What is Customer Activation?

Customer activation is the process of motivating prospects or customers to take the next step in the customer journey or customer lifecycle. This is sometimes called user activation.

Whether engaging with new customers or helping re-engage inactive customers, customer activation is a critical initiative designed to help people get the most out of your business.

Typically, this involves thinking about the customer lifecycle, cultivating relationships, and tailoring marketing efforts to each unique stage of the journey, whether it's targeted ads, engaging stories, or... special offers.

Left to their own devices, customers can navigate the customer journey on their own, or they can reach a certain stage and give up. It can mean that a new prospect is reluctant to convert due to cost, or it can mean that an existing customer becomes inactive because they no longer see the value in your product or service.

When this happens, client activation is essential. These can be campaigns designed to stimulate specific actions. For example, product promotions or free trial periods can motivate prospects to try your offer, while informative content, customer support, or renewal discounts can keep past customers coming back.

> What is customer activation in marketing?

There are a range of tactics that can help brands drive customers or prospects to conversion, and they can be deployed at any phase of the customer journey, from first website visit to end point of sale. But when these tactics are integrated into external campaigns aimed at the public, it is called customer activation in marketing.

"Whatever the purpose, activation should be tailored to a particular audience"

Do you want to motivate price-conscious customers to upgrade their subscription? A customer activation in marketing may involve a discount for current subscribers. Would you like more customers to leave online reviews of your product or service offering? You can design an email marketing campaign aimed at recent buyers.

Whatever the goal, activation should be tailored to a particular audience and delivered strategically through the right channels and touchpoints at the right time. This requires intimate knowledge of prospects and customers, including their preferences and needs.

What is a Customer Activation Campaign?

Some marketing campaigns are focused on brand recognition and reputation, while others are focused on increasing revenue. Those that are specifically designed to inspire prospects and customers to take an important, predetermined step in the customer journey are categorized as customer activation campaigns.

Directly or indirectly, customers may be enticed to make a purchase, subscribe to a service, sign up for future marketing communications, join a loyalty program, or start a free trial period . Whatever the objective, for a marketing initiative to be a customer activation campaign, it must be designed around a clear and strategic call to action.