What is multi-channel marketing?
Multi-channel marketing is a strategy that all business owners and up-and-coming entrepreneurs should be utilizing. What multi-channel marketing does is open up a number of venues and platforms which allows the marketer to interact with the market. It involves interaction with consumers on a multifaceted level, and can be employed through various mediums, including: websites, emails, retail stores, mail order catalogs, texts, etc. Making good use of many platforms helps to keep one’s business–and products—in the public eye; it also allows a business to interact with their customers more frequently, personalizing the face of their business and their message. Not only can this build one’s customer base, but it can also strengthen customer loyalty and help to help business growth, in the process also increasing profit and revenue.
What can it do for me?
Multi-channel marketing is beneficial to a business owner for many reasons. One, it is important, and nearly essential in today’s fast-paced business world, to have access to clientele, wherever they are. Multi-channel marketing allows one’s business to reach all potential customers. According to research, “multi-channel customers spend three to four more than single market customers do.”
Multi-channel marketing is not only an excellent way to advertise one’s business, but statistics prove that it is also a way to increase revenue, and to have an edge over one’s opponent. It is important to familiarize one’s self with the different tactics, channels, and platforms readily accessible to today’s market. Also, knowing the demographics of the targeted market is very important; what appeals to today’s youth may not appeal to a middle-aged market in the same way. Some social media platforms may also comprise a larger percentage of teenager users, such as websites like Instagram and Twitter. Personalizing each advertisement to appeal to each individual demographic is one of the most valuable tactics in multi-channel marketing. Knowing what works in multi-channel marketing and what doesn’t is crucial, and will help the marketer reach a wider audience. It is also important to remember that the market changes constantly. Keeping up with these changes may be the key to keeping one’s business alive and thriving, and will also help a business compete with the market’s contending companies.
What to look for when you do multi-channel marketing
Though there are many benefits to multi-channel marketing, there are also some disadvantages and challenges of which marketers need to be aware. One needs to be aware that each channel is not the same. Content must be designed to fit the individual style of each platform but still retain its original message. For example, some channels—social media websites—may have a character limit, which can constrain one’s message. Knowing how to deliver each message on different platforms effectively is fundamental.
The benefits of multi-channel marketing outweigh their challenges. As long as marketers remember to identify their audience, acquaint themselves with their channel, and learn how to deliver their message in a way that is informative and suitable to its platform, then multi-channel marketing can be a successful way to grow their business.
What are your thoughts? Is your brand embracing multi-channel marketing? What are some tips you can share with our readers?
