What are communication tools? Communication tools have been used since ancient times, but their role has evolved to the point where they have become a necessity for any company that has to communicate to its target audience. In today’s borderless world, these tools provide meaningful solutions for business needs. It is important to understand what the different communication tools are to know how they can be used according to your specific needs
If you are in marketing, you have to learn how to use communication tools appropriately when carrying out your job. This article would serve as a guide on when it is appropriate for you to use or avoid particular communication tools in marketing.
Advertising & Sales Promotions
Advertising is one of the most prominent and widely used communication tools in a marketing campaign, as its main feature is increasing awareness. Ads can be effective not only for marketing your product or service, but also for marketing your brand. Typically, advertising makes use of above the line (ATL) media campaigns because of the type of reach that can be achieved. Above the line marketing is often used by brands who aim to have a large, diversified market because ATL marketing has mass appeal. Some examples of ATL marketing include TV, radio, print media, cinema, and outdoor media such as billboards, transit advertising, and commuter displays.
Everyone loves a discount, which is why sales promotions are very popular marketing communications tools. Usually, discounts and coupons are used to get new customers, where as memberships and loyalty programs are used for customer retention. There are three main types of sales promotions marketers use. The first is the discount that tempts the customer to make their first purchase. Think of when you’re browsing an online retailer’s website and see a pop-up stating you’ll get 10% off your first order if you enter your email address. The second is deadline discounts, which encourage your audience to “act fast before it’s too late” (i.e. holiday sales, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday). Finally, we have membership discounts, which focus on program tiers. These encourage customers to continue making purchases through your company in order to receive more premium discounts. Essentially, sales promotions help your brand build trust and authority with new customers.
Social Media
Social media allows brands to engage with their audience while also providing information on its products, services, and values. From Twitter to TikTok, social media has rapidly become a valuable method for consumers to research a brand before the organization is even aware of the buyer’s interest. Potential customers are able to find social proof through other customers who have interacted with brands on social media channels. Additionally, brands have the opportunity to make themselves more human as they engage with their audience.
Direct Mail & Catalogs
While online marketing has taken the world by storm over the years, there is still great value in an offline marketing plan. In an increasingly digital world, direct mail and print catalogs can help generate leads and offer benefits that online marketing cannot thanks to localization and personalization. Many consumers find direct mail and catalogs easier to understand, as one study found that it takes 21% less cognitive effort to process.
Additionally, direct mail has also been proven to yield a higher average response rate when compared to digital. Finally, print ads won’t actively disrupt your viewer’s activity to get their attention, granting them the freedom to choose when they’ll receive your marketing message and thus allowing it to hit at the optimal time.
Email Campaigns & Newsletters
Email marketing is another tried and true tactic for lead generation. What’s more, it allows a brand to identify better quality leads. Since email marketing itself is a lead qualifying system, you can see a prospect’s interest based on the fact that they signed up for your list, whether or not they open your emails, and if they click on any of the links within your emails.
Likewise, email newsletters are a powerful way to nurture leads by providing recipients with targeted and personalized content straight to their inbox. This helps push them further down the funnel and keeps them engaged with your brand.
Trade Shows, Webinars, & Seminars
Trade shows, seminars, and webinars are great tools to address issues, generate leads, and introduce a new product or service. Trade shows give consumers the opportunity to meet with brand representatives face-to-face, providing a more personable experience. Seminars and webinars can also establish your brand as a thought leader in your industry, giving consumers a convenient outlet to learn about your product or service.
Sales promotion
The sales promotion tool is all about promoting your product. It is a great communication tool, particularly because of direct interaction with the customers. One of the benefits of sales promotion is that you can promote the product directly to the consumer effectively and promptly. It builds brand loyalty and helps your brand to flourish. Sales promotion comes in all forms such as free samples, gift vouchers, discounts, deals, etc.
Direct marketing
In today’s world, we regard online marketing as direct marketing. Direct mails to get prospects and lead have more benefits than conventional marketing. Thanks to personalization tools, consumers find direct mails and catalogs easier to process. Moreover, direct online marketing yields a high response rate as compared to traditional marketing. Commercials do not catch much attention but giving access to consumers in receiving messages can definitely change the game.
Publicity
This is generally a free communication tool and the firm generally does not pay for it. This kind of marketing campaign includes product reviews, free surveys, newspaper articles, etc. However, with the rising marketplace competition, even such free communication tools have become paid platforms to promote products.
Personal Selling
Personal selling is a communication tool wherein a sales person gets directly in touch with the potential consumer making him/her understand the pro’s and con’s of the product. While doing so, the sales person has to go through the key aspects of AIDAS (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action and Satisfaction) cycle, which are primary requirements for a sale to be considered as complete. Though this process is a bit time consuming and costly, the outcome is generally positive, often leading to a loyal customer.
Conclusion
Communication tools are the medium used to communicate with customers. It includes methods, tools, materials or techniques that communicate brand information to customers through various channels of communication. Organization can use various communication tools for effective marketing which include advertisements, promotions, personal selling etc.