I speak with many who wonder whether they should invest in a call center program for cold calling or customer calling, social media (SM) or search engine optimization (SEO).
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
SEO is most effective when prospects know they want something that you can give them, but aren’t happy with their current provider, or don’t know anyone else in your field/industry.
SEO tends to put pressure on pricing by readily identifying you and your top competitors. If your prospects are relatively new to your industry, they won’t know enough about you to appreciate the value you provide. So they’ll focus on obvious quantitative differences between you and others in your field through price.
Social Media (SM)
Before Social Media, effective networkers attended events, met people, and exchanged business cards—they invested the time to stay in touch, expand their network, and, when possible, spoke at relevant events.
Today, the successful SM user does most of this online CONTINUOUSLY!! To get results, you must commit 100%—regularly participate in user groups; publish useful (not promotional) information for your SM network; and vigorously seek out and cultivate contacts.
If you only post links on your website to SM platforms and buy some advertising on social media sites, your results will be weak or nonexistent.
In short, an effective SM program bridges those qualitative issues not addressed by SEO. It demands considerable time, effort and cost.
Cold Calling
Questions: How do you interest potential customers who don’t know they need your product? Or who don’t know that your service provides better value? Or that it can result in a significant ROI from a brand-new technology.
Answer: With a well-timed, well-thought out, well-delivered cold call.
Telephone calls are personal, immediately connect you to decision makers, and provide instant feedback.
The telephone can also be used very effectively to cultivate your existing customer base by allowing for valuable customer feedback, reviving inactive customers, and providing information on product upgrades and add-ons.
Sure, the increased exposure you’ll get from SM and SEO can produce many leads.
But will they be quality leads?
Usually, when someone tells me they have thousands of yet-to-be-qualified leads in their CRM, it’s more of a problem than an opportunity. They chew up time. Lead nowhere. And cause important prospects to get lost in the shuffle.
How York Consulting uses SM and SEO.
York works hand-in-hand with SM/SEO initiatives by handling increased inquiries.
We collect all incoming leads. Filter them. Respond by email. Give them a phone call. Forward them to sales. Or channel only those leads that qualify.
In fact, we use exactly the same process to generate sales for ourselves as we recommend for our clients!
We use SM selectively (LinkedIn, Twitter); this Blog; selective manual SEO placements; cold calls. (Yes! Cold calls!!)
So, which one is the best? SEO, SM or Cold Calling?
It depends. While they can be coordinated for greater effect, each one has its advantages—and disadvantages—depending on your specific marketing needs.
