Cross Channel Marketing Done Right

Businesses and marketers are challenged with trying to figure out the right frequency for sending SMS messages, delivering mobile responsive emails, and posting to social media. When it comes to cross channel marketing what is the best frequency for communication?

The answer depends on the type and style of business sending the messages. Demographics, the product, and price point all play a role when building a communication plan.

SMS and Cross Channel Marketing.

Let’s start with text message marketing. AvidMobile works to educate businesses. They help them understand that mobile SMS messaging is the most private, intimate, and one of the most powerful communication tools available.In other words, SMS marketing is an intricate marketing tool, and to be successful with it businesses must have a plan.

When it comes to SMS frequency there are several factors to consider. Brands using SMS marketing as part of their cross channel communication plan must understand and train their consumers. Use clear language to set guidelines for marketing communications. Additionally, brands should fully understand purchasing habits. Brands should communicate via SMS with using frequency based on how often those clients visit the establishment or make purchases.

A quick service restaurant may send an SMS marketing message their customer base 3 or 4 times a month. While a  fine dining restaurant would want to only send messages out around the 6-week mark. Gyms and personal trainers will send out two to three health updates per week. However, they may substitute one of those messages for a mobile coupon for a personal training session.

One problem we frequently see in businesses is little or no variety in marketing messages. Multiple businesses are sending the same message across all forms of communication. An audience loses interest when exact same marketing lingo is used across all channels and all databases. Marketing professions will agree this is the wrong way to utilize cross channel communications. There are studies that show consumers are using their smartphone to get emails, receive texts, and manage their social media.   The right formula for effective cross channel communication is to communicate to those separate channels at different times, with different frequencies, and with different messages.

5 Rules for successful Cross Channel Marketing.

1. A brand typically should refrain from sending more than two to three SMS marketing messages per month.
2. In testing email frequency, studies have found that consumers respond better to multiple scheduled emails.
3. Successful brands that send between two to four emails per week are seeing higher than normal returns.
4. Social media engagements must happen daily, or even multiple times per day.
5. Posting general content good, but most of your audience will not see it unless you are paying for a boost. Try creating social engagements that drive people to a landing page, that delivers a mobile coupon and captures a mobile phone number. That would be a social engagement worth boosting.

Cross Channel marketing and communication requires not just expertise, but the toolset to help your team manage all of the marketing communications. SMS, Email, and social media management can all be found within the AvidMobile application. Get a trial account today, or visit us at www.avidmobile.com.