Last updated on May 11th, 2021 at 07:01 am
Not so long ago, customer communications were limited to a finite number of channels. Fortunately, the rapid growth of hyper-connected devices and platforms has completely revolutionised the face of marketing. Today different means of communication are integrated into the nature of the customer-business relationship
In order to meet the demands of the modern market, businesses need to enable an uninterrupted information flow across the plethora of channels that connect them to their customers. However, statistics show that in practice the majority of companies are failing to do so. According to the Cross-Channel Marketing Report, only 5% of respondents stated that they were fully set up to offer cross-channel marketing activities.
Being present on different channels is not enough – bring them together with a solid strategy.
The communication dynamic between brand and consumer has notably changed with the growth of mobile and cloud technologies. In order to address demands for faster and, real-time information companies need to utilise the multitude of communication channels available. However, simply being present where your target audience is doesn’t necessarily make your communication more effective.
There is a key difference between being “present” on these different communication channels and being “engaging” on them. Anybody can keep a social media account alive, it’s a separate challenge to utilise it to communicate with your audience/customer base effectively. This needs to be done with a fine balance of brand message, engaging updates, and useful information.
Find the right tools for implementing your cross-channel communication.
You need to utilise the best tools and technologies to ensure you can engage with your customers effectively, without it interrupting your working day. Tools such as hosted VoIP and Hootsuite are both excellent new ways of bringing your communication channels together.
Hootsuite is a site that incorporates every social media platform (Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Google+, Instagram, etc) into one place making social media posts and engagements more manageable than ever.
Hosted VoIP combines the internet with traditional phone systems with telephone calls becoming accessible across a range of devices such as mobile phones, desk phones, and IP phones, voicemails are sent to your email inbox in the form of sound bites and maintenance costs are reduced by up to 90%. These are just some of the many benefits of switching to a hosted VoIP system.
Optimise your telecoms for all customers.
The evolution of the internet, mobile applications, and cloud storage has made it easier for companies to expand internationally. However, one of the most common problems they come across is delivering the same quality of information to all customers across the globe. In order to achieve unanimous quality your telecoms solutions need to include:
● Automatic call distributors
● CRM application
● Call recording systems
● Campaign management systems
● Speech recognition systems
Boost the quality of video conferencing
The quality of conferencing solutions is an important and sometimes forgotten aspect of telecommunications. Choose the best conferencing solutions which deliver a high definition experience, enable interoperability, support mobility, and integrate real-time video or audio communication features.
Using personalised SMS in your cross channel communications
SMS has been empowering business communication for many years but is now being overlooked for more engaging online opportunities such as social media. However, marketers and businesses are now making a move back to SMS in an attempt to create more personal relationships with their customers.
With so many mobile applications these days, receiving a text has almost become a novelty which could explain why 90% of people read their SMS in the first 3 minutes of receiving them. Therefore tapping into this unused space could make for an extremely successful communication campaign.
An active presence on digital channels can improve customer loyalty and retention.
Social networks are now a major communication tool for both B2C and B2B businesses. Their major advantage is a boost of visibility and online presence whilst maintaining a human and relatable connection with customers.
Your company website is a critical touchpoint for both new and existing customers which is why it needs to deliver an excellent user experience. The primary function of the company website is to deliver a message to encourage further interaction and ultimately sales. This is also a great place to present your other communication channels with social media buttons, click-to-call functionality, and interactive contact forms.
Combined with an SEO strategy, such an approach can help to attract thousands of potential new visitors to the site. This is why it is important to consider working with SEO, web design, and content marketing experts to come up with the best possible visibility strategy.
New research by a New York based SEO company suggests that: “to ensure engagement across all the desired channels, marketers need to understand their specificities, as well as the types of engagement they could expect.” This means that each company should assess its opportunities and specific needs when it comes to attracting and retaining new consumers.
Today, modern companies are required to work with highly digital and extremely connected consumers and because of this, they need to pinpoint the customer communication channels that could bring the most profit. By incorporating and synchronising the right platforms, strategies, and technologies, businesses will be able to optimise cross-channel communications to bring maximum results.