{"id":17600,"date":"2020-09-11T12:49:52","date_gmt":"2020-09-11T16:49:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/?p=17600"},"modified":"2023-03-28T18:46:59","modified_gmt":"2023-03-28T22:46:59","slug":"marketing-channel-strategy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/marketing-channel-strategy\/","title":{"rendered":"How a\u00a0Marketing Channel Strategy\u00a0Can Maximize Your Campaigns"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Why do you need a marketing channel strategy?<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s usually a waste of time and resources to try to be present on every channel out there. You don\u2019t want to spend money to market your company somewhere your target audience won\u2019t see your messages. Rather, you need <strong>a channel strategy<\/strong>, or <strong>a plan for which channels you\u2019ll invest in to market your company, based on your brand identity and the habits of your target audience. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Your current and potential customers search for, and expect to find, your brand on the channels they frequent most. And once they find you, they expect a consistent, branded experience across all those channels \u2013 another important reason why you need a channel strategy.<\/p>\n<p>On the right channels, you\u2019ll be able to engage potential customers where they are, and make them more likely to purchase from you.<\/p>\n<p>Today, we cover different channels your brand might use when developing channel <a href=\"https:\/\/www.founderjar.com\/marketing-strategies\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">marketing strategies<\/a>, the steps and best practices for developing a channel strategy, and what it means to have a <a href=\"https:\/\/improvado.io\/blog\/omnichannel-analytics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">multi-channel strategy or omnichannel strategy<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h.afv29w32mw0k\">Popular types of marketing channels<\/h2>\n<p>Before we go any further, it\u2019s important to define the features that make a marketing channel.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A channel is any <a href=\"https:\/\/www.clicdata.com\/blog\/customer-touchpoints\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">touchpoint<\/a> where you can deliver a marketing message and connect with customers \u2013 or where you can enlist someone else (such as a partner or loyal customer) to deliver that message for you.<\/li>\n<li>Each channel opens up unique ways to convince your target customers to purchase from you.<\/li>\n<li>You must be able to measure the success of your marketing efforts on every channel you use.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Popular marketing channels include:<\/p>\n<table style=\"border-color: #DCDCDC;\" border=\"1\" width=\"100%\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 33%;\" valign=\"top\">\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/sendpulse.com\/support\/glossary\/email-marketing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Email<\/a><\/li>\n<li>SMS<\/li>\n<li>Social media platforms\n<ul>\n<li>Facebook<\/li>\n<li>Twitter<\/li>\n<li>Instagram<\/li>\n<li>LinkedIn<\/li>\n<li>YouTube<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 33%;\" valign=\"top\">\n<ul>\n<li>Your website<\/li>\n<li>Content marketing<\/li>\n<li>SEO<\/li>\n<li>Search engine ads (also called pay-per-click or PPC ads)<\/li>\n<li>Social media ads<\/li>\n<li>Display ads on other websites<\/li>\n<li>TV ads<\/li>\n<li>Print ads<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 33%;\" valign=\"top\">\n<ul>\n<li>Direct mail<\/li>\n<li>Public relations<\/li>\n<li>Event marketing<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/what-is-influencer-marketing\/\">Influencers<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/how-to-start-an-affiliate-program\/\">Affiliate marketing<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/brand-ambassadors\/\">Brand ambassadors<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/word-of-mouth-as-a-channel\/\">Word of mouth<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/referral-programs-101-everything-you-need-to-build-a-referral-marketing-program\/\">Referral marketing<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n[su_icon_text color=&#8221;#474747&#8243; icon=&#8221;icon: lightbulb-o&#8221; icon_color=&#8221;#0088cc&#8221; url=&#8221;https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/paid-owned-earned-media\/&#8221; target=&#8221;self&#8221;]Marketing channels can be divided into three main types: paid, owned, and earned channels.\u00a0Learn the difference between these types of channels in our linked post.[\/su_icon_text]\n<h2 id=\"h.jgqwzubay8un\">What is a multi-channel strategy?<\/h2>\n<p>A multi-channel strategy involves carefully selecting several marketing channels and using them to connect with both potential and current customers.