2020 has been a year like no other. Businesses have been pushed to the brink and are fighting to survive. And the marketing industry has been no different. It was (and still is) what almost every brand, company and organization turned to when times were at its most uncertain. In fact, a recent CMO study found that the marketing budget of most of the firms surveyed increased during the COVID period. In February 2020, respondents’ firms planned to spend 11.3% of their total budgets on marketing, by June 2020, this rose to 12.6%.
Where Client Engagement Managers Come Into Play.
Navigating brand perception throughout the pandemic has not been easy and marketers have no doubt felt the pressure. As more and more marketers look to streamline their software to aid client needs going forward, never has it been so important to take care, stay close and connect with clients by investing in client engagement management.
Embracing Developments in Marketing Software
Customer engagement refers to clients that are connected to and engaged with the products and services your marketing company offers. The point is to offer customers something of value beyond just products and services. The COVID crisis has made it evidently clear that engagement through digital channels are just as effective as in-person. With a little more attention and vigilance, relationships based solely on digital communication can be made stronger. Using the acceleration of digitization to our advantage, it is encouraged for marketers and customers to over-communicate to ensure engagement is fulfilled on both sides of the relationship.
Where digitalization has infiltrated every niche, marketing companies alike have had to embrace changing technologies to remain operational and agile among competitors.
Often marketing companies do not have the capacity themselves to build or enhance software solutions to market their brands effectively and instead look to outsource this part of the business. This means, it is up to the software developers to make sure they can offer the most effective marketing solutions possible, while keeping the client engaged to improve brand perception and customer retention.
This is where Client Engagement Managers come into play.
This role goes beyond sales by ensuring that all of a client’s needs are met by developing strategies to improve customer satisfaction every step of the way. Working with software developers and technical experts who are able to react quickly and flexibly to your customer’s requirements will be crucial in maintaining engagement.
What’s more, Client Engagement Managers work closely with the Business Development department, who hold critical software insights, in order to offer client-specific advice as well as to aid unforeseen challenges to ensure smooth delivery of every marketing project.
Accelerating Agility and Building Trust
Without the Client Engagement Manager, a company forfeits the ability to act flexibly to unprecedented events.
With changes in behavior, law and customs happening faster today than in previous years, marketers must be conscious as the implications of today can be so disruptive, that many business models will cease to operate. As a result, marketing plans for brands are set to constantly change, leaving it up to the client engagement manager to support the client’s decisions. Companies that are able to act quickly and find a new, courageous path will no doubt become industry leaders.
Client Engagement Managers are also able to improve and build trust where both parties can work together through tougher times, rather than breaking apart in an attempt to stay afloat.
Developing long-term, trusted advisor relationships with clients is therefore a fundamental approach to navigate a future of uncertainty. In fact, over the last few months, we have seen a strong trend for clients to stick with their current and proven partners and are reluctant to engage with new players. Consequently, the willingness of customers to make new long-term commitments is decreasing. Of course, this is a time of considerable trial and error for many marketers, however instilling a level of normality through longer-term partnerships, super headed by a Client Engagement Manager will build trust from the inside out.
