Did you spend a lot of time online during the spring of 2020? Which business or brands helped you in some way – personally, professionally, or both? Perhaps they offered you a comfort or convenience of some kind. Or maybe they provided you a service that brightened your day for the wild “season” we were in. How do you think and feel about those businesses or brands now?
You likely remember them fondly and can easily recall why. This is because they communicated with you, quickly and efficiently, online, to provide something you or your business needed. Communication in the human existence is key. While it is not always simple and we don’t always understand one another out of the gate, it’s how we connect, stay informed and navigate the world.
When we’re busy running our businesses, managing our teams, households, schedules, meal planning or whatever your personal daily grind holds, it’s easy to forget that communication is everywhere and in multiple forms: signs, body language, art, symbols, shapes, sounds, books, newspapers, music, emails and many more channels in which words or visuals are displayed or shared. And most of us take to the internet (primarily Google and social media platforms) to quickly find what we’re looking for.
Below are some ideas and resources from BBB to help your business continue to communicate with your customers:
The platinum rule applied to marketing your business
Communicate with your customers how and where THEY want to be communicated with. If your customer base is currently ages 20-35, if you’re not on Instagram, you’re missing key opportunities to communicate with your book of business.
Resources and tips for Instagram:
Update your company hours, especially if they change seasonally
If you are not already BBB Accredited, don’t forget to create your #FREE BBB profile on BBB.org
Click here to create your free BBB business profile.
BBB.org has a high ranking in the search engines (Google, Bing, etc.), which can help your profile be found online and will further your business's online presence.
2021 communication trends
Read these 8 trends to look for in 2021, from Digital Customer Communications.
1. Hyper-Personalization: personalize your customer communications.
2. Chatbots are gaining popularity:
- They reduce pressure on customer service staff, are great for lead generation and collecting customer data, allow 24/7 operation, increase customer engagement, and save lost time in the long run.
- According to the study, “Around 50% of businesses now plan to spend more on chatbots than mobile apps.”
3. Predictive Analytics and Data Science: Using the data allows for consideration of customer needs and feedback and provides action steps.
4. Omnichannel Approach: Unifies all messaging with a potential customer across all available communication channels.
5. Increased Focus on Privacy and Security: Protecting customer privacy is extremely important.
6. More Engagement on Messaging Channels: Use already popular messaging platforms to communicate, such as Facebook Messenger and Whatsapp.
7. Intelligent Routing: Redirect customers to the right agent based on need.
8. Transparency: Be honest with your customers.
BBB serving Central Oklahoma can help!
If you’re in need of one-on-one training or support on opening social media accounts, building a website or a review of your current marketing efforts and help with future strategy, the marketing team at BBB serving Central Oklahoma is here to help!
You can contact me to learn more:
- Alison Abbott, Vice President of Communications
- Phone: 405.772.7471
- [email protected]
