Multichannel Marketing: 5 Elements of Multichannel Marketing

Multichannel marketing is the communication and promotion of consistent messaging across various channels. This multichannel approach gives customers the chance to subscribe to the channel of their choice, with the hope that the messaging and content from that preferred channel leads to a sale. In today’s global and digital economy, there are more channels than ever before, making this cross-channel marketing strategy a dynamic and vital part of any brand’s identity and marketing efforts.

A multichannel marketing strategy aims to generate customer engagement by providing many different channels for promotions. The emphasis is on the quantity and variety of channels. For example, a company’s social media account might serve the purpose of acquiring new followers and engaging with customers via replies and direct messages. This might be just one of the brand’s many social media platforms—and one of the company’s more all-encompassing marketing channels—to allow customers to engage with the brand.

Omnichannel marketing focuses on the customer experience and the quality of support to create a streamlined customer journey. Here, the emphasis is on quality and the customer, not the channel. Omnichannel marketing aims to create a fluid experience as customers migrate from one channel to another. If a customer moves from a direct message on social media to a customer service phone call, the information is shared so the customer is not starting over again each time they hop to a new channel.

A multichannel strategy includes multiple touchpoints for customer engagement. Some key ones include:

1. 1. Social media platforms: Social media platforms are digital marketing tools companies can use to promote fresh content to customers.
2. 2. Direct mail: Catalogs, letters, and postcards, even in our e-commerce-heavy world, are still essential ways to engage with customers.
3. 3. Commercials: Radio spots, paid media, and television commercials are all mediums to capture an audience’s attention and inspire a sale.
4. 4. Notifications: Emails and text messaging can spark a conversation and offer customers quick ways to initiate a conversation with team members.
5. 5. Storefronts: Decorated storefronts give customers and passersby a visual articulation of your brand, a photo opportunity, and an offline, real-life representation of your products and services.

Maximize online and offline channels of communication and marketing to target customers and give them multiple ways to interact with a brand. Follow these steps to create a successful multichannel marketing plan:

1. 1. Hire a specialist to oversee each channel. At midsize-to-large companies, one person cannot oversee every single channel. You might have a social media coordinator, a catalog editor, and an email campaign manager. Each of these specialized workers should understand the ins and outs of the brand and report to a communications director to ensure all channels operate in sync.
2. 2. Make a content marketing calendar. Channels may share similar content, but the content should vary slightly (be it the video assets or the accompanying copy) so that customers feel like they are consuming fresh content on each channel. Mapping out these posts and efforts in a content calendar can also prove helpful, as it will dictate what gets scheduled for when to vary up your content marketing.
3. 3. Understand channel differentiators. The tone of your social media posts may be different from that of a letter from the CEO. Your multichannel marketing campaigns should all feel apiece, but that doesn’t mean individual different channels can’t speak to different demographics. Customer behavior may change from channel to channel, and for the sake of optimization, take note of each channel campaigns’ flavor and infuse it in your copywriting and content creation.
4. 4. Track attribution. Different channels may have varying goals, even if the overarching goal for multichannel marketing is brand awareness and engagement. Decide on which metrics you wish to measure and analyze customer data, noting which sale came from which platform. Harness that data and adapt accordingly.

The many benefits of multichannel marketing make this promotional strategy a popular one for various brands across industries. Some of the benefits include:

1. 1. Widened reach: Utilizing multiple channels means a company will be able to reach different audiences on each one. This expands the reach of a brand and increases its audience size.
2. 2. Opportunities for creative marketing: If a company only has one channel for communication, it might feel limited in how much it can deviate from its established tone or style. Multiple channels, however, present a brand with the opportunity to try out unique content and copy on each channel, see how it performs, and then cross-pollinate working ideas on other channels.
3. 3. Increased engagement: Having more channels means more opportunities for engagement. Each channel offers its unique communication system to allow brands and customers to more fluidly converse.

Multichannel marketing does come with a set of challenges for a company. Consider the following drawbacks:

1. 1. Comparing metrics: Measuring the analytics of a social media campaign against a direct mail one is like comparing apples to oranges. Each channel’s campaign is its distinct organism, and that means the similar variables between different channels may not always be able to be compared cleanly.
2. 2. Managing a large team: Each channel will often have its own manager. Overseeing all of those managers and channels can mean devoting a lot of time and effort to stay on top of every channel and its shifting landscapes.
3. 3. Adapting to trends: Social media platforms, for example, are constantly evolving and require a lot of attention for their use to be maximized. Brands need to adapt not only to the needs and styles of their base but also to the technological changes of the channels themselves.

Become a better communicator with the MasterClass Annual Membership. Spend some time with Daniel Pink, author of four New York Times bestsellers that focus on behavioral and social sciences, and learn his tips and tricks for perfecting a sales pitch, hacking your schedule for optimal productivity, and more.