Marketing isn’t a one size fits all affair. There are nearly an infinite number of ways you can promote your business, so how do you choose what’s right for you?
What Are Marketing Channels?
A marketing channel is any type of communication used to advertise your business. They range from obvious channels you use every day, like social media, to not so obvious channels like product placement in a TV show or movie.
Why Are They Important?
Marketing channels are important because they all accomplish different goals. Product placement in a TV show is a way to gain some favor with fans of the show and to stay in front of a wide audience. You won’t necessarily get tons of warm leads from it, but you might make someone think twice about the brand they’re buying at the store.
Promoting your brand on social media is going to connect you with people who may be interested in your product. You’ll be seen by a smaller audience, but they’re more likely to become qualified leads.
Choosing A Channel
The first step is to define your goals for your business and for your marketing campaign. These should align with each other fairly well. If your goal is to double sales by the end of the year, you should aim to increase the quality and amount of leads flowing to your sales team. The next step is to think about your target audience. Roofing companies, for example, are likely going to target homeowners. This demographic would likely include people ages 30-50 who own a home and can afford to replace their roof in the event that it needs replacing. This roofing company might decide to leave a yard sign at every completed job, sponsor a segment on the local news, and advertise on Google for people who search roofing keywords. These channels should help them reach people looking for roofs in their target location and age range.
Avoiding Bad Channels
Although you can make the case that there aren’t any bad channels, any good marketing manager should be looking to maximize their return on investment when choosing where to market. Generally, you want to avoid channels that your target audience doesn’t pay attention to. Using our roofing company as an example, they likely won’t advertise on TikTok because they’ll be wasting time and money on a platform where the target demographic is 18-24 year olds, as they likely do not own their own home.
Whatever marketing channels you use to advertise your business, make sure you’re getting the most value out of your marketing plan. If you’re looking for a full service digital marketing agency to help you make the most of your next campaign, give J&R Marketing a call at (401)326-2932 or visit jandrmarketing.com.
