From Multichannel to Selected Channel
The digital space offers a wide range of digital channels that can be used to provide promotinal information about services and products. Depending on industry and customer segments each of these channels offers a number of opportunities but it also raise a number of challanges every time a company or brand choose a channel to market their product.
Many companies are advised by agencies and consultants to use many different channels - Multi Channels - and over time this can also be a good strategy. However for each channel you choose to enter a number of challanges must be managed so instead I think a smarter approach is to define a number of Selected Channels and then drive these with excellence - one by one.
Content - can content be shared across the selected channels without re-develoment`? For each platform you choose you risk to have to redevelop your content. By carefully go with a few selected channels you will be in a better position to manage the content you use for the channels.
CRM system - it is important that the selected channel can pull and push information to your CRM system. Otherwise you will build information siloes and loose the holistic account overview. For example if you setup an automated e-mail function that does not integrate with your CRM system you will not be able to track if e-mails are opened and used by your customers.
Business Intelligence - your BI tool should be able to integrate to the selected channels in order for you to build reports and dashboards with information from all channels.
Agencies - only a very few agencies are good in both the creative work and the solution development (content programming). Consider finding the best of both and make sure you are in controle of the process,
The above are just a few system topics to consider when a digital marketing strategy is defined.
