As technology evolves and new types of gadgets and websites appear on the scene, you realize: You have more options available for marketing your business than ever before.
So why choose just one? The key to marketing success today is to use multiple platforms and touchpoints, leveraging them in concert with one another to maximize your success.
Mix the old and the new
Once you discover new platforms for marketing your business, the solution isn’t to abandon your old outlets entirely – it’s to use an effective combination of the two. If you were placing ads in the newspaper and commercials on the radio before, you don’t have to quit those strategies. In fact, you probably shouldn’t, since there’s still a large subset of the population looking to those outlets and expecting to find you.
By mixing old strategies with new ones, you can get the best of both worlds. You’re able to stay relevant with the old audience you were keying on, and also appeal to new consumers who may not have previously been interested. It’s about steadily growing your market share.
Embrace the “multi-screening” trend
People these days don’t watch TV. Actually, let’s rephrase. They don’t “just” watch TV. They’ve got other stuff going on at the same time. The set will be turned on, but they’ll also have laptops in their laps, smartphones in their pockets and tablets sitting on the table a few feet away. They’re not just staring at what’s on the tube – they’re engaging in “multi-screening.”
Therefore, if you want your brand to stand out, it’s a little more challenging than it used to be. If people are looking at a bunch of different screens, you want to be present on all of them. If you have a TV commercial, a mobile app and an ad that’s placed on popular websites, consumers will realize that you’re present everywhere. This should enhance your image.
Let people do their research
People use different screens for different reasons. Let’s think about the lifecycle of your advertising content and how it progresses from device to device.
Maybe initially, someone sees a commercial for your business on the TV. They don’t know precisely what it is yet, but their interest has been piqued. Maybe next, they’ll go online and Google you, just to see what you’re all about. Then maybe they’ll try to get in touch and find out more – this might happen over the phone or using a mobile app.
What’s interesting is that as people do their research, they use a variety of platforms at various steps along the way. If you’re doing well with multiple platforms, you can make every single step worthwhile.
Maximize your audience outreach
A lot of marketers get themselves into question when they make their advertising audience into a binary choice. They ask themselves – “Which is better, cable TV ads or a mobile campaign?”
The secret is not to choose one. Go for both. If you’re present on all channels, you can reach the biggest possible audience. This is the secret to driving viewer engagement – reach out to everyone, not just a select group on one platform.
With so many options available for marketing these days, there’s no reason to limit yourself. There’s no better time than the present to branch out. Download our Marketing Health Check for guidance on finding the multichannel strategy that works best for you.
- What Gartner’s New CMO Spend Report Says About Your Marketing Plan - May 8, 2015
- Why it’s worth investing in quality creative advertising content - March 20, 2015
- Using multiple ad platforms to maximize marketing success - May 19, 2014
