Understanding the Evolution of Customer Engagement

According to new research from ACCENT Marketing, the key to a successful customer engagement strategy on social media is to understand how Facebook, Twitter and other social channels are used by consumers. ACCENT Marketing Services announced findings from its 2014 Survey "Customer Engagement and Today's Consumer." ACCENT Marketing's findings show brands need to understand how the roles of customer engagement are evolving from a toll-free number and emails to multiple social media channels. "Our goal was to connect with consumers to discover their preferences for engaging with a brand," stated Roger Huff Director, Social Media & Digital Strategy for ACCENT Marketing Services. "The survey findings prove that brands need to pay attention, anticipate consumer's needs, and create natural conversations across all channels, especially social media." Key findings in the report also include:

"Consumers behave differently across channels and if brands are going to create engagement that drives customer loyalty and builds brand advocates, it's increasingly important for CMOs to understand their customers' behavior on varying channels," said David Norton, EVP Customer Analytics and Insights at MDC Partners and Chairman ACCENT Marketing Services. "To be a part of the conversation, CMOs need to have a social strategy in place to build a trusted relationship with their consumers and within their social community, ultimately creating a lifetime of engagement on social channels and in person." To better understand the habits of today's changing and empowered consumers, ACCENT Marketing surveyed more than 1,000 consumers throughout the United States. The company looked at how consumers seek information from brands across social media channels, in addition to engaging with a brand, which channels are believed to be the best way of communicating with a brand, and the power of being a part of an online community.