Increasing Customer Engagement Rates

Every company says they listen to customers. But most just hear them. There's a difference. After spending years building feedback loops, here's what I've learned: Feedback isn't about collecting data. It's about creating change. Most companies fail at feedback because: - They send random surveys - They collect scattered feedback - They store insights in silos - They never close the loop The result? Frustrated customers. Missed opportunities. Lost revenue. Here's how to build real feedback loops: 1. Gather feedback intelligently - NPS isn't enough - CSAT tells half the story - One channel never works Instead: - Run targeted post-interaction surveys - Conduct deep-dive customer interviews - Analyze product usage patterns - Monitor support conversations - Build customer advisory boards - Track social mentions 2. Create a single source of truth - Consolidate feedback from everywhere - Tag and categorize insights - Track trends over time - Make it accessible to everyone 3. Turn feedback into action - Prioritize based on impact - Align with business goals - Create clear ownership - Set implementation timelines But here's the most important part: Close the loop. When customers give feedback: - Acknowledge it immediately - Update them on progress - Show them implemented changes - Demonstrate their impact The biggest mistakes I see: Feedback Overload: - Collecting too much data - No clear action plan - Analysis paralysis Biased Collection: - Listening to the loudest voices - Ignoring silent majority - Over-indexing on complaints Slow Response: - Taking months to act - No progress updates - Lost customer trust Remember: Good feedback loops aren't about tools. They're about trust. Every piece of feedback is a customer saying: "I care enough to help you improve." Don't waste that trust. The best companies don't just collect feedback. They turn it into visible change. They show customers their voice matters. They build trust through action. Start small: 1. Pick one feedback channel 2. Create a clear process 3. Act quickly on insights 4. Show results 5. Scale what works Your customers are talking. Are you really listening? More importantly, are you acting? What's your approach to customer feedback? How do you close the loop? ------------------ ▶️ Want to see more content like this and also connect with other CS & SaaS enthusiasts? You should join Tidbits. We do short round-ups a few times a week to help you learn what it takes to be a top-notch customer success professional. Join 1999+ community members! 💥 [link in the comments section]

Customer experience collapses when teams avoid accountability. Real customer centricity needs structured systems that consistently capture feedback, act on it, and evolve with customers. Top performers build frameworks to: 1) Collect feedback systematically. 2) Analyse patterns across touch points. 3) Prioritise improvements and hold teams accountable. 4) Adapt in real time as customer demands evolve. This disciplined approach delivers strong business outcomes. Companies that invest in customer-experience systems see up to 1.5× higher retention and repeat-purchase rates than those that don’t. Also better customer experience correlates with 8% higher revenue than the industry average. Beyond financials, teams become more aligned, responsive and motivated. Customer success becomes a company wide mission. Set up a feedback to action loop. Use standardised surveys, CRM linked feedback tracking and regular review cycles. Assign owners. Turn insights into process improvements and track impact. Customer centric growth isn’t accidental. It’s engineered with data, empathy, discipline, and accountability. Launch your first feedback to action cycle this month. Even one improvement can trigger loyalty, referrals and growth. Start building what matters! #startups #customer #growth

One of the best ways to create authentic relationships with your customers, get honest feedback on your product and surface game changing ideas is to create a Customer Advisory Board (CAB). Here are the lessons I’ve learned about how to create and run a successful CAB. Your personal involvement as CEO is critical. If you lead it yourself, customers will engage at a deeper level. They’ll be more honest, more vulnerable, and more likely to become evangelists for your company. No one else can unlock this dynamic the way a CEO can. Be clear on the persona. Is your CAB for buyers, users, or budget holders? At BetterCloud, our sweet spot was Directors of IT. Not the CIO, not the IT admin. Know exactly whose voice you want in the room and tailor everything to them. Skip the compensation, give them “status”. Don’t pay CAB members—it gets messy. Instead, make them feel like insiders. Give them a title, early access to roadmaps, VIP treatment at events, and public recognition. People want to feel valued and influential, not bought. Set a cadence you can maintain. I tried monthly meetings once. That was a mistake. Quarterly is the sweet spot. One in-person gathering per year—ideally tied to an industry event—goes a long way in deepening relationships. Structure matters. CABs aren’t just roundtables. They’re curated experiences. Keep meetings tight (90-120 minutes), show real products that are still in the development process (even rough wireframes or high level ideas), and create space for interaction. Done right, they become the ultimate feedback engine. Build real relationships. Your CAB shouldn’t just exist in meetings. Build one-on-one connections. Text, email, check in at events. Keep it small enough that people feel seen and valued. When they have a direct line to the CEO, they stay engaged—and they speak the truth. Done right, your CAB becomes more than just a feedback mechanism. It becomes a strategic asset. It can shape your roadmap, sharpen your positioning, and strengthen your customer relationships in ways no survey ever could. For a deeper dive and detailed tactics behind each of these, check out the full writeup on the Not Another CEO Substack.

