- By: Mark Jakobsen
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Getting traction with multi-channel marketing
Often, when talking to clients we get asked: “What’s the best way to reach customers?” And a lot of times there is this singular view that you only need to do one type of marketing, whether it’s social media, Search Engine Optimisation, emailing, or another form. They are all great avenues to get the customer’s attention, but much like one swallow does not make a summer, one marketing channel does not get you customers.
When it comes to marketing, there is never a clear-cut way forward on how to engage with your customers. Industries vary, and the way we all process information differs from person to person. That’s why we believe a multi-channel approach is always the better way forward.
Marketing isn’t rocket science
That said, what we do believe is that marketing can be seen as an extension of psychology. A lot of it is made up of how people behave and interact with your brand.
And the thing is, we’re all different. We evolve individually based on our experiences and surroundings. What we think one year may be different the next. Additionally, how information is consumed changes from group to group. And this is where your customer personas play a crucial role. For example, 34% of Gen Z-ers have said they are done with social media for good. So, if they are the group you are targeting and you are relying only on social media to get your message across, you will be missing a big chunk of your potential market.
This is where multi-channel marketing comes in.
What is multi-channel marketing?
Put simply, multi-channel marketing is utilising several different channels (social media, Search Engine Optimisation, events, etc) to get your message across. The more you can get your brand in front of your customers, the more awareness you’re going to build.
Which channels should you consider?
This is the tricky bit. There’s a wealth of graphs out there that will show you the best marketing channels, and invariably each will show you something a little different so it’s hard to say. That’s not meant to be a copout, just a fact.
If we look at our customers as an example, we’ve been able to generate over 90% of their leads from event attendance over the past year for one customer. While for another the main source has been outbound email. Go figure!
What’s important to look at when it comes to these two companies, is they work in completely different industries. So it stands to reason that their target markets are different and by extension the people they want to target have different attributes.
And this is the key, you need to know your customer. By doing the hard work and delving into who they are, how they work, and how they digest their information, then you can create a marketing strategy that will utilise the right channels to get your message across. Then you just need to worry about getting the right message to them.
Getting your campaign right
Successful marketing campaigns will take time and patience to put together. They will have three key components:
- Customer-centric approach: Tailoring the content to the different customer types.
- Integrated approach: Ensuring all content is consistent in terms of branding and messaging across all channels being utilised
- Listening to the data: Monitoring the performance over time to understand what is working and what isn’t. Adjusting the strategy and monitoring again to ensure continual improvement.
If you like the idea of creating a multi-channel approach but are a little daunted by the idea, or unsure where to start, drop us a line and we’d be happy to talk it through.
So, there you have it—five approaches to handle scope creep without losing your cool. Use them wisely, and you’ll keep your projects on track and your sanity intact.