<\/p>\n<p>For instance, if you use your website, a company blog, a Twitter account, <a href=\"https:\/\/newoldstamp.com\/blog\/10-reasons-to-consider-email-signature-as-additional-marketing-channel\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">email marketing campaigns<\/a>, and PPC ads to market your brand, then you\u2019re using a multi-channel strategy. Any strategy involving at least two channels counts as multi-channel, which makes up the vast majority of marketing strategies.<\/p>\n<p>Just like with any channel marketing strategy, a crucial part of multi-channel strategy is <em>selecting the channels your target market frequents most. <\/em>Selecting many channels without a rationale isn\u2019t an effective multi-channel strategy.<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-17599 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pasted-image-0-2-e1600107417972.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cazoomi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Marketing-Channels-Infographic-data-driven-marketing.png\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Source<\/a><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h.lpfy98gp5f82\">What is an omnichannel strategy?<\/h2>\n<p>A brand with an\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/sleekflow.io\/blog\/customer-service-automation-software\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/sleekflow.io\/inbox&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1671119752201000&amp;usg=AOvVaw31dR-5CtbPtJZcDkIgzP7g\">omni channel marketing platform<\/a>\u00a0provides a seamless, coherent experience across all of its marketing channels.<\/p>\n<p>Many people think omnichannel strategy and multi-channel strategy are synonymous, but this isn\u2019t true. An <a href=\"https:\/\/synder.com\/blog\/omnichannel-retail-strategy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">omnichannel strategy<\/a> builds on a multi-channel marketing strategy and kicks it up a notch.<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/service\/omni-channel-experience\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/service\/omni-channel-experience\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">As Hubspot explains,<\/a> \u201cAll omnichannel experiences will use multiple channels, but not all multi-channel experiences are omnichannel\u2026 You can have amazing mobile marketing, engaging social media campaigns, and a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pagecloud.com\/blog\/web-design-inspiration\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">well-designed website<\/a>. But if they don&#8217;t work together, it&#8217;s not omnichannel.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>If you use an omnichannel strategy, your brand will project the same goals, messaging, voice, imagery, and all other aspects of its branding across all its channels. The way you deliver this message will be optimized for each channel, but the core branding will stay unified.<\/p>\n<p>This way, all members of your audience will receive a consistent picture of what your brand stands for, no matter what channel they encounter your messaging on. And whenever \u00a0they transition to a new channel as they move through the marketing funnel, they\u2019ll still receive the same integrated brand experience.<\/p>\n<p>As a result, your brand and its values will be more likely to stick in your audience\u2019s minds (and they\u2019ll be more likely to purchase from you down the road). So, if you\u2019re developing a channel marketing strategy, omnichannel is best.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h.gv0ke4joch6k\">7 steps to develop a stellar channel strategy<\/h2>\n<p>Now that you understand what makes a channel, and the basics of multi-channel and omnichannel strategies, let\u2019s dive into best practices for developing a stellar channel marketing strategy. Follow these seven steps for channel strategy success.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"h.os85ubviqecf\">1. Know where your audience is, and your select channels accordingly<\/h3>\n<p>We can\u2019t emphasize this enough \u2013 a vital part of a channel strategy is selecting the channels that your audience frequents most. You\u2019ll need to know your audience, and the channels they\u2019re already viewing and using, before you proceed.<\/p>\n<p>Answering these questions will help you select the best channels for your audience:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Where do people in your target audience search for information, especially in the niche your brand occupies?<\/li>\n<li>What channels do they use to communicate with friends and colleagues?<\/li>\n<li>What are people saying about your brand\u2019s niche, and where?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n[su_icon_text color=&#8221;#474747&#8243; icon=&#8221;icon: lightbulb-o&#8221; icon_color=&#8221;#0088cc&#8221; url=&#8221;https:\/\/referralrock.com\/hub\/brand\/brand-strategy-template\/&#8221; target=&#8221;self&#8221;]If you haven\u2019t done this already, filling out a buyer persona template will help you figure out which channels will best reach your audience. Buyer personas will also help you figure out how to position yourself on each channel to appeal to audience needs \u2013 more on this below.