Multi Channel Marketing Strategy

Multi-channel marketing is a phrase that business people might be familiar with, but it can be hard to define, since there are different meanings for different people. It encompasses both promotion and product, which makes finding the right strategy challenging. In order for the strategy to be effective, a business needs to create an environment in which the promotion of the product will lead to the ordering of the product. This is done by using multiple products and approaches to facilitate sales.

Levels

There are various levels to operating a successful multi-channel marketing strategy. For example, one level might consist of mass media promotion. This can be a television commercial that directs the viewer to visit a website or to call a telephone number for more information about whatever product is being promoted. Another level to multi-channel marketing involves direct mail, including catalogs. To take advantage of multi-channel marketing, the catalogs and the direct mailings would also need to point the consumer to a website location dealing with the product.

Cross Sales

Telemarketing is another area where multi-channel marketing is used. For example, a consumer watches a program on television, and a commercial comes on for a new kind of pillow. A telephone number is provided, and the consumer calls the number, speaking with a customer service representative. The representative can then suggest to the customer a product that might be used in conjunction with the pillow and can also suggest a web location that provides more information. By engaging in multiple channels of sales and information, cross sales are increased. Websites that offer "related products" promote cross sales and can increase profits for the company.

Availability

Good multi-channel marketing makes sure that the product being sold is readily available. Consumers don't like to spend time waiting for the item they've bought to arrive. For this reason, a multi-channel marketing strategy has to make sure there is a solid delivery system in place. For the person who needs immediate gratification, going to a brick-and-mortar location might be the best approach, and for the person who lives in a rural area, using delivery services might be the route to take.

Links

For multi-channel marketing to work, everything must be linked to one area. The consumer who gets a direct mail card selling a product might find basic information about the product on the card. The card can include a website for more information, directing the consumer to the site. Once on the site, there should be ordering information, as well as the ability to communicate with a representative. By linking every aspect of the product to a different area, the odds of a potential sale are increased.

References

• Database Marketing Institute: How to Profit from Multi-Channel Marketing; Arthur Middleton Hughes, Copyright 2011
• Entrepreneur: Cross-Training; Kim T. Gordon, July 2003
• Entrepreneur: Hit the Sweet Spot; Kim T. Gordon, July 2006