Targeting Qualified Leads Across Their Most Preferred Channels of Communication: Key to Successful Prospecting

Author: Marshal Sequira

The market today is abuzz with new-age customer prospecting technologies and platforms, but choosing the right one for your business can be an uphill task. Remember, half the battle of targeting qualified leads, also called prospecting, is won when you focus on the right communication channel(s). 

Importance of using the relevant communication channels:

By prioritizing the correct channels, marketers can establish a link between their brand and target audience effectively. They also generate recognition, brand equity that subsequently impacts sales. 

Choosing the right communication channel is paramount as it helps in:

• Presenting new products or services to the target audience. 
• Keeping leads and customers informed about everything in the brand’s area of operation. 
• Answering customer queries 
• Sharing resources that enable in bringing the audience closer to the brand
• Building personal rapport with the audience
• Faster communication and quick interactions
• Personalized messaging 

Simply put, choose the right communication channel to identify your prospects’ need gaps and pain points. After which, use the same medium to offer solutions, deploy personalized marketing campaigns and collect feedback.  

How to choose the right communication channel(s)?

Newly launched businesses often proceed with their day-to-day operations, assuming that they need to remain active on all possible communication channels. However, what they fail to realize is that this is a tedious process with low returns and high costs. Also, it is worth noting that whichever communication channel you choose will take time to grow. 

These channels cannot be brewed instantly. They take effort and require consistency in your online presence. Begin by building your customers’ trust. You can do this by responding to their queries as quickly as possible on the chosen medium. Instead of hurriedly settling down on a couple of channels due to the paucity of time and other resources, it is best to invest your energy in building those select channels right from the start. 

Moreover, an effective way to connect with leads is by devising an ‘omnichannel’ communication strategy. Through this strategy, marketers can ensure their prospects, as well as customers, get a seamless and consistent brand experience across different mediums.  

Another factor that plays a crucial role in determining the right communication channel for your brand is your audience’s demographics. Different generations of your target audience prefer to lean towards different kinds of channels. For instance, older generations do not pay much attention to social media marketing. If your brand offers services to the elderly, consider communication channels like email and phone.

As for millennials and Gen Z, they are gradually turning into one of the largest spending categories. So, if your brand caters to the needs of such customers, you should focus on marketing your products online. A recent survey by Adobe has shown that Gen Z spends about ten hours a day engaging with online content. And Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp are the most widely used platforms by them. 

How to enhance the effectiveness of your marketing strategies using the right communication channel?

The effectiveness of your marketing strategies not only depends on the platform chosen but also on how you utilize it. For starters, your strategy should be tailored as per the needs of the audiences you are catering to. To put this into perspective, let us take the example of Gen Z consumer behavior. 

• A study by the Business Wire revealed that 60% of the Gen Z folks are likely to hang up the call if it is not answered in under 50 seconds. 

• A research study done by Retail Touchpoints has shown that nearly 47% of the Gen Z consumers research the products they are about to buy on their mobile devices before shopping at physical stores. 

This tells us how the current generation prioritizes. So, here is a summary of qualities you must include when leveraging a communication channel to reach out to the younger demographic. 

In a nutshell, research where your target market hangs out digitally and ensure that a tailored message is delivered to them at the right time. 

List of popular prospecting communication channels

Start by vetting these channels for prospects.

Brief notes on popular communication mediums

• Social media marketing: Social media is widely used to reinforce consumer-brand relationships through direct engagement and by providing relevant content in a variety of formats. 

• Blogs: Through blogs, brands can communicate their vision, mission, and much more to their audience via a cycle of posts. Offering educational content will create visitor loyalty, generate more traffic to your website, and build trust among your audience. By generating high-quality content, you can be perceived as a thought leader within your market. You can also increase your engagement rates by providing customers with additional space to offer suggestions under your blogs. 

• Email marketing: One of the most effective channels, it delivers hyper-personalized messages to prospects at low costs. You can either engage in direct interactions with your audience or offer value-rich content. 

• Videos: This promotional tactic has gained popularity in recent times. Through video content, brands can virtually present their products/services to the audience alongside educating them. 

Wrapping up

It should come as no surprise that whether you are a B2B or a B2C marketer, choosing the right communication channel(s) proves to be of crucial importance to your business. So, spend time, energy, and money finding the right one and reap the benefits of accurately targeting qualified leads for greater ROIs and improved brand recognition!