Modern digital marketing calls for a nuanced yet comprehensive approach that is simultaneously targeted and far-reaching. Seems like a lot to handle, right? These qualities may appear at odds with one another, but they are both achievable through the power of multi-channel marketing.
Multi-channel represents the new status quo in digital marketing, and that’s not about to change. Keep reading to learn why multi-channel strategies have taken over — and to learn why this powerful approach is preferable to the limited outreach of yesteryear.
What Is Multi-Channel Marketing?
Multi-channel marketing is an effective digital strategy that builds several platforms or channels into the process of connecting with and nurturing leads. Today’s multi-channel strategies typically incorporate email, social media and landing pages, although some businesses take this a step further by integrating print campaigns as well. No two multi-channel initiatives look exactly alike, but all aim to provide multiple means of connecting, plus easy navigation between channels.
Why Is Multi-Channel Marketing So Important?
Multi-channel marketing is a must for reaching customers in today’s complex digital environment. While it can be tempting to focus on just one or two platforms, this approach has serious limitations: Today’s consumers use different platforms for different reasons and expect their favorite brands to do so as well.
Relying on a single channel makes it frustratingly difficult for leads to connect in a way they find meaningful. Other advantages worth considering include:
Remain top of mind
Today’s consumers are inundated with content. They are eager to engage but can only dedicate their limited time and attention to so many brands or initiatives. Even the most dynamic, eye-catching campaigns are quickly forgotten as users move on to the next exciting trend.
Therein lies the value of multi-channel marketing: By engaging with leads across numerous platforms, brands can connect where, when and how users desire. The more often leads encounter evocative messaging, the more likely they are to remember the brand in question — and the more inclined they will eventually be to convert.
Strengthen retargeting campaigns
Multi-channel marketing plays a central role in today’s retargeting initiatives, which focus on users who have previously engaged but failed to convert. Sometimes, this lack of conversion simply stems from the lead’s preference for interacting on a different platform. If the lead can be reached via a more desirable channel, a little extra nurturing could eventually produce a conversion that would not have been possible elsewhere.
Cross-channel retargeting is also effective in that the same branding can feel fresh when presented through a new platform. In this way, it’s possible to continue engaging with promising leads without overdoing it.
For example, leads will almost certainly tire of seeing repeated marketing emails from the same brand, but they may be receptive to one or two marketing emails combined with a few nuanced social media ads and, perhaps, a YouTube video or even print materials. The lead might actually interact more often, but this messaging will never feel stale.
Gather and analyze consumer metrics
Different platforms produce different results, but these can be difficult to discern when focusing on just one or two channels. Data-driven campaigns benefit from a wealth of insights, which are easily gained when performance is observed, tracked and analyzed via multiple platforms.
Each channel provides unique opportunities to learn more about the lead’s experience. Email marketing, for example, offers insights from open, click-through and bounce rates, while social media provides a wide array of metrics such as impressions, likes and comments. Together, these indicators produce a more well-rounded view of marketing performance, along with better insights into necessary adjustments and other opportunities for improvement.
Embrace Multi-Channel Marketing
Digital marketing trends come and go, but multi-channel strategies clearly have staying power. While preferred channels will evolve over time, the value of a comprehensive digital solution will remain. Make the most of this opportunity to provide the personalized and impactful outreach that today’s discerning consumers demand.
Author bio: Aaron Wittersheim is Chief Operating Officer at Straight North, a digital marketing company. He helped startups, middle-market, and Fortune 500 companies improve organizational structure and grow through his expertise in process conception, task automation, technology, and internal project management.
