With the world turning more and more digital, the way businesses communicate has changed drastically over the past few decades. There are now so many ways to communicate with customers –via social media, email, phone calls, texts, online chats and the good old face to face – to name a few! But what makes our communication methods effective?
So, what is business communication?
Put simply, it is any way in which a business delivers messages to customers or potential customers. This may be an article on a product or service, a recent news story, a YouTube video, promotional posts on social media, window advertising, you name it. There are thousands of ways for businesses to communicate, with most now turning their attention to the power behind digital marketing.
Should we change the way we communicate with different people?
Absolutely, yes. You are more likely to communicate effectively with the younger generation by using social media and apps. If your business is targeting the older generation, you will usually get a positive result from speaking face to face or on the phone. Think about who you are communicating with and why, before you pick a method of communication.
How do we create meaningful connections?
With so many ways to communicate to customers, what do we need to do to ensure our messages are effective? This really comes down to assessing the target market your business is aimed at. Research has found that millennials (aged 18 to 37) undertake much more research before purchasing products and prefer to buy online, in comparison with baby boomers (aged 54 to 73).Use this knowledge to create a communication strategy which suits your demographic.
For example, if you run a female fashion or jewellery line and are looking to target young women – social media will probably the best way to create a meaningful connection and grab their attention. If your business needs to target the older generation, leaflet advertising, posters or bespoke offers and vouchers may be a better way to go.
How do we measure the success of our communications?
There are thousands of ways to get business messages out into the world, but how do we measure their success? We can measure the effectiveness of digital communications easily, which is why businesses are prioritising it. You can monitor the amount of people that have clicked onto your blog or news article. You can see how many people have liked or commented on a post on social media. You can look at the amount of views a video has had.Therefore, businesses are investing more time and resource into digital communication as they can try and test different methods and measure their strategies effectiveness.
So, should you be turning to digital?
If your business doesn’t currently utilise online communications, it may be a great way to go to boost presence in your industry and attract customers. In 2017, 1.66 billion people bought goods and services online and this is set to increase to 2.14 billion by 2021. This is a massive opportunity for any business large or small. Communicating online may be the best way to boost your bottom line, retain customers and improve brand awareness.
