The Strategic use of Different Marketing Channels

The strategic use of different marketing channels affect our online business success, lead attraction system, prospect nurturing and conversion rates. Let’s be honest. Our goal as a business is to sell more. If we do not generate any sales, then it is not a business, but a hobby instead.

And…it could be an expensive hobby… The price for domain, hosting, ads, other services and time… Because we only have as much. Our time is precious.

Most often the average organisation won’t have enough time or budget to be present on every channel. That’s why brands need to focus on testing and choosing the right types of channel strategy for their identity and their audience.

As the old saying, “if you built it, they will come,” just don’t work today any more.
The good news?

Keep reading on…
And you will find out how to choose the right marketing channels to reach your customers.
The ones, that bring leads and converts them into customers…
If you have questions like:
What are channel strategies in marketing?
What are the different marketing channels?
Why is channel strategy important?

Then take some time and read this article. As you through the article, everything will be answered. By the end of the article you will be armed with knowledge that will help in your business.

Choose the right channels, and you can do a lot more than just connect with your ideal
clients. A strong marketing channel strategy means that you’re always ready to engage your audience on the platforms they spend most of their time.
The impressive growth of internet, globalization and diffusion of technology have
impacted every industry and business model.

Marketing is definitely one of the most crucial success tools for any business- big or small, no matter on business or audience location or business nature.
Choosing the right marketing channel could be a challenging task.

How does Marketing Channel Strategy relate to Marketing Strategy?
What is a Marketing Channel strategy?

Today we live in a very modern business world. We have soooo many different platforms, channels, avenues and campaigns like never before. Businesses use these channels to connect with their target audience. Your “channels” are the ways that you choose to speak to your customers in the places and environments that they visit the most.

So, channel strategy aims to find the best way to get the most visibility for your
products and services. To show your brand to the world and to connect with your
potential customers. …

Marketing Channel Strategy could be:

1. direct
In the Digital Marketing World, direct channel is when you sell your products and services directly.
2. indirect
In the Digital Marketing World, direct channel is when you sell your products and
services directly on your website or social media channels (yes, sales happen on
social media too).
Indirect channel strategy is when you use third party, commonly called affiliates or
partners.

Direct sales are the simplest approach because all the profit is yours. However, if you
are just starting out, your best option could be to partner or use affiliates.
Channel management involves both marketing and sales strategies your company
uses to move prospects through the sales journey.
When establishing your channel management solutions, identify clear goals for each
channel. (A channel is how you plan to sell your goods or services to your target
audience).

The Three Steps of The Strategic use of different Marketing
Channels

The Strategic use of different Marketing
Channels. Step #1

1. Understand the different channels and platforms for digital marketing.
Their importance and effectiveness. What is right for you and your business- it is only a question you have to ask yourself.
Make sure the channels you choose aligns with who you are. Do you like to do videos then consider YouTube? Do you love talking and not showing your face- then consider platforms where you don’t need to show your face. Podcast marketing- good choice too!. Do you love social media- then go for it. Or maybe you love writing- the BLOG is your answer.

However, some tasks can be outsourced, so do not get discouraged from any
marketing channel.
Also, remember- your success comes when you get out of your comfort zone. And
yes, the feeling when you achieve it- is UNREAL, agree?

The Strategic use of different Marketing
Channels. Step #2

2. Choose a few channels.
Try and test and see what works the best in your business. Stop the ones, that do not
work, go and search for others. Discover the golden sources and repeat the steps,
that drives results.
Multichannel strategy will provide competitive advantage to cope with changing dynamics of the globalized world.

The Strategic use of different Marketing
Channels. Step #3

3. Discover where your target market is going to be most.
This is crucial! Are you not sure about this- the quickest way is to check out your competitors?
What marketing channels do your competitors use? How many? What is their main channel? Spend some time and get to know this data. It is unbeatable information for your business.

 

Your Goal as a business is to get traffic, generate leads and convert them into customers.
There are plenty marketing channels and platforms to choose from, and they have
features that allow to generate leads. But you have to optimise every step you do, to
achieve your business goals. Because prospects are dropping off in every single step
of their journey with you.

Today, marketing channel decisions are as important as the decisions companies

make about the features and prices of products.
If you can’t get your product to them when, where, and how they want it, they will simply buy a competing product. GRRRRRR. That’s not the plan, right? In other words, how companies sell their services and products, has become as important as what they sell.

