Customers use a variety of marketing channels in their daily routine and it’s not hard to see why they want brands to distribute information across different platforms.
Interestingly, marketing channels are not the same. While others allow you to spread content naturally, some demand that you invest money in order to provide information to potential clients.
This guide will introduce you to what marketing channels are and the different types you can leverage for your reseller business.
What is a Marketing Channel?
A marketing channel is an online or offline, free or paid medium or platform that helps businesses connect with their target audience. It is a place where business owners can pitch to customers and find those who are already interested in their product.
The marketing channels you choose depend largely on your ideal audience and where they most spend their time. Irrespective of what other channels you’re eyeing, there is no better time for your business to go digital because even research has shown that 63.5% of the world is online.
Types of Marketing Channels
1) Content Marketing: This is a form of marketing that involves the use of text, audio, videos or images to create content with the aim of increasing online engagement. You can post this content on blogs, social media platforms,podcasts.
As much as this content aims to create online engagement, it should also be very valuable to your audience. Overall, your content should be interrelated, that is, the content on your blog should be similar to the one on your social media platforms.
2) Email marketing: This is a form of marketing where the brand uses commercial emails to build relationships and sell products to their audience. It is a highly effective digital marketing strategy. In fact, emails can convert prospects into customers and also convert one-time buyers into repeat buyers and ultimately, raving fans! To effectively use email marketing, you should have an email list, offer valuable incentives and leave your subscribers wanting more!
3) Affiliate marketing: This is simply getting trusted people to market your product or services for a commission. For instance, if you choose to resell electronic devices, you may get a blogger who writes about electronics to market your product.
People already trust them because they are experts in their industries and you can leverage their platforms to get new eyes to your business.
This marketing channel is generally favored because it is a way of bringing passive income into your business. You can make money while you’re sleeping!
4) Social media marketing: Research again shows that 4.26 billion people use social media in the world and this is set to grow to 6 billion people by 2027. So if your business is not on social media, you’re ignoring a channel that’s likely brimming with your target audience and as a result, leaving a lot of money on the table.
Social media marketing helps you build and nurture relationships with your target audience all over the world. It’s a simple and relatively affordable method to get relevant eyes on your business and build trust which influences people’s buying decisions. It has also been advised that video content tends to keep viewers more engaged than still posts so you might want to prepare for that next reel!
5) Events Marketing: Events make it easy to position your product live in front of a large number of people at the same time. They also give you the opportunity to show your products or talk about your services to people in person. Connecting to customers on a personal note is always a winning strategy in business. This method also gives you the opportunity to answer questions and get real time feedback from your customers.
6) Influencer Marketing: Influencer Marketing is gradually becoming a major form of online marketing. It is a paid form of marketing where brands collaborate with well known individuals to market their product or services. Influencer marketing isn’t just about finding a random person with an audience and offering them money so they can say good things about you. Rather, it is effective when you choose an influencer who has access to your target audience and shares your brand goals.
7) Word-of-mouth marketing: Let’s face it, you would trust a recommendation from your friend more than a billboard or a very persuasive influencer. It is a type of marketing that helps brands build trust, credibility and loyalty. Great customer service and solving real problems are different strategies to encourage word of mouth advertising among your customers.
8) Traditional marketing: This form of online marketing channel refers to any form of marketing that isn’t done digitally. This includes prints, newspapers, billboards, broadcast, direct mail etc. This form of marketing has been tried and tested because it is one of the oldest forms of marketing. It plays a vital role in reaching local audiences and introducing them to your products.
There’s no thriving business without customers and each business owner must employ one or more of these channels to promote their brand and increase sales. Sharesell has created a community for resellers and you can get more marketing tips and tricks from our toolbox here.
