9 Results-Driven Customer Engagement Models

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Offering a great product or service is no longer enough in 2024. Customers expect personalized experiences and meaningful interactions with the companies they do business with. This is why customer engagement models are essential to building a thriving business.

Companies must use different engagement models catering to their customers’ unique needs and preferences to achieve this.

This article will explore nine customer engagement models and provide insights on maximizing each to boost customer satisfaction and loyalty.

What are customer engagement models?

A customer engagement model is a framework or strategy organizations use to interact with customers, build relationships, and encourage them to become loyal.

This kind of model helps your business create a positive customer experience at every stage of the customer journey, from the first point of contact to the final purchase.

According to a Salesforce survey, 80% of customers say a company’s experience is as important as its products or services. This highlights why customer engagement is important in building brand loyalty and driving above-average business results.

Stages in customer engagement and the customer journey

These are the main engagement stages related to the different steps of the customer journey:

Unaware
Problem aware
Solution aware
Product aware
Fully aware

Each customer engagement model is organized according to the stage of the customer in their journey. This will make it easier to adapt your marketing strategy and target your clients with the right materials.

Here is an overview of the most common types of customer engagement models, organized by where your clients are in the sales funnel.

Unaware-stage engagement models

At this stage, the customer is unaware of your brand or your products or services. The main ways to engage your potential customers now include outbound marketing, influencer marketing, and content marketing.

1. AIDA model (awareness, interest, desire, action)

Image source: slidemodel.com

The AIDA model was designed to guide marketers in creating effective advertising campaigns. While it may have been effective in the past, it is now considered outdated and oversimplified.

Modern customer engagement models focus on a more holistic and personalized approach that considers the customer’s journey and individual needs and preferences.

Benefits

The AIDA model focuses on customer psychology by acknowledging that customers go through a cognitive process before purchasing.

This helps marketers to understand the customer’s mindset and create messaging that resonates with them.

Drawbacks

It oversimplifies the customer journey by dividing it into only four stages. In reality, the journey is more complex and dynamic.

Since it was developed before the widespread adoption of technology, it doesn’t consider the impact of technology on the customer journey.

Aman Chopra, marketing manager at Stallion Express, describes how you can put the AIDA model to work:

“I frequently use the AIDA model as one practical approach. A straightforward yet impactful quotation about this approach is: awareness leads to interest, which leads to desire, and finally, action.

I use this paradigm in my profession to direct our marketing communications. For instance, when launching a new service, we first capture awareness through eye-catching ads and engaging social media content. Next, we generate interest by sharing compelling stories about how our service solves specific problems for our customers.

We use case studies and client testimonials that demonstrate actual outcomes from happy customers in order to arouse desire. Lastly, we encourage action through apparent calls to action (CTAs), including time-limited deals or simple enrollment procedures.

Here is a basic template I use, which is based on the AIDA model:

Awareness: Discover how affordable cross-border shipping can be.
Interest: Engaging content or story.
Desire: Customer testimonials or benefits.
Action: Clear CTA (e.g., “Sign up now for a free trial!”)

This structured strategy increases the likelihood that our marketing initiatives will effectively connect with our target audience and encourage conversions.”

2. RACE model (reach, act, convert, engage)

Image source: smartinsights.com

Smart Insights popularized this digital marketing model through the essential phases of reaching, acting, converting, and engaging customers.

Benefits

The RACE model provides a structured framework for you to plan and execute your digital marketing strategies.

It promotes a dynamic customer engagement process, ensuring ongoing communication and connection.

Drawbacks

The four stages outlined in the model cannot fully address more complex marketing needs.

Due to specific target audiences, it may not be suitable for luxury goods, business-to-business, or healthcare companies.

Aware-stage engagement models

During this stage, the customer is aware of your brand and your products or services but is not yet interested in purchasing. During this stage, you should use the following marketing strategies: retargeting, social media engagement, email campaigns, and SMS marketing.

3. AARRR customer engagement model

Image source: productplan.com

The AARRR engagement model is a framework businesses use to understand and optimize their customer engagement strategies.

It consists of five main stages — acquisition, activation, retention, referral, and revenue – representing the customer journey from initial contact to ongoing loyalty.

Benefits

A comprehensive approach to customer engagement that covers all the stages of the customer lifecycle, from acquisition to retention to referral.
Measurable customer engagement metrics make it easier to track progress and identify areas for improvement.
A strong emphasis on revenue generation is important for businesses looking to grow and succeed in the long term.
A focus on the needs and wants of the customer rather than the needs of the business — customer centricity.

