6 Key Ways Data Informs Cross-Channel Marketing Success

Cross-channel marketing means meeting customers where they are at on the channel they prefer, be it email, social, mobile, or display. Customers expect you to keep up with them when they cross from channel to channel or device from device. Consider that:

98 percent of American switch between devices in the same day
73 percent of consumers shop on more than one channel
Users have dozens (maybe even hundreds) of digital touchpoints on their digital journeys

Businesses with omni-channel marketing strategies retain 89 percent of customers, which makes it imperative to be able to connect with customers on multiple channels. Success hinges on properly using data to inform your marketing strategy. This includes:

1) Gaining an understanding of your customers

It all begins by empathizing with your customers, and your customer data can tell you who they are and where they are located. It should also indicate their pain points, the channels they prefer, and the devices they use. With the data, you can put yourself in their shoes and ask yourself: how can you help with what problems they are experiencing? How can you make their jobs easier?

2) Consistency across channels

Customers expect a seamless, consistent experience across all channels. Any disjointedness or difficulties migrating from one channel or device to another gives them the chance to quit the experience. Data can show at what points on the customer journey customers are dropping off and where you can improve.

3) Relevant, valuable content

Your customer data will dictate how you can craft content across different touchpoints that is interesting, relevant, engaging, and valuable. Make it worth a customer’s while to go on a channel and carry onto another by creating content that matches their preferences and needs.

4) Personalization across channels

The experience across all touchpoints needs to be personalized as much as possible to a customer’s preferences, as shown by the data. This includes reaching out to them on their channel of choice, with a message frequency they prefer, and with information they find valuable and relevant.

5) The ability to track behaviors across channels and gather new customer data

Keeping track of customer behavior across channels will provide insights into what customers want and prefer. The more data you can gather, the better you can personalize the touchpoints along a customer journey.

6) Use analytics and testing to optimize

A/B and multivariate testing provide insights into what is working and what isn’t and how you can tweak and revise.

Read “Go Further with Digital Analytics” to find out what else you can do to improve your campaigns based on analytics.