It’s the year 2018. It’s a secret to no one that we live in an era where social media and the devices that connect us to them are all the rage. People have become very tech-savvy and internet-reliant. Information can easily be Googled within seconds using smartphones. And who doesn’t have a smartphone these days? The temptation for business owners, therefore, is to invest in social media marketing.
And while it’s not at all unreasonable to consider strengthening the online presence of your brand, there is a business rule of thumb that should never be forgotten. Nothing beats the traditional phone call. There is no substitute for connecting one live human to another. During real live conversations, consumers are able to ask questions, have them answered and develop genuine connections with their callers.
“Conversations help us decide who to do business with.”
“Speaking to actual people helps to reassure us in business situations that the company is real,” affirms Zal Dastur on Lucep.com, “Conversations help us decide who to do business with. Conversations are so important that according to this study by Hubspot 35-50% of sales go to the company that calls back the customer first. Conversations are a tipping point for businesses, and help customers make the decision of who to go with.”
People still want to talk. Emails, text messages and tweets are great ways to deliver information. But they aren’t necessarily the best conversation starters. Quite obviously, conversations are two-way streets. They require participation from both parties. Those other forms of communication may be effective in delivering messages. But they fail to guarantee responses. Customers, it should be noted, much prefer calling the businesses they wish to work with over any other form of communication.
“Annual calls to businesses from smartphones will reach 162 billion by 2019.”
Mike Boland of BIA/Kelsey reports that their latest study in call monetization found that annual calls that customers make to businesses from smartphones will reach 162 billion by 2019. “This is more than double the roughly 77 billion calls generated last year from mobile devices,” he writes, “This is made up of search (paid and organic), traditional display ads, native social (in-feed) ads, and mobile landing pages. Our measurements include the iterations of these formats as they appear in both mobile web and in apps.”
It’s all about building personal connections. Doing so isn’t quite possible when you rely solely on Facebook posts, tweets or requests for customers to visit the “Contact Us” page of your company website. Phone calls help for your company to make legitimate connections with the individuals who are most likely to support your business. As Scott Resnick of Today’s Telecommunications Industries makes clear, text-based communications often come off as impersonal.
Calling your customers shows you’re willing to go the extra mile.
“Plus, there’s lots of room for misunderstanding,” Resnick explains, “For instance, tone can easily be lost. If a customer is confused or upset, a calm, empathetic voice on the phone is often enough to soothe their worries. Even when a client contacts you over email, don’t hesitate to call them. It shows that your company is willing to go that extra mile to serve them better.”
At TK Enterprises Inc., we’ve mastered the art of making personal connections between jewelry stores and their customers. Get us working for you using a tried-and-true marketing strategy! For more information about our one-of-a-kind Event Marketing services, please don’t hesitate to call us toll-free at 1-877-622-0195.