Multi-Channel Marketing – The Key To Customer Growth

Multi-Channel-What?

Multi-channel marketing is simply a marketing strategy that offers your customers a number of channels from which to purchase your products and services. It’s an important business coaching strategy.

The obvious objectives are to allow your business to reach more customers and make it convenient for those customers to engage with your business by purchasing your goods and services.

Multi-channel marketing utilises email, direct mail, social media, SMS, website campaigns, print media and more. In order to direct your multi-channel marketing to your intended audience, you must determine who they are and what type of communication is most likely to reach them.

For example, tech savvy customers will look for marketing from social media sources and SMS, while a more traditional audience will likely expect television or traditional print media sources.

While both demographics may be equally important to the success of your business you’ll want to track and analyse customer engagement and then follow with analysis of sales from each level of multi-channel marketing.

In order for multi-channel marketing to fully deliver maximum revenue and customer loyalty, your campaigns will need to follow with multi-channel purchasing options for the customers you engage.

How many channels do you provide for your customers to reach you and your goods and services? You want to provide as many options as possible, including channels like the brick-and-mortar store, e-commerce website, mail catalogue and telephone ordering, comparison shopping sites, and social media. With each channel you provide, you give your company the potential to expand nationally or internationally without the addition of more physical stores.

In order to utilise multi-channel marketing and offer additional channels to your customers to connect with your business, I keep these helpful tips in mind during my business coaching engagements:

• At every level, ensure that your customers receive a high quality of service and a consistent experience. This means products, services, and policies need to be consistent at each level.


• The data available from these channels should be analysed to identify your customers’ preferences and adjust your multi-channel marketing efforts accordingly to maximise your success.


• Since a large number of consumers utilise the Internet for research prior to their purchase, you must have an accurate, informative and helpful website to promote your products or services.


• With multiple channels, you’ll need to determine a pricing strategy that appeals to customers at different levels. Some businesses charge the same at all levels, but many find that offering website purchases at lower pricing works best for their business.

Multi-channel marketing allows you the opportunity to communicate and reach your customers on many levels, expanding your reach and your customer base while providing your business the opportunity to grow and expand successfully.

Mike Reddy is a Chartered Accountant, business coach and advisor helping businesses in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Gold Coast to easily increase their profits and cash flow. He is currently President of the North Sydney Chamber of Commerce, a Regional Councillor for Sydney North East and a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Sydney leadership team. As well as advising businesses, Mike presents business development seminars and webinars and is regularly contacted by the media to comment on small business matters. You can connect with him on Facebook, Twitter and Google+.