As you probably have noticed (well, if you haven’t, you were probably born yesterday) the marketing environment is always changing. Always something new comes out new products, new services, new versions, new updates, new technologies and… new marketing channels.

What was a great channel yesterday might not be a great channel today. Changes in technology, production techniques, as well as your customer’s needs mean that you have to continually reevaluate your marketing channels. You monitor your strategy plans and ally yourself with. Moreover, when you create a new product, you can’t assume the channels that were used in the past are the best ones today.

Let’s have a quick look at one example
Remember Microsoft’s digital encyclopaedia, called Encarta. Back in the 1990’s they
used to sell CD’s via online subscriptions. Encarta nearly destroyed Encyclopaedia Britannica, a firm that had dominated the print encyclopaedia business for literally centuries. Ironically, Microsoft had actually tried to partner with Encyclopaedia Britannica to use its encyclopaedia information to make Encarta but was turned down.

Today Encarta no longer exists. It’s been put out of business by the free online
encyclopaedia. Yes, it’s called Wikipedia. This is how Internet, Digital Marketing can
change and turn tables overnight.
The point is that products and their marketing channels are constantly evolving. To
build a thriving business, you and your company have to be ready to evolve, too.

The Strategic use of Different Marketing Channels Affects

Defining your Channel Marketing Strategy

Types of Marketing Strategy channels:

1. Retail and e-commerce
The most traditional marketing channel strategy option is retail. It is opening a physical store that your customers can visit.
Another option is to choose a website as your sales machine.
In the Modern Business world, even if you have a physical store, it would be clever to combine it with selling online. The eCommerce and retail operations would be a far better approach. For instance, retail locations can offer additional customer service, guarantees, while eCommerce channels can sell online more. Maybe nationwide or…
even globally.

I believe with the biggest crisis the world has ever seen, that put us all in homes for over a year now….all businesses are moving online.
Today, more than ever before, businesses operating online, and in most cases…. from
home.
If you are not selling online yet, do consider this option!
Selling online- is like a window to the world. Think website, think GLOBAL

2. Digital Sales and SEO + SEM
Whether you are selling directly, or indirectly (you are an affiliate) search engine optimisation (SEO) and search engine marketing are the best friends of an effective marketing channel to get visibility for your products and services.

Search Engine optimisation (SEO)
Are all practices that help your website get high organic search engine results (rankings). It’s the practice that takes time, patience and also lots of knowledge of how SEO work.
The term SEO is very often mistaken with Search Engine Marketing (SEM).
However, these are two different terms.

Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
Search engine marketing is the practice of marketing when paid advertisements are used to appear on search engine results pages. In simple words, it is a practice, when businesses pay Google to show their ads in the search results.
To sum it up, both SEO and SEM are marketing practices to get a brand in front of
potential clients using digital channels, rather than speaking directly to prospects.

SEO vs SEM

Organic rankings vs Paid rankings
So basically, in both cases you appear on Google search results So, the difference is if you rank organically and don’t pay Google for traffic and clicks.
It’s earned a free spot in the search results by having the most relevant content for a
given keyword search (that’s SEO).
You pay to rank high on search engine results (SEM).
Both SEO and SEM are very effective and should be fundamental parts of your online
marketing strategy.
They both get your brand in front of your customers, rather than speaking directly to
prospects.

3. Social Media Marketing and Personal Selling
Social media is a very common channel strategy option. WHY? Because we all spend countless hours on social media. Today’s smart Digital marketer creates smart tactics to use social media potential to achieve business goals. Social media is a perfect marketing channel option to attract, connect, educate, nurture your leads and convert. Include social media channel in your marketing strategy to form deeper connections that results in more sales. Through various social media campaigns and personal selling, brands can actively promote themselves, engage with consumers, answer all the questions and remove all the sales gatekeepers.

4. Email Marketing and Direct Mail
Email marketing and direct mail marketing are common parts of many channel
strategies.
While email marketing is a quick and automatic process, direct mail takes some time.
To write or print, organise envelopes and postage.
However, in order to impress today’s demanding customer, consider sending direct
mail, let’s say even once per year.
If your products or services have a high price tag, it is so well worth it!
Your Email may be not opened, where direct mail most likely will reach the receiver.
So much more than just sending messages to your contacts, mail-based marketing is
about nurturing your audience and maintaining relationships through valuable,
ongoing interactions. These campaigns take place over a period to build your brand
awareness and trust.

When to send direct mail?

