Imagine that you are about to open a new business. You have a great recipe for gelato, that fabulous Italian ice cream, and choose to open a retail shop. Maybe your family made gelato in Italy before they migrated to the U.S., so you have an excellent product, but need to do some marketing. Traditionally, you open a retail store in a good location, put up a sign, hang out "grand opening" banners, print up some flyers, mail out a postcard, and run ads in the local papers, and on local radio. Maybe ten years ago, that would have been enough to launch a successful business.
Today's business environment is a little different. Your target customer spends more time online than reading a newspaper. If he even hears your radio ad, when not listening to his iPod or satellite radio, he may Google you for more information. And he may do that from his cell phone. In the past, it took months or even years for word of mouth to spread the buzz about a hot new product. But today, a good word on Facebook or Twitter can reach hundreds of people in seconds. Conversely, a negative word, about poor quality or service, can do the same thing. How do you establish a loyal customer base?
Consider the problem from your potential customer's point of view. They would love to hear about a great new spot and they would love to share that information with friends; "Wow, wonderful gelato just like we had in Florence!" But they don't want too many invasive or annoying emails. And they aren't giving their email address out to just anyone. There is a fine line here. You have to get your message repeated often enough to enough people so that your brand stands out, but in a
favorable light.
You're a candidate for multi-channel marketing. You don't have to be a big business. In fact, small businesses stand to gain the most from this approach. Multi-channel marketing allows you to get your message out by multiple means with maximum potential of having that message spread to a larger audience. With data collected from your existing customers, you can broaden your customer base into ever widening circles. You control the expense, while getting the biggest bang for your buck.
Any business can benefit from the multi-channel approach, not just start ups. In fact, businesses who have been around for awhile may have a significant advantage because of data they have already gained from existing customers. Today's marketplace is more competitive than ever. The old marketing techniques, like advertising and direct mail, still work, but you need to add the digital media as well to maximize your business's potential.
