Developing a Multi-Channel Marketing Strategy

Marketing means being creative, which you need to be because of the amount of competition. Your business has to not only meet the needs of your consumers now, but also try to anticipate what they may want tomorrow. The more avenues or channels you can take to branch out and reach more customers, the more likely you will become a success.

New Perspectives

The moment someone tells you to think outside the box, they’ve lost credibility. It’s an overused phrase that means nothing anymore. To really see something in a new way, you have to be willing to come up with practically unlimited ideas. Most of those ideas will in and of themselves go nowhere, but they may lead you to you winning strategy. Where are you customers? What are they doing? Are they on their phones? Are they mostly in the office? Do they watch television? Internet advertising, email lists, commercials, billboards and social media are all potential channels you can use to create an effective marketing campaign. The key here is to use the limited resources (time, advertising dollars) available to you so you can impress and retain your customers.

Working Smarter

Your customers probably have at least a few things in common, and that’s what you really need to focus on when it comes to marketing: what ties them together. If you work for a hardware store, and the common thread is the love of finishing a chore well. The campaign needs to focus on this from every angle. Maybe you run a photo contest on social media for ‘Best DIY Project’ while your newspaper ads show the pride on someone’s face because they didn’t have to call a so-called professional for help. Use different channels to promote the same message.