As a small business owner or non-profit organization, you probably already know how to get by with less, when it comes to your online marketing. To keep up with the larger players in your space it can cost you a lot of money, resources and time, which of course many don't have.
But deep down, you know you have the products, the services and the creative content that will generate leads, engagement and of course sales.
So what do you do? You can't hire more staff (yet) and you can't work more than 24 hours in a day.
Cross-Channel & Multi Channel Marketing
That is where that automation of cross-channel or multi-channel marketing comes into the equation. The trend in online marketing is moving more to multi-channel marketing in 2012, so you might as well get on board now.
First up as a small business owner, you need to decide where you focus lies whether it be direct, online, mobile or social marketing – or all of it.
Consumers no longer just check email or go to the post office box. They are now learning about products and services on Facebook or through text messages. Some even still use fax marketing which should not be overlooked based on the age of the medium.
That is why a lot of traditional email service providers are beginning to provide numerous marketing options because the preferred modes of communication are increasing every day.
Many small businesses will find it overwhelming to take on all of these options and that is where automated software can help.
Ideally you want to automate as little as possible so you don't come off as a robot but when you are a startup or have little marketing resources, it is your only option to compete (unless you did create a 36 hour day).
Luckily there are numerous tools on the market that can get the job done. Use autoresponders to keep your email signups engaged, use automated Tweets to keep your company name on people's radars, and finally make sure you use tracking links to monitor everything that is going on with your marketing plan.
The beauty of cross-channel marketing is if you already have the data or the means to contact clients, then you just need to learn what marketing works best for each part of your attack.
Using SMS marketing for timely promotions could have a better impact that let's say, email marketing. Know a certain client only reads social media? Then a Tweet or message on Facebook is your best bet to get noticed.
By incorporating different types of marketing to fully optimize your campaign, you will cover the widest reach and be able to sit back and look at the data to see where your focus should lie the next time.
Sound fun? Well, now is the time to start automating and optimizing your marketing for 2012.
This post is brought to you by SimplyCast, a leader in multi-channel marketing automation and the home of The Epic Free Plan, which gives all users up to 5,000 email sends, 50 fax sends and 5 SMS sends every month for free, forever.
Image Copyright from 123RF Stock Photos