[\/su_icon_text]\n<h3 id=\"h.b9j31qmrxqns\">2. Match customer needs with your channels<\/h3>\n<p>Don\u2019t just consider the spaces your customers frequent most, though. Think about what your audience needs, and how you can strategically select channels to position yourself to meet those needs.<\/p>\n<p>How can each channel help convince your audience to buy from you, and how does each channel play into your overall branding and marketing strategies?<\/p>\n<p>For example, if you\u2019re a teen clothing brand with online and brick-and-mortar stores, you\u2019ll probably use Instagram campaigns, word-of-mouth marketing, and influencers as prime marketing channels. And of course, you\u2019ll want to optimize your website to advertise what\u2019s new and make your online store easy to navigate.<\/p>\n<p>After all, teens want to see what\u2019s trending with their peers, but the actual ecommerce buying process is pretty straightforward: Once your audience sees something they like from your store, they\u2019ll likely buy quickly.<\/p>\n<p>But if you\u2019re a software brand selling to B2Bs, you\u2019ll need to use channels to educate your audience during their long selection process, and show them how your software will meet their company\u2019s needs.<\/p>\n<p>Businesses usually do plenty of research on any software they plan to purchase before contacting the company. An SEO strategy and a PPC ad strategy will help them find you when they search for your type of software online. Meanwhile, content marketing (blog posts) focused on answering questions in your area of expertise will help them trust you. As will making connections and answering questions on LinkedIn.<\/p>\n[su_icon_text color=&#8221;#474747&#8243; icon=&#8221;icon: lightbulb-o&#8221; icon_color=&#8221;#0088cc&#8221; target=&#8221;self&#8221;]<a href=\"https:\/\/www.voxco.com\/blog\/customer-survey-questions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Surveying your existing customers<\/a>, using market research tools, and paying attention to your brand mentions can help you position yourself on the right channels for your audience\u2019s needs.[\/su_icon_text]\n<h3 id=\"h.t3rjn2dau672\">3. Run a competitive analysis<\/h3>\n<p>Analyze your competitor\u2019s channel strategies to determine how you can differentiate your own strategy. You\u2019re fighting for the same audience\u2019s eyes, so you\u2019ll need to make sure your channel strategy stands out.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>How are your competitors reaching the same audience you\u2019re targeting?<\/li>\n<li>What channels are they using?<\/li>\n<li>Have they <em>missed<\/em>\u00a0any prime channels for reaching your audience?<\/li>\n<li>How are they positioning themselves, with messaging, voice, and imagery, on each channel?<\/li>\n<li>What keywords and buzzwords are they using to position themselves?<\/li>\n<li>Are they using a multi-channel or omnichannel strategy?<\/li>\n<li>What parts of their channel strategy work well for them?<\/li>\n<li>What mistakes have they made in executing their strategy that you should avoid?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>As part of this competitive analysis, run a SWOT check (strength, weakness, opportunity and threat) on each competitor.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>What are the strengths and weaknesses of each competing channel strategy?<\/li>\n<li>What opportunities has a competitor missed that you can take advantage of?<\/li>\n<li>What significant threats does each competitor pose that you\u2019ll need to counteract?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 id=\"h.pvhlqu7xjrzl\">4. Go omnichannel, with a consistent message across all channels<\/h3>\n<p>As we mentioned earlier in this article, putting together an omnichannel strategy is usually best, It helps you establish brand consistency, ensures your brand will be memorable for the right reasons, and leaves no questions about what you stand for.<\/p>\n<p>Decide on the goals, messaging, imagery and brand voice you\u2019d like to project across all of your channels, and how you can deliver an optimal experience for each channel. Also, determine how each channel fits into your integrated brand experience and ultimately convinces an audience member to purchase from you.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"h.lj8lhmb6k88l\">5. Set goals for each channel you choose<\/h3>\n<p>Now that you\u2019ve selected which channels to focus on, it\u2019s time to set measurable goals to track the success of your channel marketing strategy. Each channel will likely have a different main goal or goals, depending on where each fits into the buyer\u2019s journey. Also, you\u2019re allowed to set more than one goal for a channel, as long as every goal is measurable.<\/p>\n[su_icon_text color=&#8221;#474747&#8243; icon=&#8221;icon: lightbulb-o&#8221; icon_color=&#8221;#0088cc&#8221; target=&#8221;self&#8221;]You\u2019ll want to measure <a href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/direct-marketing-strategies\">leads generated directly<\/a> through at least one of your channels. And of course, you\u2019ll also need to measure the sales generated as the result of at least one marketing channel.