Multichannel marketing and integration are becoming increasingly popular among top marketers in the world today. In fact, 95% of marketers know what multichannel marketing is. That is because developing integrated marketing strategy has been proven a critical element in effective marketing strategy.
But exactly does multichannel marketing entail?
According to Saas, Multichannel marketing is the art of using a combination of direct and indirect communication channels to interact with customers. In other words, multichannel marketing involves email marketing, websites, direct mail, mobile, mail order catalogue, retail stores, events, video etc. to enable the customer to take action in response. It is all about giving your customers as many choices as possible.
Therefore, wise marketers wanting to make their mark in this highly competitive industry would find it profitable to take multichannel marketing road. Businesses seeking to make more profit and reach more customers will find it useful to adopt multiple marketing strategies. When you have employed all of those channels and they are working in a seamless manner, your potential customers will hear one clear message.
However, implementing a multichannel marketing strategy isn’t always a walk in the park. There are many challenges associated with implementing a multichannel marketing strategy. They include the following.
- Targeted messaging
Your customers and potential customers are faced with a plethora of channels, and this is where the challenge lies. It is difficult to deliver one concise, uniform message. So you need to be very keen when drafting your messages to avoid confusing your customers.
- Lack of time and resources
According to Holmesreport, 23% of marketers say they have neither the time nor the resources to implement a fully functional multichannel marketing strategy. You need to spend a lot of time and resources to create a multichannel marketing plan that is coherent and effective. Unfortunately, many marketers don’t have the tools, time, resources and expertise to implement this.
· Marketing response attribution
The problem with having multichannel approach is that it is difficult to know which specific channel resulted in higher conversions compared to the rest. This way, it becomes difficult for marketers to improve the overall plan.
· Highly designed campaigns
It is becoming increasing difficult to net potential customers. Unlike in the past, customers are now in control of what they choose to consumer. Hence, marketers must work round the clock to develop and coordinate choreographed touch points that connect multichannel seamlessly.
What will it take to have your multichannel marketing right?
First, you need to a single view of the customer. The same customer may interact with your brand through various touch points. It is important that you not only understand the customer’s value, but also how they behave at various touch points.
Secondly, you need to ensure that there is a consistent customer experience across channels. Remember, your customers experience your brand as one whole. They should not experience one thing on social media and another thing on your website. Failing to deliver consistency can cause confusion and turn the customer against you.