Time To Activate: Definition and Principles
Ever wondered what makes some businesses stand out, not just for one sale but for a stream of happy customers? Well, that is the magic of customer activation. It's more than just getting people to buy; it's about making them fans.
The reality is that a whopping 96.1% of unhappy users quietly walk away from your product without reaching out to customer support. This is why it has become a crucial time to activate your customer strategy. (Source: Callidus Customer Conference)
To develop a perfect customer strategy, you should first know what exactly time to activate means. Why is it so important? Is it a genuine catalyst for business growth, or is it just hype? In this article, MeltingSpot answers all such questions, ensuring you're well-prepared and in time to activate your customers effectively.
- What Is Customer Activation?
- Principles of Time-to-Activate Stage
- Knowing Your Audience
- Smooth Onboarding
- Educate and Engage
- Clear Communication
- Reward Loyalty
- Community Building
- Use Innovation
- How Will MeltingSpot Help You In Your Time To Activate Plan?
What Is Customer Activation?
When you buy something that is beyond amazing, you would definitely want to come back for more. That feeling, that desire to stick around and tell your friends about it – that's customer activation in action.
So, what exactly is customer activation?
Customer activation is the process of not only acquiring new customers but also ensuring their ongoing engagement and satisfaction. It's about turning a one-time transaction into a long-lasting, mutually beneficial relationship. Imagine it as the spark that ignites a continuous cycle of positive interactions between a customer and a business.
When customers are activated, it means they're not just okay with what you're selling; they're excited about it. They'll stick around, try more things you offer, and tell their friends about the cool stuff they found. That's the power of customer activation!
You see, when a customer buys or subscribes to your product or service, you will definitely feel happy, especially if you are a newly formed business. However, in the long term, you will start feeling devastated if a customer simply subscribes without using or gaining any benefit from your service. This is where the time to activate different customer strategies comes in.
Think of the term Time to Activate (or time-to-activate) as the window between a customer subscribing or purchasing and them actively and regularly using the product or service. It's the most important phase of your business that must go beyond the celebration of acquisition and focus on ensuring that customers genuinely benefit from what they've signed up for.
But how can businesses reach this time to activate stage with their customers? Well, there are many principles of customer activation that can help you reach the best time to activate.
Have a look at what MeltingSpot believes to be the best customer activation principles that will surely change your whole customer strategy:
Principles of Time-to-Activate Stage
Customer activation principles are your roadmap to not only getting customers but keeping them happy and engaged for the long haul. You should know what these principles of time to activate are, why they matter a lot, and how they can help your business.
Knowing Your Audience
Understanding your audience is the base of your business's success. When you truly understand your audience, you can customize your offerings to match their expectations. This is actually an intentional effort to meet your customers where they are and provide solutions that resonate with them.
Smooth Onboarding
Welcoming your customers should be as effortless as a warm greeting. A smooth onboarding experience will set the stage for a positive journey, ensuring that from the very beginning, they feel at home with your product or service.
You should be aware of the fact that if the initial steps to using a service are complicated, there's a 74% chance that potential customers will choose a different solution. (Source) So, make sure to have a clear onboarding process as it will increase your customer activation chances.
Educate and Engage
Business interactions are opportunities for customer education and engagement. Keeping customers informed about the full scope of your products or services creates an enlightened customer base.
An engaged customer will not just be a consumer; they will become an active participant in your brand story, compelling their social circle to benefit from your services as well.
Clear Communication
One of the most important things that every business should focus on is communication. You should be transparent about your offerings, how they benefit customers, and what sets you apart. This will definitely establish a lasting connection and make your customers loyal and active.
Reward Loyalty
Acknowledging and appreciating loyalty is a key feature of customer activation. Implementing loyalty programs, exclusive discounts, or early access to features will feel more than a gesture to your customers; for them it will be the recognition of the ongoing relationship with your customers.
It is said that 37% of customers are willing to pay for an upgraded tier in a loyalty program. This proves that loyalty rewards inspire customers to stay engaged and committed to your services. (Source: The opportunity within disruption by Bond)
Community Building
Investing in community building is a strategic move for your business, playing an important role in customer activation. By creating a community around your brand, you're cultivating a sense of belonging among customers. This connection goes beyond mere transactions, turning customers into enthusiastic advocates.
Your customers will actively engage in conversations, share experiences, and become ambassadors for your brand within their circles. This engaged community thus becomes a powerful platform for mutual support and interaction, elevating customer satisfaction and fostering loyalty.
As your business nurtures this engaged customer base, it will not only strengthen its identity but also trigger positive word-of-mouth, contributing significantly to successful time to activate plans.
Use Innovation
Using new and creative ideas in your business, known as innovation, is like a booster for getting customers excited. It helps you stay ahead, adapt to what customers want, and stand out from the competition.
Whether it's adding cool features or finding better ways to do things, innovation shows that your business is always improving. This not only attracts new customers but also keeps the ones you already have happy. So, make innovation a major player in your customer activation!
How Will MeltingSpot Help You In Your Time To Activate Plan?
MeltingSpot empowers businesses to boost customer activation through a range of valuable features and engagement strategies.
By using this platform, your team can reduce the effort required for customer onboarding and education while providing more value to your customers. You can deliver the right content to your customers at the right time to enhance their learning experiences.
What's even more exciting is that you can host live product sessions and give expert masterclasses, all without the need for additional tools. So, it won't be wrong to say that MeltingSpot provides a comprehensive toolkit to activate customers effectively and helps businesses build a loyal community.
Are you ready to enhance your customer activation strategy? Join the MeltingSpot family today and supercharge your customer community engagement.