Channeling The Power Multi-Channel Marketing

The key to a successful multi-channel marketing plan is integration; a common challenge that most marketers face. If your organization has established a digital marketing plan, for example, it should not be used in isolation, but instead used throughout all channels in your marketing plan process. Your multi-channel marketing plan should set out campaigns that span multiple channels, catering to the customer and tailoring them to fit multiple channels.
 Multi-channel marketing is all about choice. Consumers now have the ability to engage with your brand, in the manner of their choosing, at all stages of the customer journey. The proliferation of channels used by consumers, both off-line
The buying processes are controlled by the customer, rather than the marketer so the ‘always-on’ nature of multi-channel marketing will reach customers via the inbound or outbound channel of their choice. Organizations using an effective integrated multi-channel marketing plan will continuously stand out, gain qualified leads and maximize conversion throughout the customer lifecycle. Your multi-channel marketing plan should therefore continually and repeatedly engage, nurture and target customers in order to convert to a sale.Is there a guaranteed approach to truly effective multi-channel marketing integration? While the short answer is no, there is no one given approach that will guarantee maximum results, there are ways, however,  to maximize the approaches that do work and online, gives empowered consumers are creating massive data streams. To remain competitive your organization needs to be able to harness and collate the many disparate data points being generated from separate software solutions, into a single platform. And, you need to remain agile enough to be able to deliver the most relevant message or offer, in a personalized manner, through exactly the right channel at the very moment that a consumer is ready to engage with your brand them more control over the buying process which allows them to evaluate your brand at every touchpoint..

It begins with establishing a presence, getting your name ‘out there’ and engaging the customer before he knows he needs your product. We have put together a 5 step plan to help you begin to focus on relevant issues and develop a game plan

Step#1 Direct Mail
Start with postcard or an envelope with an ad specialty item to make it lumpy. Yes, the post office hates lumpy mail but when it gets to the prospect's desk, they open it. A #10 (business-sized) envelope with a real first-class stamp, a brief 1-page letter focusing on something specific to get you an appointment or offer for a  free or discounted item or service, and a flyer, a business reply card, and a business card. Every part of your direct mail should be focused on the offer. You can be educational but really geared towards the offer. It’s the offer that will really draw them in.

Step # 2 Email Marketing
The second tool to use in our example is a non-aggressive email marketing letter. We only want to send relevant, personal and timely information.

Email is a little more intrusive so make sure you have an opt-out.  You don't have to take a phone call or open direct mail. Email is in front of you, on your computer and you have to open and/or delete it. If used right and in tandem with telemarketing it makes a very strong piece of the marketing equation.

I would start your campaign with an email the same day you send your mailing out checking to see who and how many times they opened the email up, calling those that opened 3 or more times. Then start your follow up on the mailer a week later, with a 2nd email sent out every 2 weeks after that.

Step #3 Landing Page
Instead of sending prospects to your web page, have a landing page constructed for the promotion. This meant prospects will not go to your competition if they do an online search.

Step #4 Outbound Telemarketing
Five business days after the first class mailing is sent, have a dedicated telemarketer begin to call each name on the prospect list that hasn’t already responded. If a list of over 300 names list truncate it into pieces and staggered the drops to make this easier and timelier to follow up on.

Like most business callers these days, they generally reached voicemail rather than an actual human. Have a voicemail script ready to give them. It will be a large part of your marketing efforts. Just say something simple like "I’m simply calling to follow up on the mailer we sent out offering you (your offer). Give us a call to 847-991-1294 and we will get you the information”
When we are calling we like to make three attempts over a two to three-week period. You can call in deeper but 3 is optimal.

Step #5 Reload, Research and Repeat
 You are always promoting to both prospects and current clients.  Keep everyone on the list for direct mail emails and outbound telemarketing campaigns and start the process all over again in eight weeks.
We are committed to making  you  successful. We tailor solutions that fit your needs and. are able to draw upon our Associates, weAt Larson and vast experiences and knowledge base to resolve even the most complex of challenges. We empower organizations to make the most of their marketing efforts while reducing costs and driving profits.

Easy isn’t it? Yes, but it takes time and knowing when and what to do. If you need help just call us at 847-991-1294. We live and breathe this stuff so don’t be shy.

70% More Effective Marketing?

What if your marketing could be 70% More Effective?

Call it whatever you want: Multi-channel, Cross-Platform  Omni-Marketing: your marketing strategy needs to rely on both digital and traditional platforms online and offline to reach customers across multiple channels in various ways for the way they want to be contacted. Traditional forms of marketing such as print, trade magazines, direct mail, PR, radio, television commercials, and billboards if used together with digital marketing like email, social media, websites, blogs, YouTube, Pinterest starts to create a major spike in name recognition. Not surprisingly, cross-channel integration where online and some traditional forms like direct mail are linked together with the use of tracking software or bar code technology a telephone campaign and follow-up becomes 70% more effective.

I have 6 Tips for a Better Strategy

First you need to know your target audience. Who are they? What niche is it? Where are they? What channels work best for your business model? What are the channels your target nitch uses more than others? For example, an ad campaign for bath bombs might do well with a television advertisement or direct mail coupon. Events and musical concerts will get more ROI with social, emails and YouTube.

Second focus on the customer experience. Your marketing strategy should present information clearly and directly. Multi-channel digital campaigns should cater to not just convenience but also for after-sale 2^nd sale service, dependability, and responsibility—all qualities customers place value on. Consistency across all platforms is the key to talking about this success.

Third measure your results. After or even during any multi-channel campaign, review data to see which channels are working and how they are performing and which could use more improvement. And ask yourself why and are there other channels we should have or could have used? This will help allocate resources, time, and money more efficiently for the next wave or next attack.

Forth timing is everything. Constantly update your touch points. A successful strategy is well-timed and relevant. You might want to update your web page and send out emails the day before a big event. A drip campaign strategy allows you to space out information to generate interest and thus customers. Cross-channel integration brings your marketing strategies both online and off line together in a seamless flow. Incorporate a Twitter feed, use hash tags, incorporate bar codes in your direct mail, link your Facebook business page with your emails, generate printable coupons from your website or social business pages for in-store use. The more ways you can connect your customers to your brand, the better.

Fifth learn to change your strategies and platforms as needed. Don’t get too comfortable. What works one week may not work next week, so keep up to date on the latest marketing trends. And remember to track everything you can to know what works, where it is working and how it is working.

Sixth follow-up follow-up follow-up. Everything needs to be followed up on. You need to reach out and call someone. Yes the telephone. If you don’t make the reach out and make “that call” just save your money. The prospect is not going to call you 99.9% of the time. You have got to have a follow-up. Make that call or have me make it for you and your odds of a sale go up at least 10 to 20%

So now you only have to ask yourself:

Do I have the time?

Do I have the knowledge?
Do I have the connections?

Do I have the recourses?

If not we are here for you.

Howard Larson

Larson & Associates

Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition

Making good businesses great and great businesses even better

847-991-1294

howard@larsonassociates.ws

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