The Effectiveness of Multi-Channel Marketing  

Ineffective brand messaging can destroy even the most dynamic business. And that’s why business owners and entrepreneurs should pay extra attention to marketing, and in particular, the effectiveness of multi-channel marketing.

Multi-channel marketing simply means you are communicating with potential customers through a variety of different channels: think TV, mobile, email, direct mail, etc. It is marketing based on the principle that a wider presence drives better results. It is also based on a recognition that technology has irrevocably altered the way customers live, work, play and consume.

Today’s customers are flooded with choices. Along with traditional leisure activities, such as TV or radio, we now devote countless hours to our favorite blogs, websites and social media platforms. Many of us are permanently plugged in, consuming thousands of emails, videos, blog posts and other forms of content each week.

This is an enormous opportunity for marketers—especially if your message is properly conveyed and disseminated. But this is easier said than done. According to the research firm Gartner, nine out of 10 marketers “struggle to connect” more than three channels when targeting buyers. These are missed opportunities.

Here are a few tips to connect with your target audience.

Integrated Marketing Channels

Having a presence on every possible channel is laudable, but it’s only half the battle. Integrating your marketing efforts across multiple platforms so they complement each other is the ultimate aim. Setting up a half-dozen social media accounts isn’t enough. Rather, you need to go one step further and make sure they all work together cohesively to pursue your overarching marketing goals.

Consistency is Key

Here is the truth about marketing: Never in history have there been so many potential points of interaction with customers—and the number is only going to continue to grow. Managing customer experiences across one or two platforms is relatively easy; doing so with two dozen separate channels is more of a challenge. But once you overcome this hurdle, you must engage customers consistently using the same standards for all platforms.

Unified Message

It is tempting to tailor your message to fit the channel. For example, you might want to customize your presentation to older people on Facebook and use a hipper approach to appeal to younger customers on Snapchat. Unfortunately, calibrating your message for dozens of channels is not very efficient and greatly increases the odds of making crucial marketing mistakes. A unified message across all platforms will prevent the possibility of eroding your brand in any way.  By focusing your message on the platforms where your target audience is spending time will create greater results than tailoring your message to audiences that are not necessarily your target market.

The real power of multi-channel marketing lies in the idea of a single, unified message or campaign communicated across multiple channels. Wherever potential customers are, the message will find them. This is one of the core principles behind multi-channel marketing that makes it so effective. If you follow these tips, you will have a successful multi-channel marketing strategy.