From print to digital: more customers through cross-media marketing

Print ads, online banners, radio commercials, TV clips, social media, Google ads,... There are now countless advertising options — how should an entrepreneur decide when making this selection? And where do you start? In the past, it was often possible to concentrate on just one channel, but today this tactic is not very promising. Users are too dispersed across channels and networks. The solution: cross-media marketing. In the following article, you will find out how to attract customers and increase your level of awareness.

What is cross-media marketing?

If you translate the term cross-media marketing into German, it roughly means “cross-media marketing.” Although this sounds less exciting than its English counterpart, it certainly does justice to the concept. Originally, cross-media marketing was used when at least three different channels were used to market a company, a product or a service. The borders have softened somewhat over time and there are already two channels sufficient today. A key difference to multichannel marketing is that the content is linked across platforms and optimized for the respective channel. It becomes clear using an example:Multi-channel marketing:An article is published simultaneously on the Internet and in a newspaper → the same content is used on several platforms.Cross-media marketing: A TV commercial redirects viewers to a website → Content interacts with each other across channels

Cross-media marketing vs. multi-media marketing

These two forms of marketing are often confused because of their similar wording. Multi-media marketing also advertises with different content, but on just one platform. For example, posting images, videos, and texts on Facebook falls into the category of multimedia marketing. If, on the other hand, pictures are published on Facebook, videos on YouTube and articles in a newspaper, this is known as cross-media marketing.

The benefits of cross-media marketing

The aim is to use the reach of the respective channels and to address as large a target group as possible. There are two main advantages of cross-media marketing compared to marketing on just one channel. First, it addresses more potential customers who are active on just one channel at a time. Second, potential customers who are active on multiple channels come into contact with your advertising message more often and in a modified form. This further strengthens the advertising message.

Define your target audience

In order for you to be successful with cross-media marketing, you should first define your target group. The more you know about your target group, the easier it is to select the best channels for your cross-media campaign, because situational, cultural and social differences between people have a major impact on their consumer behavior. This also means that your main channel depends on your target group. For example, you can reach young people better via social networks than through television. A detailed article on the functionality of a complex product, on the other hand, is better off in a trade magazine than in an Instagram story. As a result, it is more important to select the right channels than as many as possible.

Channels have various requirements

Once you've identified your audience and their preferred channels, you can start creating content. Always take into account the rules and requirements of the respective channels. The target group shapes the medium. As a result, the medium shapes your content — not the other way around! This means that you should design your content in such a way that it fits seamlessly with the target medium in terms of its appearance, scope, and tone. For example, the social media platforms Instagram and Facebook have different requirements when it comes to the optimal dimensions of images. The scope of content also varies from channel to channel. While articles in specialist journals sometimes span several pages, a tweet has a maximum of 280 characters. The better your content fits the chosen medium, the less it looks like advertising.

The red thread

Since different media are used, a high recognition value of your company or product is important. Fonts, shapes, and colors should therefore remain the same in every campaign or be strong enough similar that they can be easily attributed to your company by your customers. The same applies to the storytelling of your campaign. Telling stories is of enormous importance in marketing, because it makes content understandable and easier to memorize. In order to conduct coherent cross-media marketing, come up with a guiding idea for your campaign that is conveyed across channels. This consistent public image creates a sense of stability and consistency among potential customers and your advertising message becomes more memorable.

Cross-media marketing example

Let's look at cross-media marketing using a specific example: Socialwave offers marketing solutions including WiFi for companies with walk-in customers. Among other things, stickers and displays placed in retail stores alert customers to free WiFi. Shortly before logging into the customer WLAN, a pop-up appears, which operators can use as an advertising space. During login, guests are encouraged to rate the shop they are in on the Internet. These reviews lead to a positive external perception and improve the ranking in search engines, which has been proven to attract new customers. In addition, when logging into the WLAN, contact details are requested, which can be used for further marketing measures such as newsletters, SMS campaigns and vouchers. This motivates you to make further visits and new customers become regular customers.

conclusion

At the beginning of a cross-media marketing campaign, some conceptual work is required. But it's worth it. With cross-media marketing, you can fully exploit the potential of the available channels, reach a larger target group and increase your level of awareness. With our WLAN marketing package, your customers/patients/guests advertise for you, are happy and recommend you to others.