Multi-channel communications simply means using a number of media vehicles to reach consumers.

This can include personalized URLs, e-mail, mobile messaging, QR codes, social media and variable print. The objective is to reach out to potential clients using the channel through which they are most likely to respond. In a well-conceived communications plan, the marketing channels will be integrated so they complement each other.

Multi-channel marketing has its roots in the age-old media mix idea which is based on the premise that “buyers were reached at different times in different ways, and that the most successful marketing program contained an appropriate mix of media for the targeted audience.”

The true potential of multi-channel marketing is greatest when you can build on a solid customer relationship. The more you know about a client or potential client, the more effectively you can personalize the images and the appeal in your message. Personalization means more than addressing your prospect by his or her first name. It means knowing your prospects well enough that you can predict what will motivate them to purchase.

The key to a really successful campaign is data analytics, which helps you get the right message to the right people. Effective analytics allows you to:

• Classify customers and prospects into distinct segments, with similar wants and needs
• Predict what kind of an appeal will be most successful with each segment.

Printing Partners can help you build a campaign that integrates direct mail with web landing pages using PURLs or QR codes. The personalized landing pages can be designed to collect limited data to supplement what you already know about your prospects. This, in turn, can drive an email response with a targeted offer or coupon.

“In a multi-channel marketing context, personalization means using what is known about the recipient to create the offer, customize the messaging and deliver it to them in the format requested.” Studies have show that “response rates increase dramatically with an increase in the number of personalization elements. As the number of elements increases from one to seven, the click rate more than triples from 4.7% to 14.8%.”

Let us show you the potential of a well-conceived multi-channel campaign.