Channel Your Marketing Power

Multi-channel marketing is a tried-and-true concept. It simply means reaching out to your audience through a combination of different places, and today those can be online and offline. Multi-channel marketing increases your chances of engagement and, eventually, purchase.

Any size of business can use this approach, it’s just a matter of figuring out, based on your target audience and your resources, which channels make the most sense for your business. We’ve rounded up some of the most effective marketing channels that are here to stay (or becoming even more popular) in 2021. If you’re still deciding which ones to invest in for your business, get in touch and we’ll help you prioritize.

Put it on Display

Display advertising involves creating highly visible banner ads for your business on another’s website. They can take the form of static banner ads, animated ads, video ads, and more. It’s important for marketers to test and learn to see which types resonate best with their target audience. If you’re looking to drive awareness and conversion, consider display advertising. Here’s why:

• You can create demand and introduce your product or services to customers who may not even be looking or may not know what you offer exists
• Thanks to “remarketing,” you can target and serve your ad to a potential customer who’s visited your site, but who hasn’t taken any action while there
• You can reinforce trust by featuring your business in a “brand-safe” environment through the Star Metroland Media Network

Be Content

Content Marketing simply means offering your audience anything that’s entertaining and/or informative, but doesn’t overtly sell your products or services. Think of it as an “extra” that your audience can keep and use that will not only remind them of your brand, but will present your company as an expert resource, a thought leader in your field. Because of that, they’re more likely to trust you and come back to your site to make a purchase. Here are some popular examples:

• If you’ve got a food product, write up an article about how your ingredients are sourced; foodies will love the deep dive; include a call-to-action (CTA) on how interested readers can buy the product
• Dog groomers can offer a downloadable tip sheet on how to keep their pets looking great between visits; include a CTA to book an appointment
• Fitness studio owners can offer a list of ways to incorporate movement while working from home; include a CTA to find an online-class schedule

Fine Print

Print advertising is called “traditional” for two reasons — it’s got a long, tested-and-true history. And it works. Contrary to what you might have heard, print advertising is very much alive. One popular form of print advertising is newspaper ads. This type of marketing conjures images of full-page ads in national newspapers for cars, financial services and other big spenders, but the fact is, it also works for smaller businesses at the local level. And during a time when so many of us need a paper break from online work and play, print can be a welcome way to show off your product or service. Here are a few facts to keep in mind:

• By advertising in a newspaper, you’re leveraging the trust the paper enjoys from its loyal readers and subscribers; your company is in great company
• Because online content can be fleeting and, therefore, seem a little factually shaky, content committed to print is regarded as more trustworthy, honest
• Print readers have your undivided attention; in the digital age, it’s common to surf the web with 10 tabs open, have a show on in the background, and be texting all at the same time. Print readers, however, don’t typically multi-task while reading the paper, making them far more receptive to ads within the publication

Socialize

Social media — Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, etc. — has become an effective and creative realm in which to engage potential customers. You can reach them organically, which means they’ll find you via keyword searches, or you can reach them through paid content, which means posting targeted, sponsored content for a fee. Either way, however, cutting through all the noise is the challenge. How does your business stand out to your audience amid viral videos, big brand takeovers and cute cats? Here’s how:

• Create video content for Instagram Reels. This feature in the space allows users to upload 15- or 30-second videos that can be as simple as a series of product shots moving to the beat of a popular/viral song
• If you don’t already have one, set up a TikTok account and make yourself aware of what’s trending — there could be some unique ways to capitalize on what’s resonating right now
• Host a giveaway on Facebook. Giving away free services or product — and acquiring followers in the process — is a great way to generate leads. Make it fun!

Put it in an Email

Email is a longstanding digital marketing channel, and there’s a good reason for that: it’s super-effective and relatively inexpensive. It’s also a great opportunity to hyper-target your audience and personalize your messages to them. Start by building your email subscriber list and make sure people you’re targeting are actually interested in what you’re offering (that’s a post for another time). Once you have those subscribers, here are some email-writing tips to keep in mind:

• Create customer segments: this is all about defining your audience, building that audience, and deciding what type of email content and style will work best to engage that audience
• Keep all the parts well crafted: write an engaging subject line that will elicit emotion in your recipients and drive them to open your email, don’t ignore the preheader, and ensure your calls to action (CTAs) are motivating and direct (and use more than one)
• Balance brevity with valuable content — you don’t want to take too much of a reader’s time, but you also want your email to offer something they want or need in a creative way (keep in mind that people are now craving fun, distracting content)

Need help jumpstarting these strategies for your business? Contact us via the form below to get started.