Today’s marketing channels include social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube. Each of these social media platforms has its own unique personality. The same thing applies to traditional media channels, including Direct Mail, TV, radio, billboards, and print. Other marketing channel are the digital ones – blogs, webinars, podcasts and email.
Each has a different strength that offers a different appeal to specific and unique segments of the audience. There are times the message and/or campaign objective lends itself perfectly to a specific marketing channel. At other times, that same channel may be totally inappropriate or ineffective.
But businesses frequently lump multiple marketing channels together, especially in the social medial bucket. They tend to treat them all the same. The apply the same message, same style, same tone, and same approach.
However, the truth is that a marketing message that gets great results on Twitter may fall flat on its face on Facebook.
There are subtle nuances within marketing channels
Let’s take a look at my favorite marketing channel, direct mail. Direct mail usually works best to generate leads or for targeted product promotions. There is a broad difference in message and approach between using EDDM (every door direct mail) and Targeted direct mail. It’s true that a general-interest business (pizza, car wash, etc.) may do well with EDDM. However, businesses looking for a more qualified buyer need to use a highly targeted mailing list and personalized mailer. This is the best way to generate response using direct mail.
Businesses who want to build name awareness may choose a campaign involving marketing channels like TV and billboards. These can give them broad visual exposure. Businesses who want to stay in contact with their own customers may use email to their best advantage.
The challenges business face is adjusting tone, tactics and message to each marketing channel. At the same time, they need to leverage their data across multiple channels to tie all of these together into a single cohesive campaign.
Note
When I wrote this blog, the term omni-channel marketing had not yet surfaced. We know now, that this term became the direct marketing buzzword of 2019. Consequently, if this topic interests you, click HERE to read more.