Multi-channel marketing is the practice of engaging and interacting with the consumer by using a combination of direct and indirect communication platforms. These platforms include: social media, websites, direct mail, brochures, catalogs etc,
Multi-channel marketing gives you the opportunity to inform the consumer on a variety of platforms. It also gives the consumer the opportunity to learn about your business through the platform of their choice.
Why Multi-channel Marketing Matters
You need to be where your customers are, and today, the consumer is everywhere. We have more touch points than ever before and this needs to be considered when developing your marketing strategy.
Today’s consumer has more control over the buying process than marketers do. This is because of the proliferation of available communication channels, and customers have more choice than they ever had when it comes to how they get their information. Therefore, multi-channel marketing is a must!
So, how do you get your multi-channel marketing right?
We investigate…
Develop and Maintain an Understanding of the Consumer
Have a single view of the consumer. This is critical because today’s consumer interacts with your brand on a variety of platforms and different channels. It is important that you understand how your consumers interact and behave across these channels and you need to understand each consumers value to your business.
To get this single view, you need to collect data that consolidates all customer data in a single place.
When creating and maintaining this single view point, keep this in mind:
Your customer evolves and changes, as does business. As your business evolves and changes, so too will your consumer. Always be refreshing your data, building new models, and updating previous models.
Establish a Channel for Multi-channel Marketing
Multi-channel marketing requires a multi-channel marketing platform as well. This platforms should assist with processes and technology support.
Your multichannel marketing platform should include:
- Campaign Management: Capabilities for workflow, segmentation and campaign execution for both inbound and outbound marketing.
- Advanced Analytics: Capabilities for campaign optimisation and predictive analytics.
- Response Attribution: Capabilities to perform mix marketing optimisation, scenario planning, and marketing attribution analysis.
- Digital Marketing: Capabilities that extend beyond traditional channels into digital channels.
By developing a strong multi-channel marketing platform, you can integrate traditional and digital channels seamlessly. You will also simplify the development and implementation of cross channel campaigns by allowing marketers to create a single campaign that is replicated across all channels. With this system in place, you reach the right consumer through the right channel – at the right time. This system will also reduce cost and improve your campaigns effectiveness.
Create Consistent Consumer Experience across all Platforms
Customer experience is often considered the most powerful competitive difference. And consistent customer experience is just as important as the quality of the experience. This is because your consumers experience with your business in its entirety, whether online or offline, needs to be consistent in brand message and corporate identity.
If you treat your online marketing as a separate entity from your physical marketing, you will just confuse the consumer. And how can you expect them to trust an inconsistent business?
Print Marketing and your Multi-channel Marketing Campaign
We live in the age of digital interaction, but we must never underestimate the power of print. Multi-channel marketing must take advantage of print marketing, combining it with a digital marketing campaign at the same time. Think direct mail marketing that directs the consumer to your website, online promotional code, or eCommerce site.
This tangible, physical marketing that includes direct mail, promotional products, brochures, signage and more, is effective for any brand.
Here are the facts:
- 45% of consumers over 65 do not have internet at home.
- 92% of millennial’s say that direct mail, not online marketing and email, has the most influence over their purchase decisions.
- Print impacts the consumer in a way that digital marketing cannot – this is because print is tangible, and the consumer engages more with the material than they do with online content.
- The response rate to direct mail is 10 – 30 times that of email.
- Promotional products and corporate stationery are often thought of as gifts, and are held onto for longer. The more unique or useful, the more value they have, for example: branded calendars and notepads.
- As the world goes digital, physical promotion has more value to the consumer. It is now “out-of-the-box” marketing and therefore, more memorable and appreciated.
JETLINE: LEADING PRINTING COMPANY SOUTH AFRICA
If you are looking to be noticed, invest time in your marketing strategy. Combine strategic digital marketing with traditional marketing and your brand will become easily recognisable and trusted. It all comes down to targeting and creativity.
Contact your closest Jetline branch for more information about our printing services here.
Contact Jetweb for more information about our digital services.
Time to get marketing!