1. Send during the holidays
Why?
People are getting way too much e-mail during these busy times. Direct mail has more
chances your card/letter will reach the person in mind. People expecting to receive gifts. And they’re also expecting to get cards in the mail.

2. Send on customers’ birthdays
If you send direct birthday mail, your customers will think of you in the same way they
think of their family: as generous and kind.
So I do recommend to use both electronic and direct marketing.

5. PR and Marketing Partners
To partner with somebody else, could be the only best solution to get more
traction and buzz. Especially so in the beginning… If you have noticed, millions are
partnering up to compliment services and have a bigger share of the market. The beginning, when you are new and nobody knows you and your brand-could be very frustrating and overwhelming. Why? In case you didn’t realise, you are a secret! To make the first sale is very hard and if you carry all the entrepreneurship on your own shoulders…That’s HUGE. One of the best ways to upgrade your marketing channel strategy is to work with partners, affiliates, brand ambassadors.
Getting PR (public relations) is also a must when you launch a shop or a new product.
It helps to get that buzz around your brand.

What is Multichannel Marketing Strategy?

In simple words, Multichannel is when a brand uses multiple channels to sell to customers.
Once you start developing your marketing channel strategy, you will see the difference between the platform and their features. The different audience and possible reach.
I believe you have your buyer persona profiles, tell me you do, right? So, you have different
categories of your customer profiles, OK? Different age, maybe sex, location etc.

So, while you could reach your business to business clients on LinkedIn, you could use
Instagram to showcase your photos or use another media to target different sex or age.

So, for the best results, it is smart to combine multiple channels to reach a broader selection
of your prospects. Put to use multiple channels at once. It will be a powerful strategy if those
channels complement each other. Use the same features that differentiate you from othersyour logo, your colour palette, your images, your fonts, your voice- anything that is JUST YOU.

A multichannel Marketing Channel Plan should include:
• Your customer profiles and relevant marketing communication channels for each
• SMART objectives for acquiring or retaining clients
• Marketing tactics to achieve the objectives
• The integrated marketing communications channels to be utilized, across multiple
platforms and devices, to attract and convert customers
• A plan how multichannel results will be measured for effectiveness, influence, and exclusion
• The crucial part of multi-channel marketing is figuring out where your audience spends
the most of their time, so you could get the most of these platforms- to connect and
serve

What is Omni Channel Marketing Strategy?

Omnichannel marketing is an approach that provides customers with a completely
seamless and integrated shopping experience from the first touchpoint to the very last.
Omni channel means that all channels are connected and works together to create
unbeatable five-star customer sales journey.
Is it clear now?
To make it easier to understand
Omnichannel is a multi-channel sales approach that provides the customer with an
integrated customer experience. The customer can be shopping online from a desktop
or mobile device, or by telephone, or on third party websites and the experience would
be seamless.

Let’s compare these Marketing channel Strategies

Multichannel vs Omnichannel Marketing

1. Customer needs vs company needs
Omnichannel retailing puts customer needs first. It is about allowing them to conveniently make a purchase through their favourite sales channels.
On the other hand, multichannel strategies focus on the company’s needs and capabilities. Brands aren’t active on every channel. Instead, they choose channels based on profitability, branding opportunities and other internal reasons.

2. The capacity required to support every channel
To create a comprehensive omnichannel experience, you’ll need to be active on every
channel where your target audience hangs out.
You’ll need to provide consistent engagement and create convenient paths to
purchase across your website, marketplaces, third-party retailer sites and social
networks, like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Youtube and Pinterest.

So to sum it up,
both multichannel and omnichannel involve multiple sales channels. The main key difference between them is whether or not these channels are integrated and working in conjunction with one another.
The key difference between Multichannel and Omnichannel is how the customer
experience is connected across those channels.

For example
A traditional multichannel business has a website and a physical store. These
two channels do not interact with one another.

Stores will have their own stock and will sell directly to customers, while the website
will have its own stock. Items purchased in stores can only be returned in store, and sometimes online orders cannot be returned in-store. Basically, the online and offline
marketing channels are treated as separate businesses.
Omnichannel Business has multiple touchpoints with a buyer, the order management
systems are highly integrated across all the channels.

It makes the shopping experience seamless:
customers can interact online on multiple channels, buy online or in a physical shop,
return by post or in-store etc.
In marketing, the terms multichannel and omnichannel are often used
interchangeably. But as you see now, they are similar, but at the same time two
completely different sales approaches.

