Introduction
In an age of ever-increasing technological innovations, establishing the right communication channels can be challenging. This is because what might appear to be a good fit for one business might not yield the same results for another one.
In this article, we are going to discuss the importance of the right tech channels to establish communication. We are also going to look at the best four channels of communications brands should use in 2020.
If you or someone you know is struggling to narrow down, which communication channels work and should be taken up, this article is going to help you address that.
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The Importance of Technology is establishing Communication with Customers
There is no doubt that technology has made it easier for brands to engage and communicate with their customers. However, it has also meant that customers who wish to get in touch with the brands need to be replied to.
Failure to reply to your customers reflects poorly on the brand and shows that the brand does not seem to consider or pay any heed. This is the reason why some brands are successful when using tech channels while others are not.
One major reason why brands should use tech channels is that it is where your customers are hanging out. Most customers are using search and social, to find things, look up brands, read reviews, compare products and do all or some of their research work.
If your customers are using online channels and platforms, brands should start pursuing them aggressively too. However, there are some challenges for the same. This has got to do with hiring the right team, investing in the right channel (with high ROIs) and so on.
List of 4 Tech Channels to help you establish Communication with your Customers
- In-App Communication through Chat Support-
In the past few years, many successful start-ups have started experimenting with In-App chat support. This is something, you might have noticed in the food delivery and ride-hailing apps. However, there is no reason to suggest it cannot be successful for other businesses.
The popularity and development of applications (apps) have meant that people are spending a lot of time on their apps. Establishing communication through mobile engagement can be a major incentive for brands.
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- Social Listening Tools-
Some businesses that take engagement and relationship building seriously take help from social listening tools to find about their brand mentions. These are basically software, which scours search and social pages to identify where your brand is being mentioned.
For example, some customers can send in a bad review of your brand on Quora or Reddit. A social listening tool helps identify the mention and allows your team to respond to the aggrieved party. This is a highly successful way of improving branding and nipping problems in the bud.
- Chat Support on Brand Website-
Most businesses need to understand that a digital touchpoint should always be converted into a two-way channel of communication. For example, anyone who visits your brand website looking for something should have the advantage of talking to chat support.
Even if you do not have 24×7 humans working on chat support, you can automate the first five responses and at least give the customer some cushion, before taking up the same with actual human teams the next morning.
- Video Call Support-
Brands need to realize that communication channels should be as easy for the customer to understand as possible. This is why some brands have started experimenting with video call support to help customers find and fix small problems themselves.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a major disruption in the industry. People do not want to visit service centers or invite technicians into their homes. This has given brands the opportunity of helping customers through video calls on WhatsApp, Skype and other mediums.
The Final Word
Rather than think of technology as an impediment, brands should engage in an aggressive fashion. New tech like social listening tools is becoming increasingly popular. This is because the consumers are getting enlightened and proficient in suing technological channels to do practically everything in their lives. Can you let us know about some other helpful channel, which brands can explore in the comments section?
Also read: Emerging Technology Trends 2020: What Are the Next Big Things in Tech?