Multichannel Advertising

Multichannel marketing is when an organization uses several kinds of advertising. For example, a business might want to use email marketing, paid search advertising, local TV ads, and audio ads on podcasts to get the word out about their newest location. Because the business is advertising across multiple platforms or places (called channels), it is considered a multichannel marketing campaign.

Multichannel marketing allows organizations to connect to customers in many ways. This can increase awareness and encourage certain actions, like making a purchase or booking an appointment. Most people need to hear about a company multiple times before they are willing to become a customer, and multichannel marketing can make that happen.

In addition, multichannel marketing lets you connect with people who have very specific characteristics, and you can change your ads or messages to talk to different groups. For example, a pet food company might want to run general ads to a large audience to ensure many people know about their brand and what they offer. Then they might choose to run a different ad, like a discount, to individuals who just adopted a pet or those who search for “best pet food.” A smart multichannel strategy can ensure you reach both your immediate and long-term goals.

A nonprofit might want to increase donations on Giving Tuesday. They could run a multichannel advertising campaign that includes Facebook and Instagram ads, display ads on a few specialized websites and ads on a music streaming service.

Another example would be a local plumbing company that might run local TV ads and paid search ads for terms like “leaking faucet” and “local plumbing company.” 

For more examples, please read our case studies about a multichannel campaign for a healthcare organization and a technical college.