The Three Things Every BSP Should Know About Subscriber Engagement

The only constant is change. For marketers, the internet changed the way we reach current and potential customers. Digital marketing has made our jobs both easier and more complex—easier because data gives us a better idea of who our subscribers really are; more complex because everyone is inundated with marketing wherever they turn.  

Many broadband service providers (BSPs) have a leg up in the attention economy—you know many of your subscribers both online and offline. Your brand has a positive reputation in the community. You don’t need to sell yourself. But you still need to stay top of mind in your community as competition heats up. Instead of marketing to subscribers, most BSPs want to engage them. Engagement allows you to build meaningful relationships, which can both build your business and give your subscribers the exact services they want.

Here are three things every BSP should know about subscriber engagement. 

What Is Engagement?  

Engagement isn’t about pushing a product or making a sale. It’s about getting in touch with your subscribers on a deeper level than the typical business-to-consumer relationship. To do that means going beyond advertising to a relationship model of marketing. You want to keep your subscribers engaged with relevant content that makes their connected lives easier.

We all go grocery shopping. Many of us likely shop at the same place. But my grocery list probably looks different from yours. We likely buy similar products, but the differences are what define our food habits. I could have dietary restrictions you do not, allergies you may not need to worry about, or lifestyle considerations that differentiate the way we cook.  

The same is true for how your subscribers use the internet. Everyone logs on, but gamers have needs that are different than work-from-homers or folks who own a vacation home. To engage each subscriber, marketers must consider the individual needs of a subscriber by understanding what makes them unique.  

How Data Can Help You Engage  

Today’s marketers are awash in data. Successful engagement starts with understanding what metrics are important and activating that data to personalize every touchpoint. Calix Engagement Cloud enables BSPs to leverage demographic and psychographic data that makes it easier for them to reach every subscriber with the right message at the right time.

By segmenting your subscribers who share similar demographic and psychographic profiles, you can create multiple smaller-budget marketing campaigns—going from one-size-fits-all communications to a messaging strategy that reaches every unique subscriber.  

How Engagement Benefits BSPs and Subscribers

People want recognition. They want to feel important, to feel seen and heard. Data-driven engagement is the key to showing subscribers you care about their exact desires. A message to a subscriber who works from home—offering them broadband services that prioritize their productivity—does just that. You are signaling that you understand and know how to prioritize their needs. Even simple engagement-based marketing (like showing images of a gaming console to gamers) helps speak to their unique internet usage.  

These relationships offer significant value, allowing you to build average revenue per user (ARPU) and customer lifetime value (CLV). Build trust and your subscribers will buy in to your product as much as your brand.

Conclusion

Engagement goes beyond marketing and advertising. Through the right data and campaign strategy, you can engage your subscribers with content that helps them get the most out of their connected lives while building trust in your brand.

For more on the impact engagement has on BSP marketers, download Calix’s white paper “Building Engagement: How You Can Win Your Subscribers Over Every Day” today.