Features and tRends

(August 2009)

Providing Online Education for Your Customers
By Megan Webb

More and more of today’s customers are moving online for sales and marketing resources. In fact, it’s clear that online mediums and social media channels are driving B2B leads, according to a new survey titled “The Social Strategy for Driving Demand” as reported by Social Media B2B. Of the 218 sales and marketing B2B professionals questioned, early adopters of social media claimed that social media was generating 10 to 15 percent of all leads through online interaction via platforms such as LinkedIn, blogs, Twitter and Facebook.

Consider the five suggestions below that will help strengthen your important brand community relationships:

1.  Blogs
A company blog can be an invaluable resource for your customer audiences and can be designed to encourage dialogue and information sharing. Possible topics of discussion may include answers and dialogue surrounding frequently asked questions, new product or service announcements and information in addition to sales and marketing tips for your potential dealers and product distributors. A company blog also gives you the ability to receive customer feedback about your brand and its products or services as well as to respond to any potential customer service issues quickly and efficiently. The best part is that setting up a company blog is relatively inexpensive and gives your customers and top management a user-friendly and easily accessible line of dialogue.   

2.  Online Video
Training can become a burdensome expense for many home and commercial building channel businesses. To make the most of your budget, consider using online video as a medium for topics related to product demonstration or installation as well as a product and service training guide. In a down economy, online video can complement expensive training trips or in-person customer meetings. Although still vital to conduct face-to-face time with your customers, online video can act as a resource for today’s time-starved customers who want information quickly and easily. Consider setting up a company YouTube channel or including product and service training and “infomercial” style videos on your company’s Web site.

3.  Downloadable Marketing and Sales Collateral
A marketing and sales section on your company Web site can be designed to allow your customers to conveniently download and print their own sales and marketing collateral. Ensure security measures are in place to protect proprietary company information. You may wish to create a password-protected login for your most loyal customers so only they have access to this portion of your site. Also, make sure you provide a branding identity guideline for your customers so they are using your sales and marketing materials correctly. It’s a win-win situation as online versions of traditional marketing and sales aids mean decreased printing costs for your company and an easy way for your customers to receive the sales and marketing resources they need.

4.  Interactive Customer Sales Tools
Interactive sales tools can greatly expedite the sales process while giving end-users another connection to your brand. National studies determined that consumers respond to interactive online tools that best allow them to play a role in the product development or design process – especially among today’s younger consumers. Offer them the ability to customize or integrate your product and/or services into their home or commercial design online. Include high-quality product and service installation photos and detailed product information on your Web site to aid your customers in the sales process.

5.  Online Customer Directories
Depending on the type of product and services you provide, consider including a dealer or distributor locator on your company Web site. This saves you both time and money and allows end-users to easily find contact information for a dealer in their area. Dealer directories can be a simple Web page with contact information for identified territories, or it can be as interactive as a ZIP code dealer locater or geographical map. Dealer and distributor directories can also be set up to capture consumer information and can increase your customers’ lead conversion ratio.

For professionals in the home and commercial building products channel, moving customer engagement and education online provides many cost-effective benefits for your company while growing your bottom line. Evaluate your current sales and marketing resources to determine which “traditional” resources can be shifted to Web platforms. Consider partnering with an integrated marketing and communications firm that has online sales and marketing experience in the marketplace to get the best bang for your buck. The conversation is online. Are you a part of it?

For more information about providing online education for your customers, or for examples on how to best engage customers online, tweet or e-mail Steve Kleber at @stevekleber or sk@kleberandassociates.com.

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