How Cross-Channel Expansion Amplifies Your Messaging

Expanding your channels from one to many can transform the reach of your marketing, but there’s no one-size-fits-all method for getting it right. From identifying the right business signals to expand your channels to picking out the right mix to meet your goals, even the most seasoned marketers can feel daunted right before taking the leap.

We spoke with marketing leaders across industries to learn how businesses can—and should—successfully go about scaling up their channel tactics. For best practices and key takeaways from Sina Zand, Head of Lifecycle Marketing and CRM Strategy at Activision Blizzard, Christopher Mills, Chief Revenue Officer at Talon.One, and Folake Dosu, Director, CRM, Disney Movie Insiders, read on.

Why Moving From Single-Channel to Cross-Channel Matters

#1: It increases the number of touchpoints to reach customers

Customers today have their pick of brands vying for their attention. Think about it. From what to binge watch this weekend with friends to where to order pad thai for dinner, the companies poised to rise to the occasion are those that are able to deliver the personalized messages customers expect on the right channel and at exactly the right time.

#2: Brands have more to say than one channel can accommodate

Gone are the days when digital comms were a nice-to-have. To get ahead and stay ahead, a cross-channel approach is essential. In fact, leading brands worldwide build entire lifecycle strategies and teams to account for the suite of messages they’ll need to send to their customer base. “Cross-channel marketing is a must-have in the current landscape,” cites Sina from gaming company Activision Blizzard. “Depending on the messaging, you have to use the optimal platform. Email is great for disseminating more information, but for quick re-engagement or timely messaging, mobile is preferred if available.” From onboarding to activation, to customer support, purchases, and returns, there’s an increasing need for brands to communicate the up-to-the-minute needs of the customer. Using only one channel like email can cannibalize the impact of the messages companies send and create the kind of noise in the inbox that invites churn.

#3: The quality of cross-channel solutions is stronger than ever

Investing in a new channel for any brand is a big consideration, but our experts are confident today’s solutions are up to even the most ambitious challenges. At Braze, our customer success and support teams are on hand to ensure the smoothest onboarding and integration process possible—whether you’re using email, in-app messages, push, or Content Cards for the first time. Sina also headed up engagement while at HBO Max. Using Braze, the brand integrated email and push with in-app as a fast follow and utilized trigger messaging to help curb customer churn. There’s never been a better time to start expanding your channel horizons.

3 Tactics For Perfecting Your Channel Mix

Every brand in the world is looking for the goldilocks ratio for reaching their customers in relevant and resonant ways—each one of our experts is passionate about embracing the fact it’s about the journey, not the destination. Goals enable you to test and iterate as you go.

#1: Understand your customers

While leading CRM Strategy and Lifecycle Marketing at gaming company Activision Blizzard, Sina found the best way to deliver an experience their customers crave was to put himself in their shoes. Customers have their pick of PC for desktop games, consoles, and mobile, so their preferences are wide-ranging. “As cliche as it sounds,” says Sina, “I’m an avid gamer and I always think about what I would want to see or engage with, what platforms I would want to get things.”

#2: Building trust can unlock higher ROI

Tailoring your channel mix to the way your customers engage with your brand is just one step. You may also need to factor in where they reside on what Christopher Mills calls the “loyalty spectrum.” At Talon.one, a technology solution that provides infrastructure for brands to deliver personalized promotion and loyalty rewards, he’s found some of the channels that offer the highest efficiency or ROI may require building customer trust to get the most value. “Giving a 20% off code for an SMS opt-in at the beginning of a customer journey is often a great way to end in an opt-out,” he explains. In that sense, it’s helpful to prioritize which goals your team has in mind to determine if the investment and time-to-value is right for your business.

#3: Play to every channel’s strengths

“Crafting a channel mix is more like creating a menu for a particular crowd in mind,” shares Folake. When Disney Movie Insiders wanted to generate buzz around the fan-favorite vote for the yearly ornament pin, a beloved and much-anticipated loyalty reward for customers, the company turned to Braze in-app and push messaging. The result? A staggering response rate shattered all industry benchmarks for in-app engagement. There were plenty of other downstream bonuses, too. By using email and social media to get the word out and share the results for their poll, they reinforced app usage as a place for customers to feel heard and seen. In this instance, playing to the individual strengths of each channel helped turn even more movie fans into dedicated Insiders.

Looking to go from single-channel to cross-channel?

There’s no time like the present to take your cross-channel strategy to the next level. 90% of today’s consumers want a seamless experience that incorporates a variety of devices and platforms, with real-time and relevant messages delivered at scale. Be sure to check out The Cross-Channel Marketing Difference, our guide that delves into the channel combinations that drive the best business outcomes.