-of-mouth referrals.

Reduce operational costs

By automating repetitive tasks and streamlining processes, you can minimize manual labor, optimize resource utilization, and achieve greater efficiency, resulting in lowered operational expenses and improved profitability.

Three use cases of customer engagement automation

You can invest in a comprehensive CRM such as DevRev that integrates multiple channels, ensuring a seamless and personalized customer experience across various touchpoints. We have picked up the three most common use cases that have the highest impact on your customers.

Onboarding automation

Scenario: A product company utilizes automated onboarding sequences for new users.

Implementation: Automated emails with guided tutorials, tooltips, and interactive walkthroughs introduce users to key features.

Benefits: Enhances user understanding, reduces the learning curve, and increases product adoption, leading to higher retention rates.

Support ticket routine

Scenario: An e-commerce platform employs AI-driven ticket routing for customer support.

Implementation: AI analyzes customer queries and routes them to appropriate support agents based on nature or complexity.

Benefits: Faster query resolution, improved customer satisfaction, and optimized resource allocation for support teams.

Personalized product recommendations

Scenario: An online retailer uses automation for personalized product suggestions.

Implementation: AI algorithms analyze customer browsing history and behavior to generate tailored product recommendations.

Benefits: Increases conversion rates, enhances customer experience, and drives higher sales by offering relevant and timely suggestions.

Measure customer engagement metrics to amplify your improvement tenfold

Use metrics to understand your customers and their experiences so that you can get the highest results out of your automation efforts. You can consider the following –

• Customer Satisfaction (CSAT)– to understand your customers’ opinions and experiences
• Social media metrics – to learn brand sentiment and engagement levels
• Sales and repeat purchases – to know brand trust and product affinity
• Feedback and reviews – to get insights for continual enhancements
• Customer loyalty – to measure the strength of customer relationship

Explore an AI-native customer engagement platform, DevRev, to streamline your automation strategies effectively for better customer understanding, stronger relationships, and sustainable business growth.