Drawbacks

The model is often criticized for being too simplistic and not considering the complexities of customer engagement.

It may not be suitable for all types of businesses or industries, as it focuses primarily on online and e-commerce businesses.

It may also lack the flexibility to accommodate different customer engagement strategies, as it’s designed to follow a linear path from acquisition to revenue.

While the model does include a retention stage, it doesn’t place enough emphasis on this critical aspect of customer engagement.

4. USP model (unique selling proposition)

Image source: charmaintsf.medium.com

The USP customer engagement model is used by businesses to identify and promote their unique value — the feature or benefit that sets their product or service apart from competitors.

This model is focused on highlighting a product or service’s unique value proposition to attract and retain customers.

Benefits

By focusing on ONE USP, you can develop clear, consistent messaging that resonates with customers.
A strong USP can help you increase sales by communicating the value of their product or service in a way that addresses customer pain points.
The USP model requires you to identify and prioritize customer needs, which can help you develop products and services that better meet customer exectations.

Drawbacks

The USP model focuses primarily on a product or service’s features and benefits, which may not be enough to engage customers in today’s marketplace.

By focusing solely on a USP, you may overlook other important factors contributing to customer engagement, such as customer service or user experience.

In some industries, it may be difficult to identify a unique USP, making it challenging to develop a strong USP engagement strategy.

While the USP model can help you attract new customers, it may not place enough emphasis on customer retention, which is critical for long-term success.

Discovery and onboarding engagement models

During this stage, the customer actively seeks more information about your brand and your products or services. Engage them with live chats, onboarding emails, and detailed product demos.

5. High-touch model

Image source: customerimperative.com

A high-touch model is a business approach that emphasizes personalized and customized interactions between a company and its customers.

In this model, the company seeks to provide high service and attention to each customer to build long-term relationships and loyalty.

Benefits

By providing personalized attention, you can better meet individual customers’ needs and preferences, which can lead to higher levels of satisfaction.

Customers who feel valued and appreciated are more likely to continue doing business with you over time.

A company that provides high-quality, personalized service will likely have a strong brand reputation in its industry.

Satisfied customers are more likely to make repeat purchases and recommend your company to others, which can help drive revenue growth.

Drawbacks

Providing personalized attention to each customer can be more labor-intensive and, therefore, more expensive than other business models.

The high-touch model may be difficult to scale as your company grows, as it requires significant resources to maintain personalized attention across a large customer base.

If different customers receive different levels of attention or service, this can lead to inconsistencies and a lack of standardization in the customer experience.

To provide the level of service required in this model, you must employ highly skilled and knowledgeable staff members, which can be difficult and expensive.

6. Low-touch model

Image source: customerimperative.com

The low-touch model emphasizes minimal direct interactions between a company and its customers. In this model, companies aim to automate as much of the customer experience as possible, using technology and self-service options to reduce the need for human interactions.

These models are particularly well-suited for software-as-a-service (SaaS) companies because they allow businesses to scale their customer acquisition efforts without incurring significant overhead costs.

Rather than relying on a large team of salespeople to close deals, SaaS companies can use internal sales representatives or automated sales funnels to convert leads into paying customers. This approach complements the product-led growth optic many SaaS companies use to reduce their sales costs while still maintaining a high level of satisfaction.

Benefits

By automating many aspects of the customer experience, you can save on labor and other operational expenses.
The low-touch model can be more easily scaled as your company grows, as automated processes can handle more customer interactions.
Automated processes can provide a consistent customer experience, reducing the potential for errors arising from human interactions.
Processes that require zero human interaction can be faster and more efficient, thereby improving response times.

Drawbacks

By relying on automated processes, you may be unable to provide the personalized attention that some customers desire.

The low-touch model may not provide opportunities for meaningful customer interactions, which can limit the potential for building strong customer relationships.

Sam Speller, CEO & Founder of Kenko Tea, explains how he leverages the low-touch model:

“The low-touch model is one of the most critical aspects of our customer acquisition and engagement program.

The essence of this business model is to deliver exceptional customer service and information that enables consumers to decide for themselves. Our website has a strong focus on providing you with information, from detailed product descriptions to brewing guides and even matcha recipe ideas.

For instance, we published a comprehensive evergreen blog series about matcha grades, their distinctive taste, and preferred brewing techniques. These articles allow customers to educate themselves about matcha and pick the ideal matcha product for their needs without being pressed by a salesperson.

Having opted for the low-touch model, we’ve developed a dedicated following that values our education and openness. This method enables our customers to interact with our brand independently, which in turn results in increased trust and loyalty.”

