The Value of Consistency in Multichannel Marketing

The Value of Consistency in Multichannel Marketing

Multichannel marketing has changed the game.

Marketing was a lot simpler when the only available delivery system was word-of-mouth. Invent the wheel, and tell your neighbor about it. Or maybe roll it over to a friend for a quick demo. Eyebrows raise, jaws gape, and the next thing you know, wheel mania is raging through the Bronze Age community. Ancient marketing at its finest.

Then came the eruption — a proliferation of media that propelled the world across the centuries and into the digital age. In the current period of human history, brand marketers are loaded to the eyeballs with media choices. From conventional print to blazing-fast mobile networks, each can pack a powerful punch, if correctly utilized. The clearest, most undeniable proof of this is multichannel marketing.

Multichannel marketing is, as its name suggests, full-scale marketing in which all media, old and new, participate as a unified force. Everything counts and has value. Print, broadcast, and digital all are contributors.

But such media abundance places an enormous burden on brand marketers – how does a well-intentioned marketer organize the load to keep things balanced and consistent?  Such organization is crucial. Without a unified, consistent message, a campaign becomes a stumbling block, a blurred, jumbled image of your brand that confuses consumers to no end. And a confused consumer is an un-sold consumer.

Balance and consistency certainly is necessary in the realm of search. On the surface, this objective seems like a slam dunk. But it isn’t. That’s because search consists of two separate channels. On the one hand, you’ve got organic and its stockpile of engaging, pertinent content. On the other is paid search.

Far too often, the two avenues veer off in their own directions. But such divergence is detrimental to their overall impact. As with all other channels, message consistency is vitally important for search marketing.

Synergy is the key to effective search marketing. Ideally, organic and paid search will reinforce each other for the duration of any campaign. Implemented correctly, paid ads displayed on the likes of Google AdWords and Bing build on the organic message and carry it a long, long way. The result is a consistent message that expands brand exposure through a unified campaign. For marketers, this is the most reliable route to user engagement.

If you have any questions or comments about omnichannel marketing, or about any other brand-related topic, feel free to send them our way.