Multichannel marketing is quickly becoming the new standard in digital marketing. As companies are reaching new heights of competition and eCommerce, there comes a time when new marketing methods need to be explored. Of course, multi-channel marketing has been done for centuries, just known under different names and in physical print or media rather than online.
Today’s multichannel marketing refers to the strategy of using more than one medium, to connect with your audience.
It’s about reaching out to people in several small ways at one time; rather than making one giant gesture or having a single landing page or website. You have to give people as many ways to buy as they have ways to enjoy being online: social, email, website direct sales, and other places that they may encounter your business all need to be part of the strategy.
Multichannel Marketing 101
You can figure out how consumers make their choices about what they do online by thinking about your own habits. How much time do you spend switching between apps or games on your phone, bored with one but unsure of where to go from there so you try the other and end up with the same result?
People are practically begging to be engaged online, so what are you waiting for?
You should consider the way that you behave online when setting up this strategy so that you have a good basis for how to treat the typical customer when they come into contact with your business.
There are several different elements that make up a good multichannel marketing strategy, but some facets stand out more than others. The biggest impact on your audience will come from the marketing strategies and integrations that offer:
A wide brand reach
The entire goal of multichannel marketing is to reach more people, quicker, and in a way that works for them. That’s going to give you a lot of channels to choose from and you have to use as many as you deem necessary to get the message out.
An effective message
Quality still counts over quantity in the world of marketing, and perhaps now more than ever. Today’s consumer wants a message that feels personalized and tailored to their pain points or needs, and if you deliver that, they will feel heard and be more likely to engage.
Consistent voices and messages
You can’t post one type of ad on social media and then take a completely different approach on the business directories, for example. Yes, you must cater to your audience and blend in with your surroundings, but not to a fault. Make sure that you have a consistent message across all platforms and channels, and that you have the right message.
A robust user experience
People are going to be interacting with your brand on multiple channels. The entire experience must be exceptional or they are going to notice. This means starting from the beginning with channel integration, unified communication, and marketing designed around giving the user resources in their native online environment.
Tips for Successful Multichannel Marketing
Some things should be on your do/don’t list when you are researching this type of marketing and thinking about your own strategy. You will have your own specific needs and concerns, but the process is similar for anyone looking to attract more business and broaden their audience. Read on for the best tips to help you get more out of your marketing strategy.
Pick a buyer persona
You have to know what audience you have in mind so that you can come up with the right marketing campaigns. Otherwise, you’re creating generic blanket messages, or worse sending the wrong message entirely.
Choose targeted channels and broad-reaching campaigns alike
In addition to picking a specific audience, you also need to think about where you want to find those people and how you will attract them. Targeted campaigns and channels can be a great starting point for several, and they’re becoming much more commonplace in digital marketing plans.
Create unique, multichannel marketing singular messaging for your audience.
People want to feel special. They want to feel like they are valuable and you’re not just mass-emailing 3,000 people hoping that everyone sees the message. When you talk to the audience as if you were friends or peers, you’ll find that it’s a lot easier to succeed in your marketing efforts and expand to more channels in no time at all.
Follow the rules and best practices.
Whether It’s site-specific or a search engine thing, you have to be careful about how you’re searching for things online. You wouldn’t want to search for something that people will never actually find; you aren’t going to mislead others into thinking the same. Make sure that you follow the rules of any site that you post on. This way, you’ll be able
to keep yourself and your customers safe.
Use automation to your advantage
Today, there are a host of automation solutions that are designed to help keep teams connected; as well as make it easier for remote teams to collaborate across the miles. You might even consider upgrading to an all-in-one marketing and business platform that will deliver the full functionality.
So, What Counts as a Channel in Multichannel Marketing?
So many companies are overwhelmed by the influx of new resources online that keeping up with what each is called can be confusing. Technically, anywhere you have an online presence could be considered a channel, including your website. If you can reach your audience and convince them to buy a product or service, it’s a marketing channel. You’ll want to create a robust strategy that allows you to address them all.
Part of using automation is about freeing up your time for further research and development; so be sure to take advantage of that when you can.
Multichannel marketing is about reaching more customers in more places at once—don’t limit your marketing or you’ll limit your success. There are so many ways you can use these channels together, or on their own, that solutions should be available for just about every need.