7. Hybrid model

Image source: burkealder.com

The hybrid model combines elements of both the high-touch and low-touch models to create a customized customer experience. Companies seek to balance personalized attention and automation to meet each customer’s individual needs and preferences.

Benefits

The hybrid model allows you to adapt to each customer’s individual needs, providing personalized attention when needed and automation when appropriate.

By providing a customized customer experience, you can increase revenue and growth.

This model allows you to streamline your operations by automating certain processes.

It can be scaled as your company grows, as automation can handle more interactions.

Drawbacks

Hybrid models are more complex than single models. They require more effort to develop and implement, making them difficult to use in some applications.

Since hybrid models combine multiple models, they require more computational resources. This can make them slower and less efficient than single models.

They can also be difficult to interpret. It can be challenging to determine how each model contributes to the final result.

While a hybrid model can reduce overfitting, it can also increase the risk of overfitting if the models are not properly combined. If the models are too similar, the hybrid model can become too specific to the training data, resulting in overfitting.

Post-onboarding engagement models

The customer has already purchased your brand’s products or services and is using them. The most effective ways to maintain their interest include loyalty programs, customer feedback requests, and extensive personalization.

8. Automated retention

Automated retention customer engagement model

Image source: atrium.ai

The automated retention model helps businesses maintain customer relationships. It can drive repeat business through technology-driven processes that deliver timely, relevant messages.

Compared to traditional retention strategies, this model is ideal for companies aiming to nurture loyalty while cutting costs.

Benefits

It allows you to consistently engage with your customers through targeted messaging, reducing churn rates.
Automated systems can identify signs of customer dissatisfaction or inactivity and send retention-focused communications, such as special offers or surveys.
They ensure that follow-ups such as loyalty rewards, satisfaction surveys, or renewal reminders are timely and consistent.

Drawbacks

Over-reliance on automation can lead to impersonal communications that feel generic or irrelevant.

Automated systems can miss critical contexts or nuances in customer issues, leading to missed opportunities for problem resolution.

Implementing an automated retention model may require a significant investment in technology and other resources, which may not be feasible for all organizations.

9. CSM-driven model

Image source: calendly.com

This customer engagement model ensures that customers achieve their desired outcomes when using a product or service.

Customer success managers (CSMs) work closely with customers to understand their goals and needs and develop strategies to help them succeed.

Benefits

CSMs act as the main point of contact between customers and your company, ensuring a clear and effective contact channel.
CSMs anticipate and solve potential problems before they occur, leading to a more proactive approach to customer service.
By helping customers succeed, the CSM-driven model can increase revenue through customer loyalty, retention, and referrals.

Drawbacks

The CSM-driven model can be more expensive to implement than other models because it requires hiring and training customer success managers.

Identifying customer goals, developing strategies, and monitoring progress require significant time and resources.

It may not suit all businesses, especially those with low-touch or low-value customers.

Customer engagement model template

This template outlines a straightforward approach to understanding customer preferences and needs. Use its actionable insights to create personalized strategies and improve engagement.

What’s your ideal customer engagement model?

By implementing one or more of the nine customer engagement models outlined in this article, you can foster deeper connections with your customers, enhancing their satisfaction levels.

From personalization and community building to co-creation and advocacy, every company can find the right fit for its target audience and build a loyal customer base to drive long-term success.

Stay tuned to our blog for more insights on turning customers into advocates!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Customer engagement theory explores how emotional, behavioral, and cognitive interactions between a customer and a brand influence loyalty, satisfaction, and long-term value.

The four Ps of customer engagement stand for Product, Process, People, and Personalization. These elements shape how customers interact with and perceive a brand across different touchpoints.

The five dimensions of customer engagement are emotional, cognitive, behavioral, social, and physical engagement. Together, they describe how customers connect with a brand across various levels and contexts.

CRM focuses on managing customer data and relationships, while customer engagement emphasizes interaction quality and involvement. CRM is a tool; engagement is the outcome of meaningful experiences.

Customer engagement in CRM refers to using customer data to create personalized, timely interactions via email, SMS, or support to deepen relationships and boost satisfaction.

Businesses can engage customers through interactive content, personalized communication, and loyalty programs. Each method fosters connection and encourages ongoing involvement.

Iustina Gherca Iustina is a curious writer with an analytical mind and a demonstrated history in the advertising industry. She likes mixing words with data and is passionate about human behaviors. When she's not at her work desk, you`ll probably find her enjoying refreshing tea flavors, spilling stories on paper, or binge-watching true-crime documentaries.

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Marketing•July 31, 2020

9 Results-driven customer engagement models

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