How to Build an On-Hold Marketing Plan That Pays Off

If you want results from on-hold marketing, treat it like a campaign, not a one-time recording. Here is a simple plan to get there.

Step 1: Define your goals

Decide what you want hold time to accomplish. For example:

• More upgrades or add-on sales
• More attendance at an event or promotion
• Better-informed customers
• Fewer repetitive questions for your team

Clear goals make every message easier to write and easier to measure.

Step 2: Build a rotating library

Create a set of short messages that work together:

• A brand message about who you are
• Your core products and services
• Current promotions
• Answers to common questions
• Customer stories

Rotating several messages keeps callers listening and covers more ground.

Step 3: Keep it fresh

Review your messages at least every quarter, and any time something changes: new services, new hours, new offers. Outdated messages hurt your credibility.

Step 4: Track the impact

Ask simple questions:

• Are callers mentioning the promotions they heard?
• Are the services you featured getting more interest?
• Is your team hearing fewer of the same questions?

Why the return is so strong

Compare hold time to the channels most businesses pay for, like paid search, social ads or direct mail. On-hold marketing:

• Reaches people who are already calling you
• Has no media spend, since you already own the phone line
• Costs little to keep up to date
• Strengthens your brand on every call

When it is planned and kept current, on-hold marketing stops being background noise and starts working for you.

Put your hold time to work

VoicePrompts AI writes and produces on-hold marketing around what you sell, and keeps it current as your business changes. Start 30 days free and hear what your callers could be hearing.