Multichannel marketing is a strategy that introduces your product across many mediums. It may seem obvious when you consider the name multichannel. Still, with a simplistic name, the benefits of multichannel marketing can be powerful.
Consider this: with the ability of a message to be in so many places, would you want to limit your message to one avenue? Additionally, would you be able to pick which avenue would be most successful? Multichannel takes these educated guesses away.
Different Channels?
Marketing is an ever-evolving science, and one needs to stay ahead of the curve to remain effective. In years past, TV ads were the end-all-be-all. Before that, radio ads were the end-all-be-all.
And as you can imagine, this has shifted once again.
Modern TV ads have evolved into Over The Top (OTT) ads due to consumer confidence shifting toward streaming platforms rather than cable or satellite.
The modern radio ad lives in podcasts. It seems like AM/FM has been perpetually on its dying breath for years, but those same ads have found new traction.
So what other channels are available to you?
Classic Channels
The classic channels still play a large part in marketing mixes. Before TV and radio, billboard and print ads were essential in marketing. Print ads and billboard ads were so foundational, we still see them used daily. Billboards were the original awareness ads, allowing as many people to see your ads as possible. With the advent of print ads, companies could segment toward their desired audience. Segmentation is still utilized today! For example, in automotive, you may want to ensure service customers are not shown sales ads.
Back to the classic channels: TV and radio. Like billboards, TV and radio allowed more eyeballs and ears on products. It also allowed for the product's features and benefits to be outlined in real-time. Even in 2023, the power of TV is still very much intact and felt.
Modern Channels
With the creation of the internet, everything changed. The psychology of a consumer, how ads are delivered, and the amount of information available to consumers, all expanded. This, in turn, expanded the reach of your product. For example, seeing the power of the internet, one of iFrog's oldest partners became one of Ford Motor Company’s top dealers even though the location was in a town of just over 700 people. Each year, this dealer has consumers coming to them from places like Alaska to buy a car. The internet is a powerful way to distribute your message well past your backyard. And there is so much to the internet for you to take advantage of, such as:
Podcasts: a form of radio that is exclusively distributed throughout the internet. Podcasts typically begin with ads and have breaks for ads. The ads can be read by the host or inserted after being created.
Social Media: From Facebook to Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Twitter, and Reddit, the paid ads for these platforms have proven to both be practical and able to generate excitement about brands and products.
Display Ads: Display ads can be thought of as digital billboards that are on websites and arrive in all different sizes.
Online Video: ads that can be viewed anywhere you can consume videos.
Over The Top: ads that live on streaming services.
Google Ads such as pay-per-click, Vehicle Listing ads, and Performance Max.
Search Engine Optimization: creates organic optimization to ensure your website shows on search engines at the top of the results.
Email Marketing: creating a trusted voice for your business that provides valuable information to the audience and drives traffic to your website.
What Does This Mean for Your Dealership?
When planned and executed correctly, you will move consumers down the marketing funnel. A quick note on the marketing funnel: depending on who you ask, there can be three to five parts. Let’s outline the five-part funnel.
Awareness: Educate consumers about your brand.
Consideration: Give consumers proof you live by your values, and that those values match theirs.
Conversion: a sale occurs.
Loyalty: This takes a few forms. When it comes to automotive dealerships, a consumer only buys from you and not the competitor.
Advocacy: People promote your brand and get others to buy from you.
This funnel is the name of the game whether or not you go multichannel. In a perfect world, everyone will be a loyal patron who will buy your product and convince everyone to buy from you. That is not the world we are in. A proper marketing mix will allow you to hit an individual at each funnel stage.
So, How Does iFrog Do It?
Your website is your digital showroom, and often the source of the majority of your traffic, making it imperative to drive qualified traffic to convert to your website. You could throw a strategy on the wall and hope it sticks, or you can make data-driven decisions.
iFrog was Born in a Dealership®, and we flat-out understand the needs of your dealership. We take data-driven decisions to the next level because we know the data that matters the most to you. Not only do we understand your business, but we can also create multichannel marketing campaigns to generate qualified traffic that leads to better conversions, and more sustained success for your business.
Are you ready to elevate your multichannel marketing mettle? Enlist the strategy experts at iFrog! Contact us or email our team for a consultation at sales@ifrog.com.
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