best marketing channel?

I could let you read the whole blog before I get to the point, but I will tell you there isn’t a one-size-fits-all marketing channel from the start. The perfect marketing channel depends on a lot of factors, and the biggest one is you! 

I am sorry this may be bad news to some of you, especially as there are tonnes of people out there trying to persuade us that there is. 

But it’s the truth, and that’s what I am all about - saving you from the pointless stress and upset of trying to find the thing that doesn’t always exist. 

So what can you do to get in front of the right people for you? Let’s break it down a bit. 

What are marketing channels?

Marketing channels are the different ways to market yourself. People have increasingly gravitated to social media and digital marketing methods in the last few years. But there are lots of other ways you can go. 

There really is something for everyone.

Marketers will try to divide them into different groups and give them nice names, but we’re usually talking about digital and traditional marketing. The problem with this is that it gives the idea that you can’t cross the streams. 

Well, you can! In fact, I’d actively encourage you to do so, but more on that later. 

What is right for me? 

This is where I tend to go off-piste from what marketing theory would tell you. But I want to explain why that is because this is really the crux of why I feel what I do is different. 

Traditionally, if you’re marketing a product service, you’ll have done lots of groundwork before you even get to creating a marketing campaign. Of course, if we’re doing things by the book, then this is absolutely right and proper and what we should be doing. 

BUT… and there is always a but… If you’re a small business, then the chances are you’ve not got the flashy budgets of the big guys, right?

So what do you do? 

First, I’d encourage you to consider who your clients are. Not necessarily the ideal ones you have in your head, but the ones you love working with. The ones that make your heart sing. 

How did you find them, or did they find you? What channels did they use? 

Did they use your website? Did they call you? Did they find you on social media, or did they find you via someone else? When you’ve got that list, then have a look at where they hang out in marketing terms. If you don’t know this, then ask them! 

Now you have a list of who you love and where they love to hang out, so far so good!

So the big question is now about you. How do you feel about the places they hang out? Are they places you’re using as part of your marketing, or do the channels they use make you feel a bit sick? 

This is where I encourage you to think really hard. It may be that your favourite people are on Instagram, and you love Instagram, so that is a win. But maybe they’re not, and you don’t like where they hang out! All is not lost in that case; you just need to look at how to work around it!

But you said about crossing the streams? How does that work?

So, there is a big reason why I suggest that people look at more than one marketing channel, which may not be what you think. The main reason is that if all the social media platforms went bang tomorrow, how would you reach your clients?

A few years ago, that may well have sounded crazy, but with what is happening with X (RIP, Twitter), there is a chance that this could really happen. 

So, the easiest thing to do is to look at another channel which you have more control over. For most businesses, that is email. A mailing list means you have a list you can use to reach out to people should the world of social media implode.

But it doesn’t need to be an email list. You can look at other methods; it’s all about using the right tools to reach the right people. 

This is why there is no best way to reach clients; there are so many options! If you need any more justification for this, blended marketing campaigns tend to reach more people, too, but that depends on what you’re trying to sell and to whom. 

Oh… I am not sure what to do next! 

I get that this may feel a little counter-intuitive, especially in the micro business space and for sole traders, etc. We’re encouraged to use social because it’s easy, everyone is on it, and many people can help us. And, yes, that is true, and it’s great. But I also know that many business owners get really stressed out about marketing. Mainly because of all these people telling us what we should be doing! 

You might end up with more choices than you actually realised, but there is a simple way to look at this if you’re overwhelmed, which is as follows…

Who are you trying to reach? 

What product or service are you selling to them? 

What are the objectives of the information you want to put out there? 

And finally, what is your budget? 

Finally… I would encourage you to work with someone to cast a neutral eye over what you’re doing. I would love that to be me, really, I would, but it doesn’t have to be! It can be anyone you feel comfortable looking over your marketing. I only recommend they have some ‘qualification’ to do it. That doesn’t have to be a fancy qualification, either! This is all about spotting the bits you don’t see, and they must be someone you trust. 

If you want to talk about how you can make your marketing work better for you, please get in touch, I’d love to hear from you!