[gravata] Understand why to use Internet resources when communicating with customers. [/gravata]

The use of mobile phones to access the internet is growing, which opens up new possibilities to communicate with professionals who are always on the go.

Every day the number of people with internet access, of all ages, social classes and educational levels is growing. This is happening all over the world and Brazil is no different. A recent survey of the Internet Management Committee released data showing this reality:

• More than half of the population is an internet user;
• 49% of all households in the country have a computer;
• 42.5 million people use a cell phone to connect to the network.

The growth of using digital resources has been occurring rapidly. With the popularity of smartphones – more advanced cellular phones, more focused on connection – these numbers will increase even faster. That is, more people will surf for their favorite sites, search for information and be present in social media (like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and others).

It’s enough to look at what’s already happening in more developed countries to realize the potential: a US citizen stays, on average, two hours a day using his smartphone for online purposes. Other important data to reinforce this assessment comes from England, where about 80% of smartphone owners start using them as soon as they wake up to see messages, news and other services.

In Brazil, the situation isn’t much different: A 2013 survey showed that each individual spends 84 minutes daily, on average, using their device.

Marcelo Sinelli, consultant from Sebrae-SP (Brazilian Support Service for Micro and Small Companies), cautions that this new reality means. “No matter the type of business, it’s necessary to be present on the internet. Today everyone is connected and looking for information”, he explains.

According to Sebrae, eight out of ten Brazilian Internet users use Facebook. This makes it a powerful dissemination tool for companies and products.

But care must be taken in using social media, which is seen by users as tools for relationships and sharing information. This means that sales and promotions shouldn’t be the central focus of a company’s action in this area because it can generate a negative reaction by the user.

“A good alternative for a retailer of refrigeration parts and components – even for a contractor – is to create a fanpage (page directed to companies or brands on Facebook) and invite your contacts to enjoy it. At this point, you can make an initial promotion, to generate traffic and make the initiative known”, explains Sinelli. “After that, however, it’s essential to offer attractive and relevant content, so that people come back to the page and access frequently”.

It’s an activity that takes work, requiring time and training. The consultant gives a few tips on what needs to be done:

• Search for useful and reliable information;
• Find images that draw attention for posting (there are several free picture databanks on the internet, where pictures can be searched for);
• Always update the content;
• Provide materials and information in various formats such as text, graphics, tables, photos, illustrations, videos, etc.
• Reply to comments posted by visitors;
• Write grammatically correct and clearly, to have credibility.

One of Sinelli’s suggestions is to contact part and equipment manufacturers to get news to publish on the fanpage. “Certainly there will be interest, since it‘ll help these companies divulge their products”, he ensures.

Another recommendation is to be aware of the holidays (Christmas, Easter, Contractor Day, Consumer Day etc.). And also trending news, which can be the pretext for creating messages that arouse the attention of internet users.

Remember that interesting content tends to be shared with friends and colleagues, which increases the audience reached by the action, which, in many cases, will be their first contact with the company.

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INTERESTING CONTENT TENDS TO BE SHARED MORE OFTEN WITH FRIENDS AND PROFESSIONAL PEERS, INCREASING THE PUBLIC REACHED BY THE ACTION.

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A good source of inspiration – and to search for information as well – is the companies’ pages on Facebook. One example is Embraco, which can be accessed at www.facebook.com/EmbracoBR.

Who uses this social media, has already seen that it’s also possible to publish ads. They’re called Facebook ads, which direct Internet users to your fanpage or your site. In these ads, you can choose the audience you want to reach, selected according to age, gender, occupation, city or region, personal interests etc.

Planned Strategy

Creation of the Facebook page shouldn’t be the only action. On the contrary, ideally this activity is part of a broader marketing strategy.

Having a website, preferably selling products there, is a path that opens up many possibilities to expand the customer base. “Through the site, it’s possible for people to find you from anywhere on the planet”, emphasizes the consultant.

It may seem that such actions are restricted to larger companies. But it’s not necessary to invest a lot. “There are free tools to build a website and even email marketing. The retailer will have to research, study how to do it and move forward. It’s okay to make mistakes: the recipe is to go on learning from the attempts and improve the work”, says Sinelli.

If there is a small budget available, the suggestion is to invest in a sponsored link: it’s a paid ad that’s beside or above the search result in Internet search engines. “This is a way to be found quickly when there’s someone on Google looking for a particular product or type of store.”

Being present on the Internet is essential today for every type of business because it’s there that the search for any information usually begins. This became even stronger with the evolution of technology and the spread of smartphones.

These devices are great support for professionals such as contractors, who spend their days on the street, away from a desktop computer or notebook. Fitting into any pocket and giving access to the internet, they can be used to check for technical information, clarify doubts and respond to customer contacts.

You can also – and this directly interests the retailer – resort to them to find prices and even buy parts. There are already professionals who even use them to show the customer, on the screen, the data and the prices found.

These examples confirm that there is no time to waste: it’s necessary to be part of this virtual world. Those outside it will have increasing difficulty getting new customers, because the young people who are entering the market – and will soon make up the majority of the public – are professionals 100% connected.