On-hold Messages: Your Marketing Testing Ground

You know that on-hold messages can support your integrated marketing efforts by sharing specials and informative tidbits with your customers while they’re waiting on the phone line. But have you thought about using these messages as a way to test new ideas and gain feedback on your marketing?

Any good marketer knows that just one word can make the difference between a flop and a success. Often, a new idea is tested using an A/B split; this is a classic method used in direct mail and often in websites as well. Basically, a word or picture is changed in each version, and the target market’s response is tested to see which option is more effective. You can apply this same technique with your customers on hold.

The trick to making this work is to have a way to define the viability of your messages. Attach an offer or call to action to whatever your message is. For instance, you could say “act now” vs. “this is a limited-time offer.” Then track which message the caller hears or tie a specific word to the offer. The first could suggest the caller mention the free offer when the customer service representative returns to the line, whereas the second could tell the caller to mention a specific name or code.

With your newfound knowledge, you can then expand your marketing efforts elsewhere—social media, website, print materials—knowing which is more effective. And you thought on-hold messages were just to fill dead air.