Companies need a number of tools to grow their client base. As you know, marketing is one of the most versatile and easily the most important. Multichannel marketing, in particular, is an extremely valuable tactic for companies of any size.
If you are interested in getting started with multichannel marketing, then you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we’ll look at what defines multichannel marketing and how you can incorporate it into your brand vision.
What is Multichannel Marketing
So, what is multichannel marketing? It’s a marketing technique in which a company connects with its client base through many different channels. These include but are not limited to:
- Website
- Social Media
- Billboards and Flyers
- Print Advertising
- Billboards
- Mobile Apps
- Video Advertising
By creating content for many different channels, a brand can reach many different people in varying scenarios. In some cases, a user will encounter the brand’s content in a number of channels throughout their daily activities. For example, driving on the way to work they will see a billboard on the side of the road advertising the launch of a new car. On the radio, they will hear a quick ad about the same thing. When scrolling through social media during lunch, a sponsored ad will show up about the same thing.
In other cases, a user interested in cars will receive an email newsletter about the launch, maybe even an invitation to an event. They will see a video ad while watching their favorite car videos on YouTube or while playing a racing car game on their mobile.
Multichannel marketing creates many touchpoints for the user during their buyer’s journey. These touchpoints are connected between each other. For example, on that billboard by the road is a hashtag. When the user gets to their destination, they search for the hashtag on Twitter. They read all about the car launch and see more info on the brand’s Twitter account. From there, they navigate to the website where they learn even more.
After that, it’s up to the user how to proceed, through the channel of their choice.
Multichannel Marketing is All About Choice
The main idea behind multichannel marketing is the concept of choice. Users can connect with the brand through whichever channel they prefer and are comfortable with. They might connect with the brand via their website on a desktop computer because they work from home. Or maybe they prefer to call on the phone while in the back of an Uber. Others might be more inclined to visit a physical location.
With multichannel marketing, users are given many opportunities to interact with a brand on their own terms. Thus giving the brand a solid presence which the users can rely on.
Creating Content Cross-over Between Channels
In some cases, different channels can work hand in hand to offer a unified content strategy. For example, making a website and a mobile app that are similar in UX/UI design, or a landing page which links to a YouTube channel. Creating cross over content is an essential tactic of multichannel marketing. It’s also the first step towards omnichannel marketing, which unifies all channel offline and online for seamless user experiences.
Get Started with Multichannel Marketing
Getting started with multichannel marketing starts with knowing your brand’s user persona. Mainly, where and how they consume content. Plan your multichannel marketing strategy around where your client base hangs out. The point of multichannel marketing is not to force users to buy. It’ to give them reasons to buy without being pushy or overwhelming.
Visualize campaigns with an organizational chart. Place the main topic of the campaign at the top, the different types of content branch out to the different channels, and the user receives the influx from every direction. Then, collect the data to know which channels are performing better with which content. Do A/B testing with different visuals and copy to help get an even deeper idea of what the users react to. The analysis of the data helps content creators make better content in the future.
The Marketing Team Needs Seamless Communication and a Brand Style Guide
For a successful multichannel marketing strategy, your marketing team needs to work together in unison. In some cases, there can be different teams for email or for social media, but they still need to know what and how they are doing when. Tasks are divided and assigned with content and editorial calendars for every channel.
Content creators need a brand guideline which explains not only the visual aspects of the brand but also the brand message. Designers need a design system for web, app, and print design. A design system is a visual guide which sets the rules not only of colors and fonts but also more detailed explanations of how and when to use specific visual assets.
Choose the Right Channels
The choice of channels for multichannel marketing depends on each company and brand. Retail brands and SaaS companies need different channels for their strategies. In the same manner, cross channel promotion depends on where the users consume content and how they like to shop.
Start with the channels you are already using and work your way from there. Have the marketing team use these channels as a base to then analyze if they really do work for your brand or if you need to implement others.
The Future of Multichannel Marketing
Multichannel marketing tactics can be quite successful for many companies if done right. Furthermore, cross over content can entice users to become loyal customers. But what can a brand do once they’ve mastered multichannel marketing?
That’s where omnichannel marketing comes in. Omnichannel marketing is a tactic which connects all the channels in a multichannel marketing strategy, blurring the line between offline and online marketing.
The transition from multichannel to omnichannel marketing is better achieved with the data collected from previous campaigns. Use the data to implement personalized content creation through all the channels which the brand works with.
Omnichannel marketing concentrates on the user experience and needs a good multichannel marketing base first.
Conclusion
As you can see, multichannel marketing is a powerful tool for companies of any size. As small as two or three channels to large scale campaigns across ten channels, multichannel marketing, and cross channel promotion can skyrocket sales.
The choice to transition to omnichannel marketing will depend on the style of company and products or services provided.
In this article, we looked at getting started with multichannel marketing. We hope it helps you with future marketing campaigns for your company and brand.
Featured image via Silvrock / shutterstock.com
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