The New Year is just around the corner and for small business owners the often daunting task of developing a solid marketing strategy for 2012 looms ahead, too. What should small business owners focus their marketing efforts on in 2012?

According to research just released by The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute, 2012 won't be a walk in the park for most small businesses. Continuing economic uncertainty, access to capital, and politics will all affect small businesses in the coming year. One of the “biggest” challenges predicted for small businesses in the coming year Larger companies plan to aggressively marketing to prospects once considered "too small" in the past. In other words, the Big guys will be coming after your market share like never before!

In marketing, gone are the days where “less is more.” Today, we make sure to give more to our customers by constantly reminding them that our brand exists and it’s better than the rest.  We make sure that every time prospective customer comes to us, we captivate them with our advertising. This philosophy holds true in on-hold marketing.

Implementing an on hold message system for your business in the coming year will go a long way. While it’s true callers don’t like to be put on-hold, on hold messages have proven to have high success rates in  caller retention (callers will wait on hold with music and messages 3 times longer vs. music or silence - ) increased sales inquiries ( 40% increase in offers mentioned on hold) as well as increased revenues (sales increased by 20%+). 

With on-hold marketing, you can convey your message, make offers, and advance your relationship to your callers who are put on-hold in your business’ phone system. Custom Music On-hold and messages  are one of the most promising marketing strategies today and companies are making sure that they have utilized this kind of advertising method. With on-hold marketing, you will have better chances at winning customers, instead of losing them.

So if you’re planning your New Year’s marketing strategy, it had best include an on hold message system! Rather  than having callers feel annoyed when in hold,  or even worse “hang-up” due to silence causing lost revenues (oh by the way, which is exactly what the big boys want!), you’ll be able to provide an improved customer experience, a positive brand image and turn what’s often considered annoying waiting time into a positive experience.

Different types of customers call you every day. When they’re put on-hold, some prefer to listen to some music, while others prefer to hear messages, and only a very few of them would rather hear silence. Tough luck, right?

Today, let’s hear some customer stories, found on Twitter for the best and worst comments that callers tweeted regarding their on-hold experiences. Grab your notes, and let the tweet searching begin.

First tweet we found was an interesting one from @krimsondclover. She said, “On-hold with Disney. They’re playing Disney-themed music! Can I be put on-hold for a little longer? :D #disneyfan.”

Nothing’s more enjoyable for a customer than to listen to on-hold music that’s fun and suits your brand. Therefore, you need to make sure that the background music that’s playing while they’re waiting on the other line represents your products and services. One of the goals of music on-hold is to prevent customers from getting bored and hanging-up. On-hold music reduces the feeling of waiting, reducing the chances of hearing complaints from waiting customers.

Another thing to remember if you opt to use music on-hold is the sound level of the background music. We saw a tweet from @loveanDaffodils complaining about the blasting music after hearing the soft-toned voice prompt. She said, “#thatminiheartattack when you’re being put on-hold and the music playing after the voice prompt is a few decibels too loud. What’s wrong with you people?!!!!” Don’t forget to check the sound levels of your music on hold & player from time to time as you don’t want to put-off callers with your deafening music.

Choosing the right song for your music on-hold also plays an important part in pleasing callers. @vampireMar tweeted, “#nowplaying 80’s music. Don’t mind being put on-hold.” However, we saw another tweet grumbling about the on-hold music from the same company. @pepper_mel said, “Bored to death. #onhold for 30 minutes, and they’re playing whats-this-music? I’d rather listen to Taylor Swift on-loop than this playlist. *tears*”

The enduring problem faced by probably most companies that program their music can be seen from the tweets above. While the first tweet praises the music-on hold, the latter prefers to listen to a more recent song. The 80’s music might not exactly put-off callers, but if there is a pending need to talk to their representative, then the caller must really wait until the hold is over.

In the end, the right music on-hold can be a part of a great customer experience. It definitely put a smile on our face when we saw @pen80’s tweet, “Being put on-hold and for the first time I wasn’t pissed off. #listeningto #Friends theme song.” Quirky choices of music, such as the ‘Friends’ theme song mentioned above might help lift the mood of a customer faced with time on hold.

Since it’s difficult to please everybody, the wisest choice for the songs to be played  for your hold music should be professional on hold messaging that will give you better branding, and can establish a good all-around operation. Updating your music on-hold and making sure that they’re recorded professionally are just few of the many things that you can do to make sure that callers will have a satisfying experience while waiting for you on the other line.

Choose the one that best suits your brand, and hopefully, we can see positive tweets from happy and delightful customers the next time we do Twitter searching.

You may be thinking “What’s the big deal, all on hold message providers do the same thing?”  Well it is certainly true that on hold messages is a tried and proven marketing strategy, but the script is the most important element. And, no – not all companies can provide the same quality level of copywriting skills, or a creative blend fo scriptwriting.

While message on-hold has proven itself to be an effective marketing tool for your brand, you need to make sure that the content of your message is in-lined with the company’s goal and vision to provide better services to the customers. At The Original On hold, Inc. our team of professional copywriters feature a creative blend of unique and custom on hold copywriting  talent to “engage, inform, entertain, motivate and sell to callers with a compelling message on hold. “  ...In other words, we get it write!

We’ll highlight your brand’s strengths, or telling your callers what your products and services have that competitors are lacking could be the main point of your message. Don’t be afraid we’ll brag, but in a humble manner :)

Have you received any awards? Are you a member of a prestigious organization? Include whatever information you think can build your credibility even more. Give your customers some assurance that they’ve made the best decision of choosing your brand.

There’s also some on hold script voo doo and classic mistakes that you’ll want to avoid. The classic mistake  that most on-hold messages commit is - overwhelming callers with too much information, or technical jargons. Newsflash: No one wants to hear it. Remember the rule? Keep it simple. That said, you need to make sure that your message is brief, and concise with just the right amount of charm and appeal. Only include relevant information, which you think can be helpful for your customers.

For instance, many businesses find that a significant percentage of their callers are simply asking for basic company information: hours of operation, fax number, address, nearby landmarks, and website URL.

Ultimately, remember your call-to-action. Prompt them to ask for more details about your product, or to visit your website is vital to get to know more about your services. Sometimes, all the customers need are a little push; if you can encourage them to do something, then you’re definitely on the right track.

After you’ve crafted a good on hold message script, then all you need to do is to choose the tone of your on-hold message. Selecting the right voice and background music that will reflect the nature of your business, and your message is also a good way to engage your callers. Listen to some  on hold message samples , and  consider your listening audience to match the right voice and music for your brand.

Now that your customer is already on the line, waiting for you – you know you have their undivided attention. By now, I’m sure you’ve got tons of ideas on how you can utilize their on-hold time. Whether it’s about new products and services you can provide, or simply telling them you appreciate their call – the results will be all worth it.

Still skeptical about the benefits of marketing on hold?  Give our risk free on hold system trial a try, or you’ll never know the wonders of what on hold advertising can do for your brand.