On Hold Marketing : How to Get Started and Plot a Successful Course

Sometimes taking on a new thing – like on hold marketing – can be intimidating. The uncertainty of charting new waters can lead to procrastination. And procrastination begins to feed on itself, so the longer you put something off, the easier it becomes to keep putting it off.

But on hold marketing for your business shouldn’t be that way. It is a valuable component of any company’s marketing and branding strategies.

If you know you need on-hold marketing but are having trouble getting started, we have five tips to help you navigate your way.

1. Use a cohesive marketing strategy: On hold marketing is a direct access point to customers and prospects. As such, it should be considered as much a part of the overall marketing agenda. Use the same slogans on hold that you do in print, TV and radio advertising. Other strategies include cross-referencing the company website and social media channels.

2. Create a good script: The time a caller spends on hold is a valuable time for marketing to a captive audience. A custom on hold marketing script tailored to your business’s specific marketing objectives ensures that time is not wasted. The script should be written in a style that accurately reflects the tone and personality of the business. Companies can write their own on-hold messaging script or choose a provider that offers scriptwriting services.

3. Select the right voice: Even the best-written script will fall flat with the wrong delivery. In many cases, the company president or a local radio DJ are not viable options. Companies should use a professional voice talent with a style that blends into the culture of their business.

4. Pick the right music: It might be called background music, but it is crucial to setting the right tone. A company might advertise on the local Top 40 station, but playing the radio, or CDs for that matter, is not the answer on hold. Not only is it illegal, but a business risks exposing callers to a competitor’s commercials while they wait on hold. The combined effect of a company’s on-hold marketing script, voice talent and background music should give callers the same impression of the business that visitors to the brick-and-mortar location have.

5. Update the message regularly: A variety of reasons exist for changing a company’s on-hold marketing messages. Seasonal services and promotions, new products and services, or changes in hours of operation are just a few examples of changes that can be made to on-hold messaging scripts. Even changing the voice talent or the background music can make the message sound fresh to frequent callers. Companies need to determine an effective frequency for updating their on-hold messages and work with their provider to keep the updates on schedule.

Don’t procrastinate any longer about your on-hold messages. Follow these tips and let us help you plot a course to success.