The platforms and media outlets you use to transmit promotional messages to your target audience, also known as marketing channels, play a role in your marketing campaigns that is nearly as influential as the messages they carry. Each channel has a persona and target audience of its own and appeals to that demographic in a unique way. It should be no surprise that certain channels are more suitable for certain types of content, or are more popular in certain demographics and are less so in others. When you have a story to tell, it’s critical that the marketing channels used are appropriate for the content and appeal to your customers. You need to know which channels deliver the desired ROI, so you’ll know where to focus your resources and attention.

It’s important to customize marketing activity to resonate with your target audience and brand. It’s also incumbent upon marketers to understand that it is almost inevitable that at some point, fluctuations in the global or national zeitgeist might impact customer perceptions of the marketing channels you typically use. So much of marketing is about being in the moment and able to read the mood of your customers and prospects.

As we learned early in 2020-2021, a health crisis, political instability, wars and the resulting economic fallout can cause a seismic shift in customer priorities, budgets and preferences. In a 2022 survey of over 1,200 marketers conducted by the Cambridge, MA inbound marketing company Hubspot, more than 80% of respondents said that marketing has changed more in the last three years than in the last 50 years. Effective marketing means that Freelancers and their corporate counterparts must be vigilant and willing to revisit the matter of which marketing channels win the loyalty and trust of customers in the here and now and ensure that your channel strategy fits your audience.

The Hubspot survey reported that the leading channels used by B2B marketers are social media platforms, company websites, blogs and email marketing and the trend is expected to continue throughout 2023. Also, 61% of companies plan to increase the number of marketing channels of all kinds and they anticipate that the necessary increases of time and money will be budgeted.

Social media use is expanding

The HubSpot survey also found that 45% of B2B companies and 61.5% of B2C companies use social media channels to promote products and services. That customers appreciate the convenience of social messaging allows marketers to engage in real time with customers to answer questions, resolve customer service issues and provide insightful feedback about the product or service. In 2022, more than half of U.S. adults purchased something through a social media channel, according to a 2023 survey of 750 marketers conducted by Sprout Social, the Chicago, IL based social media management platform, and 98% expected to use that channel to make another purchase in the future.

Investing in relationships with customers directly impacts business revenue and strengthens customer loyalty. When customers feel connected to brands, 57% will increase spending with that brand and 76% will buy from that brand over a competitor. B2C brands are more likely to sell products and services on social channels (58%) compared to B2B brands (37%). Still, Sprout Social reported that 89% of B2B marketers rely on LinkedIn to generate leads.

When you reevaluate the validity of your usual marketing channels, whether you’re thinking it might be the time to either add or to subtract, you’ll improve your calculus by addressing the following questions:

• Do the new marketing channels align from a brand and customer experience perspective?
• Do the touch points on the new and original channels align around and emphasize the same benefits and brand image?
• How will new marketing channels attract new customers, lure customers away from competitors, or persuade current customers to do more business with you?
• Do customers understand and appreciate the value they acquire by using new channels?

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: Italian Air Force fighter planes in an airshow celebrating Frecce Tricolori in Rivolto, Italy on September 11 & 12, 2010