Marketing channels aim to bridge the gap between producer or seller and consumer or buyer to complete a successful transaction.
In this article, we’ll explore marketing channels and what they are, along with examples that will provide better insight into how they work.
Definition of marketing
Marketing is how you expose your business’s products or services to a target audience that will attract them and pique their interest, converting them into customers by purchasing said products or services.
Definition of a channel
In marketing, a channel is a medium through which a business uses people, processes and other businesses to move a product or service from production to consumption. In other words, these entities all work together to ensure the product or service reaches the customer or end user.
Therefore, marketing channels aim to bridge the gap between producer or seller and consumer or buyer for a successful transaction to occur.
Example of how marketing channels work
For example, a wholesaler that sells food products in bulk to various retailers receives the goods from a manufacturer, stores it at the warehouse and distributes it to the retail outlets to be purchased by the customer. Numerous people are involved who follow specific rules and guidelines to set the production, manufacturing and distribution processes in motion.
While this may be a physical representation of a marketing channel, there are digital channels that serve the same purpose. More on those below.
Importance of marketing channels
Any business that intends to launch or promote a product or service must have a plan or strategy in place to create awareness about it. Without this, customers won’t know what they have to offer and may seek business from competitors.
These competitors may have an advantage if they have the right tools to spread the word about their products or services, prompting the other business to follow suit and implement ways to promote themselves and possibly beat the competition.
Using the right marketing channels is important to reach as many potential customers as possible. Since there are over 2.3 billion online consumers in the United States alone, the opportunity to market your business is great and the chances of reaching your target market increase.
Read further to learn more about the different channels in digital marketing that help businesses spread the word to promote their products and services online.
Digital Marketing Channels
Diving into the world of digital marketing can often seem like an endless rabbit hole with so many avenues to explore.
As consumers, we are faced with limitless options of where and what to shop with the click of a button. Shopping online is convenient and easy, making it the preferred choice for most consumers in a smartphone-ruled, tech-bound world.
Businesses are aware of this and use it to their advantage. It’s a dog-eat-dog world where everyone is outsmarting each other in an attempt to gain the highest market share through effective marketing campaigns. And they are getting better at it all the time.
Five ways businesses are using digital marketing channels
1. Search engine optimization (SEO)
When a potential customer is looking for a product or service, they will likely enter a search term in Google. Depending on the keywords used, the term can be specific or vague but it will certainly return results.
If your business is listed high on the Search Engine Results Page (SERP), the customer will be more likely to trust your business than rankings on further pages. You’ll generate more organic traffic because you’ve established yourself as an authoritative business.
2. Social media
There’s a growing trend in consumers’ buying habits who follow influencers on social media because of their reputation as brand ambassadors for certain products and services. Consumers tend to trust them more because they have established themselves in the social media world.
Working with an influencer to drive campaigns will help your business gain exposure you might not necessarily get without their collaboration. The reach is wider because of their following, allowing you to penetrate and engage with your intended target market.
3. Email marketing
This is an effective digital marketing channel due to the vast audience you can reach through email communications. Internet users of all ages and demographics have personal email addresses so there’s a better spread across the market.
Interested customers can subscribe to mailing lists in exchange for content access or freebies, through which you can target them for specific promotions and offers on an extensive email database.
Online surveys, competitions, coming soon pages and promotions are all ways in which you can provide email subscription CTA’s to expand your list of potential leads.
4. Content marketing
Interactive material like videos and gifs posted on your website that are relatable and informational for customers are ways to promote your business and assert yourself as an established authority.
The content should be based on topics that inform customers about what a product or service is about, related to the business. Video blogs are often used to convey messages in fun and innovative ways.
Companies like WebFX effectively use content marketing as a digital marketing channel to promote revenue growth.
5. Company website
Your website is the main identifier through which customers will associate your business. On it, your brand is established through various elements like the homepage, logos and colors, about us page, products and services pages, promotions, testimonials, resources, pricing and content marketing channels.
You can use your website to link to your social media platforms, blogs and other sites representing your company profile. They should all be distinguishable and related to each other through your brand logo and colors.
Using your website to distribute your products and services directly to customers is another digital marketing channel that’s proven to be successful across the board.
Choose Inbound Marketing to help with your marketing campaigns
We are at the forefront of marketing channels and digital marketing strategies, with over $3 billion in revenue driven for our clients, over 7 million leads and over 5 million calls generated we have a proven track record that speaks for itself.
We have numerous services tailored to grow your business and increase sales and revenue. Whatever you need, we can help you.
Contact us today for a free quote on our innovative inbound marketing services.