How To Optimize Marketing Strategy For Cross-Channel Conversions

cross channel conversions

There is no ceiling on how a growing online business can leverage the Internet, including:

  • a corporate website;
  • business social media accounts;
  • other websites and platforms;
  • launching or attending podcasts and talk shows;
  • etc.

However, having so many alternatives may be both a blessing and a curse. For example, you need to control your website performance, improve navigation, and optimize it for search engines.

Let’s assume you own an online store, and you’ve chosen the Magento CMS to develop the website. Is it fast enough to appeal to users and web crawlers? If not, you need to optimize Magento store performance.

The same applies to other items on your marketing strategy list. If you attempt to cover as many channels as possible, you need to see the whole picture in one place. And your customers’ data should remain in the system to provide a cohesive experience.

That’s where cross-channel marketing comes in handy. Let’s dive deeper into how companies can use cross-channel marketing to their advantage: to increase conversions and understand their customers better.

5 Ways to Optimize a Marketing Strategy for Cross-Channel Conversions

1. Creating a Buyer Persona

Describing a buyer persona implies creating an imaginary person representing a company’s ideal consumer. Why do you need to understand your buyer persona? It helps you acquire the most accurate image of the people who buy your goods:

  • what they have in common;
  • what they purchase;
  • how frequently they do it.

When you know these patterns, you’ll determine the most effective tone of communication with your target audience and further marketing actions.

What Are the Steps to Creating a Buyer Persona?

a) Pretend to be a customer.

This step involves imitating a customer journey from exploring the website to purchasing. What is the user’s experience when navigating the website or contacting customer service? These steps will show you what to change to improve the work.

b) Determine your customers.

After analyzing your clients, divide them into groups to focus on the best approaches.

c) Ask the audience.

You can create polls on the website’s homepage. The easiest one is like the one in the screenshot below. The MailCharts company asks whether clients would recommend the service to their friends. 

Screenshot taken on the official MailCharts  website

Or you can go beyond this limited overview and ask more questions about the experience, just like Slack does in their email newsletter.

Screenshot taken from the newsletter from the official Slack website

Such polls don’t require any complex programs or tools. You can use Google Forms to conduct surveys and collect demographic and personal data. You receive a link to integrate it into the site content, send it in a newsletter, or include it in a social media post.

2. Ensuring Smooth Work Across Various Media

To attract more customers and move them through the sales funnel, use numerous channels simultaneously. The tried and tested ways to spread your advertising messages include:

  • TV commercials and the radio;
  • magazines and newspapers;
  • street banners and other outside advertisements;
  • brochures and catalogs.

But the Internet should remain your primary emphasis in the 2020s. You have a variety of options at your disposal, such  as:

  • your website;
  • mobile app;
  • email marketing;
  • social media channels;
  • pay-per-click advertising;
  • to name a few.

Note that some of the channels work better together than others. Figure out which complementing combinations appeal to your target audience the best.

For example, you wouldn’t use TV commercials to encourage people to follow you on social media, right? Instead, you may mention the Instagram account while showcasing your ad in magazines and newspapers.

3. Personalization as a Key to Cross-Channel Campaigns

One of the ways to differentiate yourself from the competition is to provide a personalized experience. Why should you consider personalization? First, it increases sales because individualized offers are more likely to engage at least 80% of customers

Clients have different journeys, so they need special treatment. Individualize content for customers (or customer segments) based on their preferences. For example, leverage past purchase history to provide relevant recommendations.

A striking example of personalization is the Suiteness approach to their customers. It doesn’t aim to push sales. It accurately compiled how the year went with the company. Not to mention it addresses the customer by their name. The letter includes:

  • Happy New Year wishes;
  • a flashback to past events;
  • a call to action to start planning for next year.

Screenshot taken from the newsletter from the official Suiteness website

4. Focusing on Social Media

Social media is one of the most significant places for implementing a cross-channel marketing strategy. However, social media apps have their own content format and organization.

As far as TikTok is concerned, it accepts short native videos 15 seconds to three minutes long. Instagram has always been associated with images, but it also moves away from this trend towards video content.

Another social media benefit is the ability to speak with customers directly, which most other channels don’t allow. Reply to comments, collect customer reviews, repost content, and include interactive components in stories.

Don’t neglect conversations about your company and participate in them. That’s how you can attract attention to the brand by sharing your expertise or effectively handling the problem. 

Offer your assistance and mention your company’s services connected to the discussed difficulties. This technique will also help to increase brand recognition, engagement, and conversions. However, don’t try to promote the company too intrusively.

A case in point is Pepsi. With 1.7 million followers on Instagram, the company responds to almost every comment on its posts. Here is the one where the customer asks about a particular flavor they can’t any longer find. The brand apologizes and says they’re working on it.

Screenshot taken on the official Pepsi Instagram account

5. Ensuring Customer Support 24/7

Customer support is a crucial factor for 96% of people to become loyal to the brand. What does it mean to be a loyal customer? It means people will promote your brand with favorable word-of-mouth. Effective customer support also boosts your sales by making customers feel valued and respected.

That’s why your customer service should be available round the clock. How can you leave all the clients satisfied and handle their issues? You can hire as many employees as possible, but it’s a relic from the past. Implement chatbots into the website, be it a SaaS business or an eCommerce store.

This step can be your foot in the door if an unsatisfied customer decides to leave for your competitors. And the best part is that they sustain the dialog and respond in no time. Below is an example of a Clinique chatbot that can solve several problems.

Screenshot taken on the official Clinique  website

Conclusion

As a modern marketer, you need to handle various communication channels simultaneously and implement cross-channel strategies. Does cross-channel marketing sound difficult to you? Employ tools to streamline the process:

  • begin with analyzing data insights;
  • revise your plan and adjust to customer needs;
  • develop an emotional touch with prospects and increase their involvement.

I hope that the tips given above will help you enhance brand exposure, lead generation, and sales.

About the Author

Kate Parish

Kate Parish is the chief marketing officer at Onilab with over eight years of experience in Digital Marketing in the sphere of eCommerce web development. Kate always aspires to broaden her competency in line with cutting-edge global trends. Her primary areas of professional interest include SEO, branding, PPC, SMM, Magento 2 migration, and online retail in general.