Every business model starts with a value proposition for a certain customer segment, delivered through a customer journey with different touch points & channels. With so many choices available, it is hard to select the right channel set.
Two factors that can help you in your decision are frequency and reach. Frequency means the number of times your message is shown. Reach refers to the potential size of your target audience. If a channel doesn’t reach your audience, or your message isn’t shown often enough, it’s not right for you.
So what channels are available? We differentiate traditional and digital channels.
- Traditional: print advertising (newspapers, magazines, etc.), Radio, Television, Direct mail and newsletters, Billboards, Sales collateral (brochures, displays etc.), Events and trade shows, Loyalty and incentive programs, Telemarketing and personal selling.
- Digital: Websites, Blogs, Social media, Email marketing, Mobile apps, Webinars, Search engine advertising, Third party display advertising, Search engine optimisation (SEO).
And how do you test what channels your business should be using to attract (potential) customers? Flow these steps:
- First of all, it’s important to do research. Most companies don’t belong on every channel. This about your target group, is it likely that they are active on TikTok for example? Do research with your current customers and the customers of your competitors. Where does your and their target group hang out?
- When you have a solid assumption on what channels your (potential) customers are likely to use, it’s time to measure what channel converts best. At the tools below you can find examples of channels you can (and how to) use for reaching out to new potential customers.
- Run advertising experiments to look for signs that a channel is working. You design 1 generic marketing message for your new product or service. And send that message out to your potential customers across multiple channels like Facebook, LinkedIn and on Google.
- Are you attracting the right customers? Measure clicks & pay attention to what people do once they leave the channel for your company website. Measure metrics like bounce rate, time on site, page views per session. This indicates if they are actually interested in your product or service.
- The best channel is the one that gets the most clicks against the lowest average spent per click on that channel combined with the best conversion rate after they visited your site.
The Digital Innovation Lab is always willing to help you setting up your channel strategy, by conducting a channel base scan, SEO scan and/or UX scan.
Tools Channel Test
