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5 Steps to Selling More with Multi-channel Marketing
 Old school marketers called it the "media mix" concept: reaching customers in different ways, with the goal of increasing your overall sales. But today's multi-channel marketing takes it one step farther, opening up different ways to communicate to the same customer, resulting in unique cross-channel benefits.
Multi-channel marketing gives your customers greater access to your marketing messages and more than one way to purchase your products or services. One study found that customers of multi-channel companies spent 30 percent more than customers of single-channel companies.
A Five-Step Multi-channel Marketing Plan
Whether you sell products or services, using more than one marketing channel ensures that you are top-of-mind when your customers or prospects are ready to make a buying decision. The big companies have entire departments to create marketing campaigns, but you, as a small business with limited resources, can still make it work. Here's how:
1. Identify your customer's preferred channels and personalize your message. Understand your customer's preferences-ask if you need to-and communicate through the desired channels. Create relevant, personalized messages. Personalized e-mails have been proven to more than triple click-through (open) rates.
2. Coordinate for consistent, authentic messages. Your messages should have the same voice, look, and feel. Use similar fonts and colors to keep your brand consistent and instantly recognizable. And never make an offer through one channel that is better than what you have just promoted to the same customer through another channel.
3. Encourage your customers to add another channel, not move from one to another. Cross-promote by including links in your blog posts to sign up for your e-letter. Ask your e-letter readers to subscribe to your blog. Ask clients who receive direct mail from you to join your e-mail list.
4. Follow up. In one study, a group that received a direct mail postcard after their e-mail had a 15 percent higher response rate than the group that got only the e-mail.
5. Track and measure when possible. Tracking where your customers are coming from will help you adjust your strategies and channels as needed. For example, after you launch an email campaign, measure the traffic spikes to your website.
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