Multichannel Marketing – Unique, Independent, ChannelFocused
Omnichannel Strategy – Cohesive, Connected, Integrated

The omnichannel, without a doubt is a better experience, a great choice. But one of the barriers to choose it is the cost and complexity.

One of the greatest Omichannel Marketing Strategy Examples
Amazon
What began as an online-only venture has quickly turned into one of the greatest
omnichannel examples in Ecommerce. Not only do customers have access to their
profile via the Amazon website, but they also have access to the same information via:
• The mobile app
• Alexa devices
• Smartwatches
• In-store
Customers can take their Amazon card with them virtually everywhere, thanks to the brand’s seamless omnichannel approach. Not only can customers place and track orders, but they can also choose to pick those orders up in-store, at various “lockers,” or still have them delivered to their doorstep. Need a repeat purchase or something added to your shopping list? Easy—simply manually add it via your smartphone or instruct your Alexa device to add the item to your shopping list for you. Impressive and seamless experience, right?

Creating a Successful Marketing Channel Strategy

Your successful marketing channel strategy starts with an effective plan.
Follow the steps for success

1. Research your competition
Always keep a close eye in your industry. What’s new, what’s working, what’s happening? Monitor your competitors- check out ad campaigns they run, new products/services they add, new markets they enter. Learn from their mistakes and get inspiration from their achievements.

Leverage FREE tool provided by Google- Google Trends . You will discover
what people in your industry are talking about. Time from time check out your niche
related keywords monitor specific keywords. It’s also worth spending some time
watching other companies in your space so you can get an idea of the planning that goes into the types of channel strategy they use.
You need to know what’s happening all around you-so you could differentiate yourself from all other brands.

2. Know your audience
This step starts with defining your buyer persona. The more you know about your audience, the easier for you it will be to connect, understand, build deeper
relationships and sell.

3. Match customer needs to your channel strategy

If you sell online courses with a high price tag, your prospects will need to see you as an expert. Consider content marketing, SEO and YouTube channel to demonstrate and show that you are a go-to person.

Next, you discover the most powerful different marketing channels. Consider these to increase your reach, resonance, and revenue.

7 Marketing Channels to Focus On In 2023

1. Video Marketing
If pictures can say thousands of words, then videos are priceless…
Video is not the future. Video is now. Implement video marketing in your marketing strategy. Video boosts conversions and improves ROI. Videos help to connect quickly and on a deeper level.
2. Word of Mouth Marketing
People trust other consumers more that they trust marketers, because they do know what is their end goal. If satisfied customers talk and post about your products, they become your brand ambassadors. Expect for amazing rise in revenue.
3. Email Marketing
You own your list of your customers. If something happens to Facebook, Instagram or any other marketing channel (and who knows what’s around the corner), you can still have the contact information of your customers, that you can sell to.
4. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
The best marketing channel to get visibility and attention, introduce yourself and your
brand and show what you have to sell. FREE website traffic, when you do not have to pay for each click- is a visible benefit to any business.
5. Your Website
Your website is like a face of your business. This is the only internet corner you own.
Interested users will always come to learn more about your business. So make sure your business message is crystal clear and quickly calls out the audience and shows what’s in it for them. Otherwise… they won’t stick around long enough to find out.
Optimise your website for conversions and make sales even when you sleep.
6. Social Media Marketing
Statista predicts this 4.41 billion of people worldwide will be using social media in 2025. So, believe me- your customers are already on social media. This means you should be including this marketing channel too.
7. Influencer Marketing
A popular, niche related influencer, that has a power to impact the buying decisions, is definitely a great option. Leverage influencers to generating brand awareness , increasing social proof, as well as sell your goodies.

Well done. You have got it!

The Strategic use of Different Marketing Channels is on your learned topics list

BE STRATEGIC !

Let’s sum it up
Digital marketing networks function differently from each other, and they can show you different outcomes.
Go and try different platforms, different channels. See what works and what doesn’t.
No matter what channel you choose, make sure it is customer oriented.

Also…
do not forget to measure and monitor your different marketing channel efforts, and
take notes of every step.
Marketing channel decisions can result in the success or failure of your products
Finding the perfect online marketing platforms for your business, will truly be an
experience of its own.

Never ever assume anything! I hope you understood, that there’s no one-size-fits-all
for marketing channel strategy.
Try, try, try. Oh, did I say try?
Once you try and test, find out what works, and it will pay you off!

Set the goals, draw a plan and use the information you have just learned. You are
armed with tools, suggestions and powerful information.

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