The world of marketing is now bigger, more diverse and more competitive than ever before, and which such a broad range of businesses and industries out there; it’s no wonder so many marketers are getting confused and overwhelmed, which can be damaging for the businesses they work for.
As of the beginning of 2018, there were roughly 16 different marketing channels available to businesses. Some businesses would stick to the ones they have always used without branching out, while others would try and use them all.
Today, we’re going to explore exactly how you as a marketer and as a business can make sure you’re using the right marketing channels to suit you, helping you maximize your budget and ultimately maximize your success.
Research the Channels
One of the first things you’re going to want to do is to take a look at all the channels that are available. Without doing this, how are you going to be able to define what channels are best for you and your business?
As we mentioned above, there are roughly 16 channel marketing areas in total; which are;
- SEO
- Keynote Speaking
- Referral Marketing
- PR
- Content Marketing
- Offline Advertising
- Online Advertising
- Sales
- Email Marketing
- Influencer Marketing
- Partner Marketing
- Utility Marketing
- Offline Events
- Online Events
- Community
- Social Media
Be sure to research what each of these channels is, at least the ones you feel are applicable to you, in order to fully understand and, therefore, choose the ones that are right for you.
Define Your Foundation
Now you have an understanding on what the channels are, you’ll need to think about where you are right now. Take your time to define the marketing channels you usually use and how successful they are for you. Try to highlight which channel is most effective.
It’s important here to make sure you don’t consider one channel to be the success of another. Try to be as accurate as you can! Attribute your efforts to the right channels.
Improving Your Marketing Strategy
Now you know where your business is right now, it’s time to make improvements. First, any unsuccessful channels you’re using that aren’t doing their job need to go. Simply stop using them. Then, consider what kind of new approaches you could take to get your business in front of your target market.
You might be able to mix up and blend new channels, or you might simply be able to get all your success through one main channel that you already use. The point here is to highlight the best areas of your marketing strategy and address the weak points.
Summary
Now, this is a lot easier said than done, and you may want to extend this process out over a couple of months in order to see changes and to make sure you’re making the right decisions.
The best thing to remember is to stay educated in what’s happening and to break things down, so they’re easy to understand, and therefore have the best effect on your business. Stay focused, stay organized, and you can be sure you’ll get the best results.
