How to Use Social Media to Your Advantage

In today’s digital age, it’s becoming more important than ever to connect with consumers where they live. No longer is in-store communication the only factor that plays a role in your customers’ purchase decisions. With mobile phones, tablets and laptops being seamlessly integrated into the lives of consumers, we are beginning to see a shift to constant connectedness. We need to find new ways to reach people where they live, work and play – social media platforms.

Many large banks and credit card processing companies are currently active on social media, creating conversations within their larger communities, but what about the smaller community banks? With social media, you can have the best strategy for reaching your audience, but without the resources, time and effort your execution may fail. 

Although it may take a little more planning, banks and credit card processing companies can both agree that social media is valuable. Let’s take a look why social media is important, as well as techniques to make it work for you.

 

Why Use Social Media?

Builds Loyalty: When your customers begin engaging with your brand on a daily or weekly basis, they’ll feel more connected on a more personal and less formal level. Once they make that connection with your brand, they’ll be more likely to stay loyal. 

 

Where Do You Begin?

Make it a job: Believe it or not, implementing a social media strategy is going to take work and time – which may mean finding the right employee within your company, or an outside source. It’s important that you create a unified message and brand voice that everyone can enforce. Be honest, be sincere and offer real solutions.

Consistency: Be consistent. Are you going to communicate with your customers once a week, twice a week or each day? Try to stick to a schedule so your customers know what days and times you will be communicating with them. 

Value: Give your consumers something they will value. Inform them about your brand and let them know about any promotions. When promoting your credit card processing company, don’t just ask that they sign up. Instead, inform them of solutions such as next day funding merchant accounts.

Engage Prospects: Make your content fun and interesting to engage consumers. Host contests, ask questions, take polls, etc. Ultimately, providing information about your services shouldn’t take the front seat; you should be providing interesting content that relates to your customers. 

Whether discussing your credit card processing company or next day funding merchant accounts, it’s important that you take notes as you go along and review results. Constantly improve your social media game to reach more consumers where they live – online. 

Have you been using social media to build consumer loyalty? What techniques have you found to be working for you? Leave us a comment.

 

About The Author

As Vice President of Business Development, Kate Root is focused on helping Clearent expand its strategic ISO partnerships, as well as growing financial institutions’ merchant services programs. Kate’s 25 years in merchant services spans senior management roles in both issuing and acquiring, supporting financial institutions and ISOs. Learn more about our next day funding merchant accounts and other products and services. Clearent is a credit card processing company providing passionate service to our clients. Contact us today for more information!

 

Small Business Credit Card Processing Made Easier with Tablets

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Today, technology is being used in ways we’d never imagined before. And because of this, businesses are beginning to look more credible and are becoming more efficient. 

Even other industries, like home repair services are utilizing technology more in their day-to-day profession. Recently, when getting a quick home repair, I decided to call around and get a few estimates before making a decision – a pretty common practice. Three out of the four salesmen gave me a computer-generated proposal on the spot as they were standing in my living room. 

Because they used up-to-date technology, they had a higher level of credibility. In fact, even though the company who supplied a handwritten estimate was a lower price, I decided to go with the more digital-savvy business. 

How does this relate to small business credit card processing? Well, it actually may be even more advantageous and widely used in top rated merchant services. Let’s look at a few ways that sales productivity can improve. 

 

Quick & Simple Application

With the more recent introduction of tablets and smartphones into the mainstream market, more companies are using them to their advantage and regular consumers are beginning to feel more comfortable using them. Now, an application can be signed and emailed all while standing in front of a merchant. 

Products like SignMyPad can be used to capture a customer’s signature on the spot without the time consuming application process. The application questions can be exactly the same as a paper application would be, but instead the answers can be quickly typed directly into the system. Once stored in a computer, you don’t have to worry about the hassle of finding and organizing folders, making copies, etc. You can still print out the application or send emails directly.

 

Direct Send to Underwriting

With electronic applications, the headache and hassle of sending things through to underwriting is also simplified. There will be no issues with legibility, and the paperwork can be sent through directly after the merchant signs. From there, it can be faxed or scanned from a merchant’s specific location. 

Instead of adding more time to the application process, it is instead expedited, leaving more time to win even more sales. 

 

Are you hesitant?

Many ISOs are actually hesitant to try tablets for their small business credit card processing because they don’t want to be the first to try it. However, more and more companies everyday are starting to get into more digitally savvy ways of doing business. It definitely is a top rated merchant service solution.

If your goal is to excel in small business credit card processing, don’t stick to the old application process. Try switching to a tablet device and enjoy more efficiency and a quicker application process.

 

About The Author

Jeff Fortney is Vice President of ISO Channel Management at Clearent. His financial services career stretches back over 35 years, with the last 17 years being focused in the debit and credit card processing industry. Clearent is an experienced large and small business credit card processing company providing passionate service that people don’t really expect anymore. Find out if any of our top rated merchant service solutions can help you improve sales.