To whom it may concern is just like a universal size Tshirt that can fit everyone. Whether you are writing a circular note, public notice, or any kind o informational content, this phase fir right in the center of all. Not only it is simple but it can be used to cover up all kinds of audiences. And the best part is that it gets the job done.
What is it really helping your business? In an era where marketing is all about having targeted and relevant audiences. “To whom it may concern” is a phrase that does not target one group of audiences. Instead, it is a general phrase that is used for all kinds of audiences.
Today marketers are much more focused on targeting a more precise and prominent audience, where to whom it may concern approach is a way more traditional, laid back, and cozy approach.
If you will search thoroughly on the internet, you will find the contact details of all your customers and prominent audiences. This has made the marketers go with a more personalized approach than a general approach.
So before you throw another “To whom it may concern” in your outreach emails, read this article for the necessary information that you must know about how to use “to whom it may concern” phrase effectively in 2020.
The Right Time To Use To Whom It May Concern
Before using the to whom it may concern in your outreach or any other piece of content, you must ask yourself for what kind of audience you are writing this piece of information. If you find that there is no particular group of people that you intend to target, then you are safe to use “to whom it may concern” approach. But if your audiences are much more filtered or they have a particular group then it is better to avoid the use of this phrase.
Here are some circumstances where you can use “to whom it may concern phase”.
1. Reach out to larger companies
In case when you are approaching bigger firms and enterprises where you are not sure who will have the first contact with you. The contact can be through messages or the company’s website or through their official email address. In cases like these where there is no intended target to whom you are sending, you can use To whom it may concern phrase.
While you approaching people in these kinds of circumstances, I would like you to advise that you make clear with your approach that what will be your first point of contact.
2. Recommendations or reference check
While you are providing a recommendation or a reference for a former colleague to your office. Then the tone of the recommendation is autonomous. The only thing that you are needed to tell in the recommendation is about the employee you are recommending. Nothing more and nothing less. And the recommendation can go to any of your superiors related to the relevant field. So, in time like these, you can use the phrase “to whom it may concern”.
Simply speaking the company does not want to know what research you have made on then. Instead, they just want to know everything about the employee you are recommending.
3. Company complaints
A company is just like a big community where different kinds of people gather together. So, it is an undeniable fact that conflict may surface under the roof of the company. These conflicts is maintained by the authority with notices. While writing these notices you can use the phrase. In fact, the phrase goes well in these kinds of circumstances.
After reading the message, whoever is the part of the conflict will find that message important and the rest will just neglect it.
4. Introduction part of the Content
“To whom it may concern” can also be used to give your introduction to the people you may not know. This usually happens in the business field when you get a note asking for your quote on certain problems. Here you do not know who the person is, but one thing you know that he/she is one of your customers or a company with whom you are partnered with.
Then you can simply use the above-mentioned phrase to address them.
5. Prospecting
Prospecting audiences is the last place you would like to use To whom it may concern. Today marketing is all about doing deep research, building up a rapport with then, and then go for the sales. Today marketing is all about selective and relevant approaching.
However, if there is no way to find their personal contact details or a medium to engage. You can just go with the general traditional method of approaching the audiences.
Conclusion
So here you go, you now know how to use to whom it may concern phrase. This phrase is simple yet complicated to use in today’s marketing world where targeting people is much more concise and precise. But with the things I have explained to you above, you will surely be able to use this phrase in the right way.
Read also: 5 Tips on How to Start a Content Marketing Agency
