Online marketing and communication mix

Mailrelay , Invited guest @ Mailrelay

The communication mix is an important marketing tool that we can and should use to advertise our products, increase sales, generating lasting relationships with our  customers.

I think it’s important that these communication strategies are enhanced, adding online marketing tools to adapt them to the current times, where potential customers:

  1. Are searching for information
  2. Have doubts
  3. And buy

To reach these customers, you will need to work with the best of these two worlds, traditional or offline marketing and online marketing.

And it’s not impossible to do that.

Actually I think it is not possible to work otherwise, and get good results.

The communication mix consists of:

  1. Direct sales
  2. Advertising
  3. Sales through promotions
  4. Public Relations
  5. Sponsors
  6. Direct Marketing

All of these tools can receive help from the online world.

The online marketing and communication mix

Let’s go step by step through different mix methods or tools of communication you can use.

To see how we can improve these processes through online marketing.  Of course I await your comments.

► Direct sales

This is usually the primary communication and sales channel in many companies, the bottom of the pyramid, so to speak.

Formed by a sales team, which aims to find the ideal product, which will  meet customer needs.

It is a very effective method because the seller can interact with potential customer directly:

  1. He can understand his needs
  2. He will receive important information
  3. and observe the reactions to the various proposals

Of course, this personal treatment is not always possible.

Think, for example in fairs or B2B events where the customer will not make the purchase immediately, and is only looking for information to be able to make the decision later.

The seller could then try to get in touch by phone.

Although these phone calls are often seen as something irritating, and as an attempt to pressure the client to make the decision before he is ready to buy the product or hire the service.

Sometimes, to try to get the sale as soon as possible, the company ends up losing business.

Online marketing tools to improve direct selling

My opinion is that email marketing, allied to content marketing, is a perfect complement to personal and direct selling.

Because sometimes the potential customer is just looking for information.

And we can offer this information little by little  by email.

It is also a two-way channel, from which the customer can answer and ask any questions he may have.

In addition, the user can open and respond to the email when he has time and not when you are calling him:

  1. He will not feel pressured

And, therefore, he will be more willing to move forward and purchase from you.

So we see that email marketing together with a correct content strategy, can help us a lot in direct sales.

►Advertising

Advertising is typically done through newspapers, radio, television and other media.

A magazine, or newspaper, for example, is a mass channel, so it is not personal and you can’t have direct sales with this kind of campaigns.

One of the advantages of these strategies is the volume, of course.

And usually the low cost (compared to the potential number of customers we can reach).

Online marketing tools for advertising

In terms of online marketing, we have some tools used for advertising.

Like AdWords and the display network, for example.

But we have other tools that can be used in conjunction with traditional media advertising communication:

  1. For example, social networks

We are all accustomed to seeing different hashtags in television and other advertising spaces.

Large companies know that it is important to communicate with potential customers wherever they are. What is called cross-media marketing.

► Sales Promotion

In this case, they are communications that try to boost sales during a period of time.

Be it with discounts, promotions, etc.

They may or may not coincide with sales periods or other times of general promotions.

Maybe we can see it as a timely publicity effort, which must be coordinated or included in the marketing strategy of the company.

Online marketing tools for sales promotion

In my opinion there are many online marketing tools that can help a lot in sales promotions:

  1. Profiles on social networks Pfor extra visibility.
  2.  Email marketing to complement and / or enhance the promotion through another channel. It is very typical when promotions are sent in letter, for instance if your company is sending a folder to old customers, to reinforce the message with a similarly designed newsletter
  3. Using landing pages and A/B tests to optimize and improve the conversion rate
  4. And web analytics to analyze the traffic generated by the promotion

As mentioned at the beginning, the sales process should always be worked together with online tools for results to be monitored and integrated among the various marketing channels of your company.

► Public Relations and Sponsorship

It is very common and normal to see brands sponsoring events, activities and people (usually athletes).

Be it in formula 1, tennis, players and charity events, Etc.

For a coffee lover like me, I just have to think of Nespresso and remember George Clooney.

Many companies try  to create an assimilation or association effect, which is when the sponsor seeks to harness the virtues of someone known to their product or service. So George transmits his class to Nespresso.

Other Formula One sponsoring brands such as Rolex try to convey the image of luxury and glamour.

Of course, they also seek to gain visibility when they are promoting large events.

Online marketing tools for public relations and sponsorship

In this respect, for sponsorship, there are more and more advanced tools that make the work of sponsors and individuals and organizations seeking sponsorship.

This has helped small businesses gain access to these communication tools.

Every day we see companies sponsoring Youtubers, influencers in social networks, and even blogs, with banners and paid content.

Tools like:

  1. Coobis
  2. Lowpost

They facilitate this type of sponsorship for any company.

►Direct marketing

Direct marketing is similar to advertising, but there is an analysis and segmentation of the campaign’s target audience.

It is still a form of mass communication, but it has a more defined target.

And, unlike advertising, there is the possibility of answer, as there is a defined communication channel.

In addition, it is a measurable communication channel, so we will know the results of the campaigns.

Online marketing tools for direct marketing

In this case, email marketing would be a clear example of online marketing that applies to direct marketing.

As long as no-reply emails are used to send our newsletters, because in this case there would be no possibility of answer by the recipient.

In any case, sending email marketing campaigns is measurable, and we know the results of the actions taken.

Ultimately, the communication channels  are always evolving and adapting, with the use of online marketing that can greatly facilitate creative work and planning your email marketing strategy.

Today, we already have a bigger arsenal of tools so that we can create different strategies.

We should know how to use these tools correctly to get the best possible results.

What do you think?

Will the offline communication mix adapt or disappear?

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