Utilising multi-channel marketing to maximise brand engagement.

Almost every successful marketing strategy now involves at least two different marketing channels - and that’s often the bare minimum. With the influx of new digital platforms and modern communication methods continuing to increase, multi-channel marketing is now, for the most part, the new norm. But, what makes it so relevant and effective in today’s marketing landscape?

Consumer engagement is no longer an easy accomplishment due to competitive and saturated markets, and it’s only bound to get more challenging with the ever-evolving world of technology, social media, modern marketing techniques and more. Information is so readily available for consumers; either online or on buses, billboards, posters and more - so it’s becoming increasingly more difficult for marketers to capture audience attention. Brands need to be visible on a number of different channels to maximise exposure, and that’s where multi-channel marketing comes into play!

Multi-channel marketing involves the utilisation of mixed communication channels in order to attract customers from every angle. Understanding that different audiences are present on a variety of channels and that not all platforms are relevant for certain types of content is what makes multi-channel marketing so effective for reach and engagement - not to mention the fact that some consumers are far more susceptible to certain marketing types; such as digital or print. So, where do you start?

1. Communicate your brand's voice

Amongst all the noise and responsibility, it can be easier than you think to lose sight of your brand's messaging when managing multi-channel communication. It’s paramount that you identify and stick to your brand's voice and purpose, and align it with consumer pain points - that way, you’ll continue to engage your audience with compelling content that provides an actual solution for them. Remember, this needs to be translated across all digital channels as well as any printed collateral on a regular basis too, so that your visibility, relevance and consistency remains high.

The more that your brand is seen, the more inclined your audience will be to choose you instead of your competitors.

2. Work with data

Don’t just go with what you think your audience wants, use the evidence available to back up what you’re doing in an effort to effectively reach them. Monitoring your own traffic and your own audience’s behaviours is where data can have the biggest impact on your strategy and in turn, your results. For instance, if all of your high quality leads are coming through your marketing efforts on Instagram, use that knowledge to your advantage and step up your game there; implement some content variation, post more frequently, optimise your platform further or spend some time researching trending hashtags - you get the idea! Monitoring your marketing analytics will ensure that you understand which avenues are most effective for your brand, and it can often be the key to effectively improving your multi-channel strategy.

3. Personalise your efforts and use targeted messaging

Your communications should reflect how well you know your audience. You have to remember that people are constantly receiving a high number of brand messages across a variety of different channels - so, how are you going to stand out? Personalisation and targeted brand messaging. These elements work remarkably well together when done correctly and this is how you’ll become favourable (and memorable!) as your messaging will be bespoke. By tailoring your marketing outputs to your customers, alongside pushing the right content, you’ll likely generate long lasting consumer relationships, an increase in referrals, improved credibility, higher conversion rates and much more. If you combine well thought out content with targeted messaging that’s based on consumer behaviours, you’ll be onto a winning multi-channel marketing strategy.

4. Embrace print marketing

You might ask yourself, is print still worth the time and budget in 2021? Absolutely! Print still plays a significant and powerful role in placing your brand in front of your target audience, which is why businesses shouldn’t push it aside as an outdated practise. From billboards and direct mail, to leaflets and packaging, the possibilities with print are vast and it can actually make your campaigns and messaging even more effective.

A study showed that campaigns made up of both print and digital advertising were up to 400% more effective.

So, combining print with other channels will provide an additional touchpoint in your customer’s journey, whilst also helping you reinforce your messaging and branding.

5. Review performance

With any successful marketing strategy comes evaluation. If you never take the time to measure your own performance, then you’ll never understand what’s doing well and what needs tweaking. What might be working well across all channels now, might not be relevant in a few months’ time - just as you think you’ve cracked it, new platforms emerge and marketing trends spiral into a completely new landscape! So it’s highly probable that you’ll have to re-evaluate your strategy from time to time; whether that’s tweaking your social strategy, redesigning your email templates, investing in paid advertising or incorporating a brand new platform into your plan. Utilising your marketing performance and analytics will play a huge part in navigating your direction and ensuring that your activity continually aligns with your goals and your audience’s requirements.

So, what’s the biggest takeaway here? Every channel you're using matters. Providing a seamless, multi-channel experience for your customers and prospects is key in driving better results. Experiment with this five step approach and see how you get on! Alternatively, you can get in touch with a member of our friendly marketing team if you’d like further support on how to boost customer engagement across a variety of channels. Drop us a line at info@summitcreative.co.uk.