[\/su_icon_text]\n<p>For example, you might track traffic to your site as a result of <a href=\"https:\/\/fourdots.com\/content-marketing-timeline\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">SEO and content marketing<\/a>, but measure your brand\u2019s own social media campaigns based on engagement or by leads generated from campaigns. You might also track leads generated via word of mouth (yes, word-of-mouth marketing <a href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/tracking-and-growing-word-of-mouth\/\">can be measurable<\/a>, especially if you use a <a href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/referral-marketing-strategy\/\">referral program<\/a>\u00a0as one of your channels!)<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, you might track purchases motivated by an affiliate or influencer campaign, and both click-through rate and purchases made as a result of an email campaign.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"h.hln4ifciztcl\">6. Understand and use best practices for each channel you choose<\/h3>\n<p>To optimize your channel marketing strategy, you\u2019ll need to apply best practices for each channel you choose. Follow the links below to learn about best practices for some of the most popular marketing channels:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/moosend.com\/blog\/email-marketing-best-practices\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Email marketing<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/coschedule.com\/blog\/social-media-best-practices-for-business\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Social media marketing<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/marketing\/content-marketing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Content marketing<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/google-ppc-best-practices-website\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hootsuite.com\/social-media-advertising\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Social media advertising<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.alexa.com\/best-practices-for-seo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">SEO<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/pr-budgets\">Public relations<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/influencer-marketing-best-practices\/\">Influencer marketing<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/how-to-start-an-affiliate-program\/\">Affiliate\u00a0marketing<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/brand-ambassador-program\/\">Brand ambassadors<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/kick-start-word-of-mouth-marketing\/\">Word of mouth<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/refer-a-friend-best-practices\/\">Referral marketing<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 id=\"h.qvirgzpfd3h6\">7. Collect data and use it to refine your strategy<\/h3>\n<p>Don\u2019t just set up your channel strategy and leave it be. Regularly collect data on the measurable goals you set for each channel, and use that data to help you refine each piece of your channel marketing strategy.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s also recommended to continue collecting data on your audience\u2019s habits and needs. The channels they frequent most may change as their needs evolve \u2013 and if this happens, your channel strategy should change accordingly.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h.xqae8zkz1d0\">Wrapping up<\/h2>\n<p>A channel strategy is all about selecting the marketing touchpoints that match your target audience\u2019s needs and habits. As you choose your channels, be sure to analyze competitors\u2019 strategies, continually research your target audience, set and track goals for each channel, and follow each channel\u2019s own best practices.<\/p>\n<p>And remember \u2013 going with an omnichannel strategy, where you create a unified brand experience across all channels, usually offers the greatest benefits.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Why do you need a marketing channel strategy? How can you maximize your marketing channels? It&#8217;s all about selecting touchpoints that match your audience&#8217;s needs and habits. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":17602,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2579],"tags":[5819,2582],"class_list":["post-17600","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-marketing","tag-channel-marketing","tag-strategy"],"acf":[],"modified_by":"Megan Mosley","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17600","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17600"}],"version-history":[{"count":26,"href":"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17600\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31659,"href":"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17600\/revisions\/31659"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17602"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17600"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17600"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17600"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}