Social media was the first step towards a new level of customer engagement. Suddenly, companies could read a customer’s complaint instantly or see it broadcasted to everyone in their network via social media. Companies could then respond and provide solutions to a problem and influence the referrals of their customers beyond the transaction.
This social media phenomenon evolved into listening. Listening to customers wasn’t just about their complaints but their interests, behavior and desires for products and the like. Suddenly companies could stop guessing and start learning what it is that would make product “A” better or why a competitor was being chosen instead. Social customer engagement was born and evolved quickly.

Today, there is a new way to engage that takes it to the next level. How about instead of listening and monitoring, your company provides a place where significant interactions are made? Sure, people can chat on Facebook pages or on Twitter, but what if there was a forum where customers could ask questions and learn skills, trade products, rent equipment or services that the company offers?
If North Face customers are known as runners and skiers who enjoy the outdoors, what if there was a North Face sponsored website where users can join and find running coaches, ski instructors or adventure tour guides? To be listed, North Face could host workshops similar to what REI has done with adventure skills.
What if Conair created a branded marketplace for hairstylists where users can find a stylist in their area and any certified stylist can be listed? Conair stylists could become a well known peer-to-peer marketplace where Conair can learn about how their products are used, how they can be improved and what new products can be created. The market research opportunities are endless.
The idea here is that the next phase of customer engagement is to empower your customers. It’s to give them the microphone and ask them to work together and as a result, your brand will flourish. Referrals continue to be the number one sales tool and the expectation of the modern day customer is to be a part of the brand and not just a consumer.
We are seeing how companies are making shopping experiential because we know that’s what the customer wants. We also know that a customer wants to be a part of something and they favor like-minded individuals.
For example, major league season ticket holders are passionate people. What if there was a marketplace for sports season ticket holders where any major sport could trade with other ticket holders? A place where like-minded, passionate people could get together and trust each other during an exchange of a valuable product, their season tickets. Can’t make it to this week’s 49er game? Trade it for tickets to an east coast baseball game since you’ll be traveling out there anyway. To keep in mind community, each major league franchise could create their own branded marketplace and help fans stick together when exchanging tickets. A StubHub specifically for the San Francisco Giants, anyone?
The best part about giving your customers a peer-to-peer platform to engage in is that your brand gets to be a part of it without being overbearing. You can gather data from your loyal customers to learn what they want and provide better services and products, find brand advocates, test new products, conduct surveys, mobilize offline events, spread news, crowdsource ideas, give discounts and conduct campaigns specifically for them.
Some companies might be thinking that swapping or renting isn’t for them and that’s fine. But besides swapping and renting there is buying, selling, reselling and services that can be set up in a marketplace format to build community between your customers.
So, how can your brand use peer-to-peer opportunities to meet your customers where they are in order to engage with them on a new level?
Join us on July 9th for a free webinar at 1pm PST where we’ll show you how to join the peer-to-peer movement with specific ideas on how you can participate.