Surveys can serve an important purpose. We should use them to fill holes in our understanding of the customer experience or build better models with the customer data we have. As surveys tell you what customers explicitly choose to share, you should not be using them to measure the experience. Surveys are also inherently reactive, surface level, and increasingly ignored by customers who are overwhelmed by feedback requests. This is fact. There’s a different way. Some CX leaders understand that the most critical insights come from sources customers don’t even realize they’re providing from the “exhaust” of every day life with your brand. Real-time digital behavior, social listening, conversational analytics, and predictive modeling deliver insights that surveys alone never will. Voice and sentiment analytics, for example, go beyond simply reading customer comments. They reveal how customers genuinely feel by analyzing tone, frustration, or intent embedded within interactions. Behavioral analytics, meanwhile, uncover friction points by tracking real customer actions across websites or apps, highlighting issues users might never explicitly complain about. Predictive analytics are also becoming essential for modern CX strategies. They anticipate customer needs, allowing businesses to proactively address potential churn, rather than merely reacting after the fact. The capability can also help you maximize revenue in the experiences you are delivering (a use case not discussed often enough). The most forward-looking CX teams today are blending traditional feedback with these deeper, proactive techniques, creating a comprehensive view of their customers. If you’re just beginning to move beyond a survey-only approach, prioritizing these more advanced methods will help ensure your insights are not only deeper but actionable in real time. Surveys aren’t dead (much to my chagrin), but relying solely on them means leaving crucial insights behind. While many enterprises have moved beyond surveys, the majority are still overly reliant on them. And when you get to mid-market or small businesses? The survey slapping gets exponentially worse. Now is the time to start looking beyond the questionnaire and your Likert scales. The email survey is slowly becoming digital dust. And the capabilities to get you there are readily available. How are you evolving your customer listening strategy beyond traditional surveys? #customerexperience #cxstrategy #customerinsights #surveys

That’s the thing about feedback—you can’t just ask for it once and call it a day. I learned this the hard way. Early on, I’d send out surveys after product launches, thinking I was doing enough. But here’s what happened: responses trickled in, and the insights felt either outdated or too general by the time we acted on them. It hit me: feedback isn’t a one-time event—it’s an ongoing process, and that’s where feedback loops come into play. A feedback loop is a system where you consistently collect, analyze, and act on customer insights. It’s not just about gathering input but creating an ongoing dialogue that shapes your product, service, or messaging architecture in real-time. When done right, feedback loops build emotional resonance with your audience. They show customers you’re not just listening—you’re evolving based on what they need. How can you build effective feedback loops? → Embed feedback opportunities into the customer journey: Don’t wait until the end of a cycle to ask for input. Include feedback points within key moments—like after onboarding, post-purchase, or following customer support interactions. These micro-moments keep the loop alive and relevant. → Leverage multiple channels for input: People share feedback differently. Use a mix of surveys, live chat, community polls, and social media listening to capture diverse perspectives. This enriches your feedback loop with varied insights. → Automate small, actionable nudges: Implement automated follow-ups asking users to rate their experience or suggest improvements. This not only gathers real-time data but also fosters a culture of continuous improvement. But here’s the challenge—feedback loops can easily become overwhelming. When you’re swimming in data, it’s tough to decide what to act on, and there’s always the risk of analysis paralysis. Here’s how you manage it: → Define the building blocks of useful feedback: Prioritize feedback that aligns with your brand’s goals or messaging architecture. Not every suggestion needs action—focus on trends that impact customer experience or growth. → Close the loop publicly: When customers see their input being acted upon, they feel heard. Announce product improvements or service changes driven by customer feedback. It builds trust and strengthens emotional resonance. → Involve your team in the loop: Feedback isn’t just for customer support or marketing—it’s a company-wide asset. Use feedback loops to align cross-functional teams, ensuring insights flow seamlessly between product, marketing, and operations. When feedback becomes a living system, it shifts from being a reactive task to a proactive strategy. It’s not just about gathering opinions—it’s about creating a continuous conversation that shapes your brand in real-time. And as we’ve learned, that’s where real value lies—building something dynamic, adaptive, and truly connected to your audience. #storytelling #marketing #customermarketing

