DIGITAL INTERACTIVE SERVICES

Multichannel marketing campaigns and its challenges

Not long ago, marketing was limited to print and broadcast media, websites, and direct emails. Ad content was mostly generic, and you had to have your audiences focused on the medium to make your brand’s voice heard.

In less than a decade, we have seen the rise of a plethora of digital, audiovisual, and OOH (out-of-home) channels that enable us to reach audiences right where they are and target them with personalised content. We are now in the post-click stage of marketing, where promotional activity is consumer-centric rather than product-centric.

Businesses today need a strategy that enables active and sustained interaction with prospective customers and helps them to elicit rather than await a response. One such strategy is multichannel marketing.

What is multichannel marketing?

Multichannel marketing is the practice of reaching out to potential customers via multiple channels or platforms, both directly and indirectly, to promote their goods and services.

These channels include various avenues like websites, emails, messaging services, physical displays, taxi wraps, print or interactive brochures, mobile apps, and social networking sites.

Multichannel marketing strategies include direct or ‘outbound’ practices such as messaging and promotional email and ‘inbound’ practices such as placing adverts in-app or on social sites. By sending out a unified message across diverse channels, brands can gain maximum visibility and benefit from the unique strength of each channel.

Why is multichannel marketing important?

Simply put, a multichannel marketing strategy is important because leads are everywhere. Customers no longer use just one channel for work, social interaction, or entertainment.

Not only does reaching out to consumers through their preferred channels enhance the overall customer experience, but it also enables brands to

• maintain tonal consistency across multiple channels
• increase brand awareness and recall
• drive audience engagement
• gather data for customer behaviour analytics
• use the data for personalising marketing content
• hypertarget niche audiences

Challenges in multichannel marketing

The shared reach of combined media is vital in gaining a competitive edge, driving conversions, and maximising ROI. That said, there are several roadblocks to creating effective multichannel marketing campaigns. The most common challenges are –

Specific media requirements

Just as every channel has its unique strength, it also has specific requirements and limitations, making it difficult for marketers to craft a consistent message for all platforms. Moreover, more channels mean more management, additional resources, and the need to create distinct strategies for each channel.

Departmental silos

Several departments are involved in building a campaign, including advertising, finance, legal, and technical. Some understand consumer behaviour, some handle advertising budgets, while others create content. Unfortunately, too many companies have siloed departments, which hampers information-sharing and seamless workflows.

Difficulties in attribution

With multiple channels and touchpoints, it is difficult for marketers to pinpoint what triggered a specific customer response. This complicates budgeting and resource allocation while drawing up a multichannel marketing strategy.

Building a successful multichannel marketing campaign

Creating the right multichannel marketing strategy is difficult, but it is crucial to establish brand awareness and generate leads. Below are a few ways to ensure success in strategising an effective multichannel campaign:

Be consistent in tone and content

Although difficult, try to maintain optimum tone and content consistency across platforms and online and offline channels. You can do this by repeating Instagram images in your print ads or matching the tone of a promotional post on social media with that of an Out-of-home (OOH) advertising.

You may want to use content marketing services to optimise your content with tested keywords and targeted messages.

Know the strengths and limitations of each platform

People consume content differently on each platform. They may passively flip through social media several times a day but are more focused while reading an email or a blog post. Your multichannel strategy must leverage the strengths of each platform and circumvent the limitations.
For instance, Facebook may be ideal for top-of-the-funnel content, while LinkedIn may be better for posting information about early-bird discounts.

Leverage analytics

Gather consumer data from multiple sources and use marketing analytics to understand customer behaviour, preferences, demographics, and upcoming trends. This will help you customise your content and target niche audiences.

Measure attribution

A successful multichannel marketing strategy depends on accurate and timely insights into customer engagement and triggers. By choosing the right marketing attribution model, you can identify the touchpoints that drive the most conversions and measure the ROI on your marketing spend.

Enlist help

You can enlist the assistance of a trusted multichannel marketing solution company to find data-driven solutions to your marketing needs.

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How can Infosys BPM help?

The Infosys BPM marketing operations (MarkOps) team comprises top-notch digital content, campaign, and design experts who excel at campaign strategising, e-commerce, and event operations at scale. Our in-house Infosys studio, specialising in video production and creative adaptation, adds immediate value to any marketing campaign.

Know more about Infosys BPM marketing content operations.