Some pairings just feel…right.
Batman and Robin. Sherlock and Watson. Kirk and Spock.
But outside of fictional characters, this rule holds true in the business world. Once you find the right synergy, things get easier. With that in mind, we’re talking about multi-channel marketing this month!
How do you find the right channels? Correct messaging? The right audience to target?
Let’s dive in.
Multi-Channel, What Is It?
The name is self-explanatory, but there’s more to it than you might expect.
You’re not just throwing together a few different marketing tactics and hoping they work.
Instead you evaluate the needs/wants of your audience, map the right channels of communication, and develop targeted messages that resonate.
The name of the game – as it is with all marketing efforts – is engaging your audience where they prefer to be.
And a multi-channel approach – when done correctly – greatly increases the likelihood of catching your audience in the right time/place.
But where do you find your audience? How do you know what group of people is the right fit for you?
Find Your Audience
So you’ve decided that you’d like to invest in multi-channel – great!
Now to figure out who’s best suited to your unique offering. When evaluating possible audiences, here’s are a few things we consider:
Market Potential: By analyzing your industry you can get a comprehensive view into which customers are best suited to your product/service and present the greatest ROI.
Acquisition Costs: The hard truth is that some audiences are costly to target…The key factor? Ensuring customer acquisition cost (CAC) don’t exceed revenue potential.
The question of who to target is critical answer before you launch across your channels of choice.
And speaking of channel selection, that’s next up on your to-do list!
Picking The Right Channel(s)
In the modern era there’s no lack of marketing vehicles at your fingertips. Email, SMS, social media, direct mail, digital advertising, radio, the list goes on.
But not every channel will work for every business. The obvious question then becomes: How do I pick the right one for my business?
Campaign Goals: What’s your objective? Generating customer awareness, website traffic, lead generation, increased sales, etc? Answering this question is the first step towards deciding your channel(s) of focus.
Competitive Analysis: This one is self-explanatory. Battling your competition is a necessary part of doing business, but the less “crowded” a channel is by your competitors, the better!
Audience: Your target audience’s preferences are a great indicator of what’s working, and what isn’t. Demographics like age, income, gender, education, etc. are great clues!
(Note: The channels you start your campaign with might not be the same ones you end with)
Crystal Clear Messaging
The last detail to consider, messaging!
What do you want your customer to understand about your business? What actions do you want them to take in response?
In our years of experience, we’ve become adept at identifying messaging strategies to attract and engage your specific audience. Here’s a few starting ingredients:
-Your audience’s pain points/problems
-Competitive advantage and unique value proposition
-The messaging of your competition
Tweaking this throughout your marketing campaign is a part of the process.
Conclusion
What does this all mean..?
Starting a multi-channel campaign yourself is virtually impossible without the correct prerequisites in place.
If you think a multi-channel approach could positively impact your business, be sure to do a little introspection as to why.
If you find a few reasons that align with some of what we mentioned above, it may be a sign to explore further!
-The IDS Team
Conclusion:
