A multi-channel marketing program can be defined as communicating with and attracting prospects through a multitude of online and offline sources.  With potential customers having access to an endless amount of information, and dozens of ways to obtain that information, it’s important you employee a multi-channel strategy to ensure your content is reaching its intended target audience.  Below we’ve outlined the different aspects needed to run an effective multi-channel marketing program.

SEO: Search engine optimization is instrumental in getting found through Google and other search engines.  Consumers these days are relying even more on online reviews to make their purchases.  Having a highly optimized site that touches on all of the keys that these search engine algorithms search for is of the utmost importance.

Blog:  Blogging is the number one way to drive traffic to your website.  Each blog creates another page for search engines to identify, which increases your SEO.  Blogging is what can set you apart as an industry leader and show your expertise in your field.  Statistics have shown that companies that blog 16 times a month will drive 3.5 times the traffic to their sites as opposed to companies that blog between 0-4 times per month.

Social Sharing:  Social media is where you increase the reach of your company and promote your content.  You will need to identify the social channels that your target customers frequent in order to maximize the potential of your content offers.  Promoting your blogs through social channels will drive prospects to your website, which in turn will create more leads.  It is important that you stick with the 80/20 rule when publishing content to your social channels.  Ensuring that you post relevant industry articles more often than your own content will show that you are on the cutting edge of your field and make it so your pages do not appear as a billboard for your company

Teleprospecting:  When it comes to qualifying leads and identifying those leads as being "sales-ready", there is no greater avenue than teleprospecting.  The responses and intelligence gathered during teleprospecting campaigns help to bring your sales team warm leads as opposed to cold calling.  This cuts down on the time your sales people spend on tasks better suited for your marketing team.

Email Workflows:  Email is an important part of any marketing campaign.  However, it is essential that you incorporate a work flow to maximize the effectiveness of your email campaign.  A quality email that includes an engaging subject line, personalization at all relevant points and a call to action that links to a piece of premium content is a great place to start, but it cannot stop there.  Once a prospect has shown enough interest to click on your email and then download your content, it is a must to provide additional direction to move them through the buyer’s journey.

Cold Calling:  Although cold calling has its detractors, it's still an effective means of qualifying potential leads.  It can be much easier to gauge interest with a cold call as your potential client in most cases will need to verbally agree to a meeting or follow up call.

White Papers:  White papers are extremely influential in customer’s final buying decisions.  This is your opportunity to expand on your blogging efforts and go in depth about potential pain points and solutions to those issues.  White papers not only show the impact a solution could have on a consumers company, it also serves as a way for them to sell the decision makers on a certain product or service.

Ebooks:  Ebooks can be an even more important tool than a traditional white paper.  Ebooks allow you to create an interactive experience with your prospect through the use of links, surveys and videos.  They also provide an opportunity to link back to your blog as well as subscribe for future postings.  Ebooks also allow you to target more than one stage of the funnel or buyers journey.

Infographics:  Infographics are an important part of any content strategy.  The combination of images and text allows for an eye catching delivery with the added ability to communicate more complex ideas.  An infographic can be more appealing visually to a potential customer which adds to the likelihood of it being shared through social channels.

Pay Per Click Ads:  Pay per click advertisement is becoming increasingly important in today’s crowded internet.  While some businesses have been reluctant to put up the money for these ads, It's important to note that you are only paying when a potential customer clicks on your ad.  You also have the ability to set a budget so that you avoid using up too many of your marketing dollars on this one tool.

Direct Mail:  Direct mail is a time tested part of marketing and remains an essential tool in any great marketing strategy.  Direct mail can serve as a way to send out special promotions for discounted services.  It also provides a chance to build a long term relationship with a particular contact through the sharing of industry relevant information as well as personalized items such as holiday cards.

Trade Shows:  A well put together booth can leave a lasting impression on a prospective client.  Trade shows offer a unique opportunity for face to face marketing with a targeted audience.  Through the use of promotional items and business cards it is an excellent opportunity to expand the reach of your brand.  There is also great opportunity for lead generation as you can offer these items in exchange for contact information.

Press Releases:  Press releases offer an opportunity to promote your business regardless of what industry you're in.  They are relatively inexpensive as most are written internally.  The only cost associated is generally to the agency you are paying to distribute the release.  However, even distribution can be internalized through the use of your company website and social pages.

Print Ads:  Print advertising is still relevant in today's digital marketing age.  Some consumers still prefer to pick up a magazine or newspaper rather than surfing the web for their news.  Digital news sources offer several distractions to the reader such as links, videos and multiple advertising offers on a single page.  People also tend to stay on a single page in print media longer than on a website page.

To learn more how your organization can benefit from a multi-channel marketing approach, click below to contact Winn Technology Group.  With an experienced teleprospecting team and the ability to manage all of your digital marketing needs, Winn Technology Group can provide the services you need to take your company to a new level of lead generation, content creation and content distribution.