Is our audience wrong or is our content wrong? 🤔 I've seen founders post daily, try new angles, get decent engagement... but the RIGHT people never show up in their DMs or sales pipeline. Views don't pay bills. The wrong audience does nothing for your business. Here's what most brands miss: 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱, 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼. At Click Fox Media, we start with audience persona mapping — 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙪𝙢𝙥𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙤𝙧 𝙗𝙖𝙨𝙞𝙘 𝙙𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙨, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙖-𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙚𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙡 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙪𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙮. Research shows that 90% of companies using detailed buyer personas develop a better understanding of their consumers and see higher engagement and conversions. (Delve AI) Three ways to fix this today: 𝗗𝗶𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗿 → Go beyond age and location. Understand their fears, triggers, and what keeps them up at night. 𝗦𝗲𝗴𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗯𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 → Look at who actually engages, saves, and buys. Not who you think should care. 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 → Stop trying to speak to everyone. Clarity beats volume every time. When your content speaks to the right person at the right time, everything changes 💥 What's stopping your content from reaching the people who'd actually buy?

Content marketing tip for language companies and advanced freelancers: Your e-mail list is the foundation of your content strategy! "E-mail list??? Isn't that kind of 1999?" No, and here's why: -Most of all, because it's yours. Over the years, I've been tempted to go all in on (insert social media platform of the moment): Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Snapstachat, whatever. I'm *really* glad that I stuck with my e-mail newsletter, because it's 5,000 people who signed up to hear from me without depending on social media. -The ways of the algorithm are not to be understood by mortals. I find a lot of value in social media. I post a lot on LinkedIn. But I write posts that get seven reactions and posts that get 150+ reactions, I have no idea why, and LinkedIn's not telling. Everyone has their own theory. Put your links in the comments! Comment on someone else's post before you post! No, comment on three people's posts before you post! Or just forget about gaming the algorithm and have a good e-mail list. -An e-mail list gives you real-time data on what your audience wants to read. When I write a LinkedIn post and it's a complete dud or a raging success, I have no idea why. Was it particularly boring/interesting, or did the algo decide to show it to only 12 of my 11,000+ LinkedIn contacts? No clue. But I somewhat obsessively track my Mailchimp stats: open rate, click rate, unsubscribe rate, best/worst time to send, they're all right there! -You're not risking a total collapse of your audience and you can even move them to another platform. "Violation of terms of service" (amorphously defined) can get you kicked off LinkedIn/Facebook/Instagram in an instant. With that goes your audience. Who were they? You don't even know. Safeguard them by getting them on your e-mail list!

