3 Key Essentials To Making A Multichannel Marketing Strategy Work

Posted on: 13 October 2016

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These days, consumers have a broader range of options when it comes to engaging with their favorite brands. From e-mail and mobile apps to social and video media, direct and digital marketers have more ground in order to successfully captivate and engage their audiences. As the number of new media channels grow, the focus on a successful multichannel marketing effort becomes sharper.

Although multichannel marketing has been around for quite some time, many companies have yet to fully grasp its effectiveness. The following offers 3 key essentials to consider when developing a multichannel marketing strategy.

Coordinate and Track Your Data

Coordination is the key when it comes to collecting and managing data from different channels. The tendency to warehouse data in separate databases can actively hinder efforts to create and manage a successful multichannel marketing campaign. By integrating consumer data across all channels, you'll have more opportunities to create a customized consumer experience. As an example, integrated data can be used for targeted marketing to specific yet lucrative audiences.

It's important to note that some channels tend to collect more data than others. For instance, websites and call centers are more likely to generate larger volumes of consumer information during a successful sale than a brick-and-mortar retail location.

Having all of your consumer data readily available from a centralized access point makes it easier for your organization to track user behavior. Using third-party tools to track and analyze online profiles and consumer behaviors can help your company gain even further insight to your multichannel marketing efforts.

Seek Out the Influential

In a world where trending topics captivate countless millions of users, having the ear of a notable industry influencer or two can bring your company and its brand to the forefront. Influencers run the gamut from bloggers and print authors to seasoned industry leaders, respected consultants, and well-known media personalities. But every influencer shares one important aspect -- the ability to get others mobilized, energized, and ready to act.

Keep in mind that the best influencers aren't always the ones with the most followers. Instead, it helps to identify potential influencers who have high engagement rates among their audience. If they're already discussing the topic within their audience, that's also a plus. Rising influencers are also more likely and willing to vouch for your brand than someone who's already well-established, since a well-known influencer might already have requests from several other brands.

It's also important to identify the right influencers for your targeted demographic. An influencer whose audience is largely composed of followers who are in the 25 to 34-year-old age group won't be effective at getting the message across for a product or service aimed at people age 65 and up. It helps to segment your list of influencers according to specific attributes, including demographics, location, and topics.

When It Comes to CRM, Go Custom

Many companies rely on third-party customer relationship management (CRM) software for a wide variety of reasons -- it's usually quicker to set up and all of the tools a company would need to manage and evaluate consumer information are already in place. Unfortunately, third-party CRM solutions may not be as responsive to the needs of a brand that's being promoted through multichannel marketing efforts.

Going with a custom CRM solution instead of third-party software ensures that you see all of the data you need to make effective marketing decisions and grab opportunities as they come. A custom CRM may also offer unique features that may not be available with a comparable third-party solution. For starters, a custom CRM allows you to customize your dashboard to display the exact features and information you need for tracking and managing customer information. 

Contact a digital marketing services company for more information.