The eternal question is full of both new challenges and opportunities for marketers with the advent of the digital age. One-and-done campaigns are no longer as effective, as businesses have had to adjust to new consumers –savvy ones who want to control their information and receive a benefit from websites they visit.
Cross-channel marketing is a strategy that takes this new consumer in mind. The idea is to market to your leads not only multiple ways, but through multiple and connected channels. For instance, if you run a non-profit healthcare business, you might send a lead an email that invites them to participate in a health survey. That email might then link to a blog post that discusses current topics. The blog post would then connect them to your businesses Facebook page, and so forth.
Cross-channel marketing offers a host of benefits, especially for small to medium sized businesses. Here are six ways that cross-channel marketing can help you answer the question, “In what way can I effectively grow my business?”
Cross-channel and inbound marketing provide metrics that are up to date and easily accessible. No longer must you wait to receive the results of a campaign; you can now turn on your computer and check results by the week, day, hour, or even minute! By analyzing the metrics across a variety of platforms, I can determine which campaigns are working and which need adjustment to help me grow my business.
Social media plays a significant role in cross-channel marketing. As potential customers volunteer their contact information to your social media outlets, you’ll create a database which you can further categorize, spending your time and efforts wisely in providing specific services to develop leads.
While it may seem overwhelming to create different content across different channels, you’ll actually be afforded the opportunity to build compelling content and effectively schedule it. By putting together a posting calendar, you’ll not only create effective scheduling, but you’ll also prepare your leads for upcoming content.
A wonderful aspect of digital marketing is that every single piece can contain a call to action. Whether it’s a blog post, video, or any other form, you’ll be able to offer your leads a chance to take action. The calls to action can vary as you develop a strategy to bring your leads closer to conversion.
When I consider how I might grow my business, I think about relationship-building. By leading customers through multiple channels, you begin to establish a relationship in which you provide needed services and information in a variety of ways. Trust builds, and at the same time you gather metrics that will help you better meet the wants and needs of your leads.
In the end, all of these advantages lead to this final one: you’ll be able to make the right directions with marketing. By creating compelling content that draws readers in through the format of their choice (and indeed, through multiple formats and related content) and by making specific adjustments based on accurate data, you’ll spend your marketing dollars wisely.
So, again, how can I grow my business? The answer is to make wise decisions based on an interactive and interconnected marketing strategy that includes multiple channels to engage your leads. Cross-channel marketing will you give a lead into the right direction – and a major step into the digital age.