This originally appeared in the September/October, 2018 issue of Mailing Systems Technology.
The foundation of all successful marketing is repetition, a concept that all marketers know but very few understand. As we round the bend towards 2019, new ways to market are as common as diet fads. Omni-channel marketing, multi-channel marketing, integrating offline with online, programmatic mail, marketing automation — it is very easy to get lost in a sea of confusion of what really is the correct approach.
The answer is always to go back to the foundation of what you know. Eighty percent of sales are made between the eighth and the 12th contact; therefore, we know that repetition is the key to successful marketing. The brands that not only know this concept but truly understand it and build their marketing plans around it are the ones that succeed. This is why we all know that “15 minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance” is Geico, “Just Do It” is Nike, and “I’m Lovin’ It” is McDonalds. The truth is, an organization will become exhausted with its own message far before its target audience will. On average, people are exposed to over 2900 marketing messages per day. How on earth will your company stand out above the masses? The only answer is by repeating your message over and over again to your targeted audience.
With so many different ways to reach your targeted audience, it’s difficult to determine what channel(s) are appropriate for your organization. The truth is, in today’s ever-changing digital landscape and the way that human beings operate, an organization can no longer rely on a single marketing channel. For maximum impact, multiple channels must be used not only for prospecting but also for customer retention. This is where multi-channel or omni-channel marketing comes in. The difference between the two is very simple. Multi-channel marketing is when an organization uses several channels to promote and sell a product or service utilizing various messaging between the channels. Omni-channel marketing is when an organization uses the same exact messaging to promote and sell a product or service.
Both marketing strategies are implementing repetition by reaching the same people over and over again; one uses the same message whereas the other uses multiple messages to get the prospect or customer through the purchasing process. Forty percent of adults start a customer journey on one device and finish it on another. Furthermore, research has shown that brands that use a mixture of display, mobile, social, and video marketing simultaneously achieve up to 500% improvement in ROI from their advertising efforts. Therefore, it is essential for every company to recognize this and implement several channels for maximum results.
Regardless of these proven methods, businesses are still slow to implement marketing strategies across multiple channels. The challenges that organizations face include finding the correct mixture of marketing channels, cost and time considerations, correct messages, and, of course, choreographing campaigns so that they run seamlessly and simultaneously for maximum impact. Lastly, tracking and attributing where marketing dollars are working best across the different channels.
Creating the serendipitous moment when a marketing message is received at precisely the exact time that a person is ready to make a purchasing decision is always going to be an evolving strategy. However, it is important to note that marketing success is well rooted in repetition and now marketing across multiple channels.
Brad Kugler is CEO, DirectMail2.0. Visit www.dm20.com for more information.
