Marketers that understand and can influence customer engagement are more likely to develop loyal customers and stronger brands compared to their competitors (Smith and Zook, 2011). Brands can use frameworks such as the ladder of engagement to show how customers can drive the business through structured customer engagement (Chaffey and Smith, 2013). According to Milroy (2016) the ladder of engagement framework is designed to deepen engagement by taking increasingly important actions to lead to an ultimate goal. By moving customers up the ladder of engagement it increases brand loyalty and helps to improve brands services, processes, and products (Chaffey and Smith, 2013). As seen below in figure 1, the lower part of the ladder includes product ratings, reviews, and discussions to encourage customers to engage. The upper half of the ladder refers to user-generated content (UGC), this content encourages consumers to become co-creators of the brands content and they can share their ideas for the brands products or services (Smith and Zook, 2011). The highest level of the ladder completes itself, however, to move customers and stakeholders up the ladder of engagement it does require a high set of marketing skills and careful planning it is a long term strategy which aims to create brand loyalty and maintain customers (Chaffey and Smith, 2013). 

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