It is easy to focus on marketing to customers in one channel, emphasizing social media, email or text message marketing. However, this has significant limitations. Market segments typically prefer one channel over another, and you want to engage with your customers everywhere they are. Yet you can’t afford to overload customers by sending too many messages through any channel. Here are a few tips on how to successfully implement a multi-channel marketing strategy in your organization.
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It Starts with Being Present
Multi-channel marketing starts with being present on every channel. Offline, it means having print ads and radio ads. Online, it includes email marketing, social media profiles and online ads.
However, merely being present isn’t enough; you also need to have a consistent brand presence across every channel. You need to make sure that you have the same messaging regarding your brand, though the content you promote may vary based on the audience.
The next step is focusing on engagement. Interact with your customers, and make sure that you adapt your message depending on the segment. However, that doesn’t mean that each channel and demographic will deserve the same attention. Work on those who are getting you the most results now, and consider abandoning those who aren’t getting you any results. You might want to try and dabble with some for a while, but don’t spend too much time on something that just isn’t working and move on.
Integrate Systems So That Customers Have Seamless Contact
You may need to integrate currently siloed systems so that your customers have unified communication. This requires your company to have a single repository of customer information that is continually maintained, whatever channel they use to reach out to your team.
If someone posts a problem on social media, reach out to them and update the customer database so that customer service can address it when they call or email your team. If they engage with your brand through instant messaging, ensure that the information is captured in the customer’s record. They should get the same advice or marketing content no matter how they connect with your company.
Consolidate and Coordinate Customer Data
You need to maintain the customer contact information so that everyone is working off the same, correct data set. This could be done with a multichannel automation tool like Autopilot. Then, a tool like PieSync could allow you to do a two way sync for Autopilot with Mailchimp to automate a large part of your customer relationship management process. With a tool like this, properties for a user will be automatically updated in MailChimp when emails bounce in Autopilot. Autopilot also grades contacts so that hot leads are flagged in your Mailchimp database, ensuring that they get the right marketing content. In addition, PieSync will also allow you to automatically exchange customer information from Autopilot to your CRM, and vice versa.
Have Smart Goals
The goal should not simply be to maximize email marketing list signups, or maximize likes on a social media platform. So, have smart goals, knowing how every marketing metric ties into your overall goal of converting prospects into paying customers or retaining current customers. This will be the only way to truly monitor your efforts, and know exactly where you should be spending them. This will also make sure that your messaging remains consistent and has the maximum impact.
For example, you need detailed customer profiles if you’re going to send them relevant marketing information. If you only have basic contact information, find ways to get the information through customer surveys or social media habits. The more information you have, the more seamless the interaction will be no matter the channel.
Also, design funnels that include content marketing with a clear call to action, whether it is buying a product or signing up for email lists. Pay attention to metrics like conversion rates and the average value of customers.
Having this data is essential to determining the success of marketing activities. Coordinated marketing strategies and consolidating data allows you to determine the ROI of each channel. You may even be able to keep up with customers as they move across channels, either as individuals or groups. Furthermore, you’ll be able to set better goals based on your understanding of how more social media likes or email signups impacts the bottom line.
The more you know, the better you’ll be able to readjust your strategies or abandon them altogether. This is what ultimately makes the difference between an efficient and well-managed strategy, and one that lacks direction.
The keys to successful multichannel marketing include a coordinated plan and integrated marketing systems. Everyone should literally be onboard with the same message, from your team to your prospects.
