Multi-channel marketing is a necessary strategy for the modern marketer. Today’s consumers are everywhere – and they expect brands to meet them wherever they are.
In reality, connecting with customers and prospects is less about “where” than it is about “how.” Most marketers know where to go, but what they often lack is the good sense and skills necessary to understand how to allocate their budgets.
Paid Display
Display advertising ranked as the number one investment in Criteo’s survey, and for good reason. The right paid display strategy puts your brand in front of prospects to influence purchase intent.
Most visitors leave sites without making a purchase; fortunately, they leave behind a trail of valuable clues. Armed with information collected during their visit, retargeting enables marketers to serve meaningful ads to prospects after they’ve clicked on another site – particularly on a competitor’s website. Re-engagement serves a similar purpose by enticing customers with special offers, discounts, and promotions.
To get the most out of display advertising, adopt a full-funnel approach. A combination of ads that drive brand awareness, retarget, and re-engage should reach shoppers at each stage of the buyer’s journey.
Social Media
According to Criteo’s survey, social media plays an important role in retargeting and driving conversions, commanding 14% of surveyed marketers’ budgets.
Consumers spend a significant amount of their online lives on social media, making Facebook and Instagram prime spaces to retarget everyone. This includes consumers who have interacted with your site, app, or social media content, as well as those who have interacted with your brand offline.
Video ads are often the best way to do this. According to Hubspot, 64% of shoppers are more likely to buy a product online after watching a video. Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest all support video ads, but the best choice will depend on your target audience and their preferences.
Make the most of your social media ad spend with simple but eye-catching videos that feature customer quotes, need-to-know details, and a crystal-clear call to action (CTA).
Traditional Media
Investment in traditional media may be on the decline, but it’s not dead. Traditional media ad spend fell just behind social media for those surveyed by Criteo, accounting for 13% of their budgets.
The key to making traditional media marketing work? Using data to customize your outreach.
With a response rate of 4.9% for prospecting, direct mail is one of the most effective ways to do this. Whether it’s a letter, postcard, or other promotional material, marketers who use online behavior to personalize mailings see high returns on their investments.
Billboards are a bolder way to get noticed. According to one source, outdoor advertising delivers more than 90% reach. Pair billboards with geotargeted mobile ads to incorporate a digital component to make sure you don’t go unnoticed both on and offline.
Email marketing remains popular because it works. In a survey, Campaign Monitor found that ROI can be as high as $44 for every one dollar spent. They also found that 10% of marketers’ budgets are dedicated to email.
Like display ads, email can be used to retarget prospects by capitalizing on their behavior. For instance, when someone takes action on your site, such as visiting a product page or adding a product to their cart, transactional emails (e.g., abandoned cart, discounts, or upsells) can provide the nudge they need to convert.
Email can also be used to win more business from existing customers. Whether it’s a product announcement or a simple note of appreciation, a good re-engagement email does more than remind customers you exist – it gives them a reason to care.
Content Marketing
eMarketer reports 84% of B2B companies will use content marketing in 2019, making it crucial to the multi-channel mix.
Its success comes down to strategic generosity – provide enough useful information to prospects and they’ll keep coming back until they convert.
The most viable option is blogging, which tops the list of content marketing tactics due to its SEO benefits. Long-form content, such as in-depth articles, eBooks, and whitepapers are also beneficial. These will position your brand as a thought-leader and typically target decision-makers or people further along in the buyer’s journey.
Video is now one of the most significant tools you need in your content marketing toolkit. According to Cisco, video content will account for 80% of all internet traffic by 2021; therefore, if you want to get in front of your audience and become a leader in trends, you must expand your content offerings to include it.
SEO
When done right, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the gift that keeps on giving. A month-long SEO campaign can continue to generate free, organic traffic for months to follow. That’s why 61% of marketers list SEO as a top priority. The goal is to convince Google that a page on your site is the best resource for a related search, so it ranks at the top of search results.
Paid Search
Like SEO, paid search is driven by keywords. Criteo’s survey found that marketers spend nine percent of their budgets on paid search advertising. eMarketer estimates more than $45 billion in search spend in 2019.
Ad extensions can be useful in making paid search more effective. Whether it’s a call button, location info, specific page links, or unique benefits, these extra links are free to include and typically improve clickthrough rates.
Creating landing pages specifically for Pay-Per-Click (PPC) keywords is another proven tactic for improving clickthrough rates. They’ll also boost your ad relevancy score, which can reduce your Cost-Per-Click (CPC).
Landing Pages
Criteo also found that marketers spend nine percent of their budgets on landing pages. This may seem high, but a landing page should be considered a living document. As you learn more about your target audience, continuous fine-tuning is essential to optimize the user experience and improve conversions.
In addition to relevant content, landing pages must support other marketing initiatives like display and email.
Affiliate Marketing
In its simplest form, affiliate marketing consists of one party earning a commission for marketing another party’s products. It’s a win-win proposition for both parties, which is why more than 80% of brands and publishers include it in their marketing mix.