Multi-channel marketing involves the usage of multiple channels for the purpose of reaching more customers. The term multi-channel social media marketing (SMM) is self-explanatory. Instead of billboards, TV, radio, newspapers, and other traditional marketing channels, you use different social media platforms to promote your business.
The goal is to create buzz where your target audience can easily reach the information you publish. Thanks to social media, your content will be liked, shared, and promoted by a large base of followers.
Why is Multi-Channel SMM Effective for Small Businesses?
When you use multiple marketing channels to promote your business, your reach won’t be limited to an isolated group of passive viewers. Social media platforms give you a chance to spread the information to a specific target audience that can generate profits.
As an owner of a small business, your main goals include creating brand awareness and improving the relationship with your current customers. Through a consistent multi-channel social media campaign, your entire marketing strategy will become more productive.
Related Article: 7 Ways Your Small Business Can Improve Its Social Media Marketing
It’s clear that you need to promote your work on social media, but why do you need to be active on multiple channels? Multi-channel marketing enables you to be wherever your customers are. Research shows that the ability of a potential customer to remember the brand behind an ad is significantly increased when multiple channels are involved.
Benefits of Multi-Channel SMM for Small Businesses
- Your customers can connect with you on their favorite medium. Some prefer Twitter, while others like to connect through Instagram, Facebook, Tumblr, YouTube, or Pinterest. If your brand is present on all these channels, your will enable each potential customer to connect with you in the most comfortable way.
- The reputation of your brand will be high across all mediums if you remain consistent throughout the marketing campaign.
- The target audience will pay more attention to your brand when it’s present on several social media platforms.
How to Create a Successful Multi-Channel SMM Campaign?
With all the benefits your business can get out of this strategy, it’s clear that you need to promote it on several social media platforms. Such an activity takes a lot of time and effort, so you need to have a good plan in order to succeed.
- Identify the channels your customers prefer. Before you start investing resources in multi-channel SMM, you should explore the market and see where your audience hangs out. If, for example, you sell cosmetics, you can conduct a successful campaign on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. If you notice that a certain platform is not popular among your target group or in your area, then you don’t have to waste your energy with it.
- Listen and observe! Social media websites are not only effective for your brand’s promotion; they are also monitoring tools that help you determine the needs and preferences of your audience. The information your audience and competitors share on social media will provide you with powerful cues that will make your content marketing more focused.
- Connect with your audience. When you find out where you can reach your audience, it’s time to take the right approach. The updates, links, and content you publish on social media create a brand promise for your potential customers. They should get an idea of the way their purchase would improve their life. Make sure to offer a benefit and keep it persistent, so your customers can always count on your product or service.
- Automate the process. Your social media marketing doesn’t have to consume more time than you are willing to invest. Through multi-channel automation tools, you can maintain consistent activity across several platforms and reach the audience on all social profiles.
- Stay consistent! Even the tiniest inconsistency in your SMM campaign can cause the readers to shift from their reading habits. Your fans and followers have specific behavior patterns on social media platforms. If they like what you offer, they will regularly visit your profile to see what’s new. When you don’t manage to satisfy their curiosity, their brains will shift from habitual to decision-making mode.
That’s why the consistency of your marketing efforts is so important for their success.
It’s Time to Face the Challenge!
Owners of small businesses have always struggled with the usage of monitoring and promotional tools. The evolution of social media platforms enables them to present their products and services to an audience that’s already prepared to listen. Social media is an excellent tool for creating a long-term relationship with your followers, customers, and potential brand ambassadors.
Author: Michael McPherson is a graduate student from Boston University, freelance blogger and a regular contributor at http://www.topreviewstars.com. You may follow him on Twitter: @McPhersy
Social Media is Key to Small Business Advertising
4 Killing Social Media Trends to Watch Out For In 2022
How To Utilize Social Media To Optimize Publicity For Your Business