How to Multichannel Market

It is important to reach out to people, in many different ways, to stay top of mind. Perhaps your customers spend a lot of time on social media sites. Maybe they meticulously open and inspect all email. Some people love the daily ritual of visiting the postal mail box. Many shop exclusively on the internet, others love to sit down with a cup of coffee and peruse a catalog. You get the picture! The key is to reach your customers where they are, and as often as possible.

Email is still considered a prime method to reach customers. We are not talking about annoying pitches or downright spam, but rather valuable content aimed at the audience. For information on how to accomplish this, read How to Prepare an Email Marketing Content Plan. If you are new to email marketing you can find some good best practices here: 5 Must-Follow Email Marketing Best Practices. An average open rate for email marketing is about 18.9% (U.S.)   In addition, the life of an email may expand beyond its initial open. Many emails are shared today on social media sites, often with a personal perspective of the information or offer.

Depending on the age group of your clients, many maybe hanging out on social media sites. Find where your customers are and develop a presence there. Check out Social Media Examiner for lots of ideas, approaches, and techniques. LinkedIn has positioned itself as a powerhouse tool for the B2B professional. Be sure to check out the article Using LinkedIn to Generate Leads in the Promotional Products Industry for ideas on how to harness this tool. In addition, you may find your customers on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram to name just a few. It is generally recommended to have a presence on at least 2 sites for optimal reach. Make sure to integrate your email and print marketing by adding your social media addresses to each marketing piece.

Competition for online attention is extensive. Your client’s email inbox is exploding with offers and inquiries. Try to gain their attention via postal mail. Think about an oversized postcard or unique design. How about adding a small promotional product with your mailing, such as magnets, stickers, pens, key chains, coaster, or even T-shirts and buttons. Consider using a QR code on your print media to better integrate your print marketing with your website. Consider variable printing which allows you to change certain elements in each piece, such as personalizing your client’s name. Maple Ridge Farms offers customized printed materials for distributors with their contact info and logo. Contact our customer service agents for further details.  According to Research by Mail Print, 85% of consumers read their snail mail on a daily basis, and 40% try new businesses after receiving direct mail.

The promotional products industry historically relied on catalogs. Many are moving away from this form of marketing, as they embrace today’s technology. If you are selling a product or program, perhaps it makes more sense to create an internet marketing piece to present your creative ideas. Food gifts seem to lend themselves to great photography, and the catalog format. See our blog article Should Suppliers Still Produce Catalogs?  We recommend that you leave a copy of our catalog with your clients. Many distributors tell us, unless a buyer knows exactly what they want, a catalog is best for browsing for ideas, especially with higher end products like gourmet food gifts.

Contact your suppliers about what marketing materials they offer. Maple Ridge Farms offers customized flyers, mailers and catalogs, email templates, and social media share templates designed for distributors to use in their marketing plans.

Bottom line, you may not have the resources to do it all, but touch base with your customers with a variety of marketing channels. On any particular day one may be the key to a great sale. Get creative, use all the tools and technologies at your fingertips, and perhaps some promotional products as well!

Be sure to drop us a line and tell us what marketing channels you find most effective.