Building an engaged audience in 2025 demands a fresh approach, as the email marketing landscape has evolved dramatically. Outdated strategies like bulk sending to inactive subscribers or relying on occasional reactivation campaigns no longer work. Email providers like Gmail and Yahoo increasingly focus on user experience, filtering out emails sent to unengaged or inactive addresses. To thrive in this new environment, marketers must prioritize high-quality, engaging content that captivates subscribers within a tight engagement window. The days of generic, low-value emails are behind us. Instead, focus on delivering content your audience finds relevant and compelling. One powerful tactic is incorporating video content into your strategy. By creating informative and entertaining videos related to your products—and hosting them on your website—you deliver real value to subscribers while driving traffic back to your site. This not only engages your audience but also activates abandonment flows, which remain a highly effective way to convert potential customers. Segmentation is as critical as ever but with an emphasis on recent engagement rather than just purchase history. Implement continuation flows tailored to various levels of engagement, ensuring your messaging stays relevant and personalized. This approach keeps your subscribers active and connected to your brand. The ultimate goal should be maintaining an engaged, high-quality subscriber list—not just growing a large one. By focusing on meaningful content, strategic segmentation, and leveraging your broader digital ecosystem, you can build a loyal audience that drives revenue during key periods like Q4. Marketers who embrace this shift and refine their strategies will reap significant rewards, especially during peak promotional periods. However, those who fail to evolve risk seeing their messages pushed aside into spam folders, missing out on critical opportunities. What’s your go-to strategy for keeping your email list engaged? Are you leaning into video, segmentation, or something else entirely? Let’s hear your best tactics! 👇📩

Email marketing is dead, right? Wrong. Let’s dive into why it works, especially in EdTech. First, it's the only thing you truly own. Even on LinkedIn, it's all about doing everything the algorithm wants so a small percentage of your audience sees your post. And surfacing your posts into your network's feed is getting harder and harder. Second, as long as you follow best practices, test and learn from your audience, you will improve open and click-through-rates Third, You can do things you can't do as well on social media. → It’s targeted. ↳ You can reach exactly who you want. → It’s personal. ↳ Nothing feels more direct than an email, and if you do it right, you'll integrate personalization using features from your email service provider. Pro tip: Include your target audience's personal challenges and goals. → It’s cost-effective. ↳ You can get a lot of bang for your buck if you streamline processes. Just don't cut corners -- triple-check your grammar and test on multiple devices (and think mobile-first!). But let’s get into why it’s especially important for reaching K-12 education administrators. Although they are incredibly busy, they still live in their inboxes. They may not have time during the day to check emails, but they do check them daily—even if it means checking in the evening. → It converts. ↳ Email is generally not the first touch with your audience. Typically, your audience has met you at a conference, downloaded a resource, or signed up voluntarily for your newsletter. Note: The exception to this is email list buys (which can also be effective). With that said, email is designed to convert (to download, reply, sign up, etc.), and since they're generally a "warm" contact, they have a higher chance of doing what your email is designed for them to do! Fourth, it can build community. Emails can create a sense of belonging by sharing stories, highlighting achievements, and fostering a community atmosphere. Fifth, you can track what works and what doesn’t. Open rates, click-through rates, and engagement metrics give you clear insights. Sixth, it can help build trust. When done right, they build trust and authority and can foster a direct line of communication. Remember, make all of your emails count. Do this by providing value. Offer something valuable—be it resources, insights, or tips. So....the next time someone tells you email marketing is dead, tell them they're just not doing it right. :) And remember, in the EdTech world, it's not just about sending emails. It’s about building relationships and providing as much value as possible. How are you using email marketing in your strategy? Share your tips and experiences below!

Your nonprofit's biggest asset isn't your endowment. It's your email list. Most organizations treat their email list like a newsletter distribution channel Smart organizations treat it like their most valuable asset. Your email list isn't just names and addresses. It's direct access to people who care about your mission. The organizations that grow aren't just building bigger lists. They're building better relationships with the lists they have. They segment their communications based on donor interests. They personalize content based on giving history. They track engagement, not just open rates. They treat every email as relationship building, not just information sharing. Pull up your last all-list email. If it's a one-size-fits-all message that could have been sent to anyone, you're wasting your most valuable asset. Your email list is worth $10-15 per subscriber annually if you use it well. Most organizations get less than $1 per subscriber because they use it poorly. Start treating your email list like the multi-million dollar asset it is. Because in a world of increasing acquisition costs, direct access to people who already care about your mission is priceless.