Why Cross Channel Marketing is Too Important to Be Ignored

Handling communications on multiple channels can get pretty hectic, either because you need more staff to oversee the channels or because there is too much traffic from a growing consumer base.

More often than not your digital marketing campaign will generate more noise and interest than direct conversion. That being said, it is definitely not to be ignored, all you need to do is find an effective way to manage it.

Difference between Multichannel and Cross-Channel Marketing

First things first, let’s explain the difference between multichannel and cross-channel approach as these two are very similar.

Multi-channel marketing means you have a presence on social media, mobile app, websites etc. So, what’s cross channel marketing then?

Cross channel means bringing it to another level by tailoring user experience on one channel based on the behavior on another. To elaborate, if a user uses a website or an app to browse a certain product on your store, your email marketing campaign will take that activity into consideration and push that product to that user.

Benefits of Cross Channel Marketing

As mentioned the main benefit of a cross channel is allowing a more targeted marketing approach which is more likely to increase your sales. You can successfully gather user-relevant data and use it to sell and upsell your products, increase the effectiveness of incentive programs, and even boost your accuracy of sell-through rates.

Furthermore, it leads to better user experience and increased user loyalty. For example, if your customers use an app to order food, you can save their orders and allow them to make the same one immediately, rather than have them browse through the menu all over again.

Ideally, you would want to invest in algorithms that can do this work for you, or in tools that help you communicate and track user activity within a cross channel environment. However, even without an automated CRM system, simply capturing data and making it available to your sales team will be of great help.

How to Have a Successful Cross Channel Operation

The first thing you need to do is capture data that details the behavior of your user base, and then break it down on an individual level. In other words, you need to know what websites your users visit on their daily bases, how those users responded to your previous marketing campaign, what are the products they typically purchase etc.

You should then invest either in tools that can accurately interpret that data or simply create your in-house solution that can analyze these findings and translate them into meaningful feedback.

Since the information gathering and analysis on cross-channel marketing is truly valuable nowadays, a lot of funds were invested in creating these relevant tools, which ultimately detail the customer's journey. In other words, you need a CRM with multiple integration options for social media, app, website, etc. in order to unify the information flow from multiple fronts.

Use the generated feedback to see where you can double down on the engagement, and eliminate the marketing campaign efforts that have weak conversion rates.

Follow the patterns to create your own buyer or user personas that can help you with future products or service upgrades. Create more targeted incentives that are based on facts rather than a gut feeling, and figure out if you can adjust the buying experience to be more streamlined (just like with restaurant online orders example from before).

FAQ

What is cross channel communication?

Cross channel communication is all about delivering a message or communicating with your users on multiple fronts, preferably with the same tool, in order to unify the feedback.

What is cross-platform marketing?

Cross-platform marketing is one of the best approaches to increase your brand awareness and build meaningful relationships with your users. The idea is to have a high digital presence by being active on main social networks, having a communications app that buyers can use to acquire your product or services, having a user-friendly and visible website, etc.