What Are Multichannel Marketing Campaigns?

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A multichannel campaign is an integrated marketing effort to engage with and attract customers over multiple platforms.

While a brand might generate brand awareness by advertising on select channels, at the heart of multichannel marketing campaigns is retargeting, which will share messaging on the platforms a prospect is already spending time.

By meeting prospects where they already spend their time—whether on social media, email, or search engines—multichannel campaigns amplify brand awareness, drive engagement, and deliver tailored messaging to maximize impact.

The strength of multichannel lies in using each platform’s unique capabilities, creating a cohesive strategy that connects with audiences at various touchpoints while keeping the product or service at the center of the effort.

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Multichannel Marketing

Multichannel campaigns focus on promoting a product or service across different platforms. Each channel operates independently, with its own goals and messaging tailored to the platform’s strengths. For example, a brand might run email campaigns for existing customers while simultaneously using LinkedIn Ads to attract new prospects.

Allows flexibility in tailoring content to each platform.
Focuses on maximizing the strengths of individual channels.

Channels may feel disconnected if not well-coordinated.
The customer experience might lack cohesion.

Omnichannel Marketing

Omnichannel marketing takes a customer-first approach, focusing on creating a unified and seamless experience across all touchpoints.

The strategy ensures that interactions on one platform complement and integrate with those on another.

For example, a customer might add an item to their cart on a website and later receive a personalized email or app notification to complete the purchase.

Provides a cohesive customer journey across platforms.
Builds trust and brand loyalty through consistency.

Requires advanced integration of technology and data systems.
Demands significant resources and coordination to execute effectively.

Aspect

Focus

Channel coordination

Customer experience

Use Case

Multichannel

Business-centric

Independent

Varies between platforms

Brands seeking reach and flexibility

Omnichannel

Customer-centric

Unified and interconnected

Consistent and seamless

Brands prioritizing customer loyalty and retention

Multichannel

Ideal for businesses looking to maximize reach, experiment with different channels, or work within limited resources.

Omnichannel:

Best for brands aiming to deliver a premium, integrated experience and nurture long-term customer relationships.

By understanding the distinctions between multichannel and omnichannel marketing, businesses can choose the approach that best aligns with their goals. Whether prioritizing broad reach or delivering a seamless customer journey, the right strategy ensures meaningful engagement and drives impactful results.

Benefits of multichannel campaigns

Businesses looking to incorporate multichannel campaigns into their marketing efforts will see there are a number of benefits in doing so.

Below are five key benefits for using multichannel campaigns.

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1. Social media

Reach diverse audiences through platforms like LinkedIn. Use video ads, text, images, and live events and promote using Sponsored Content on LinkedIn.

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2. Print advertising

Use trade publications, industry journals, or professional magazines to target niche B2B audiences.

For example, a software company specializing in supply chain management could place an ad in Logistics Management magazine, highlighting its solutions with a call-to-action directing readers to a whitepaper or a specialized url on their website so visitors can be tracked appropriately.

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3. Television and radio

Use TV commercials for mass awareness or audio content like radio or podcasts to engage niche audiences. Pair these with unique URLs or QR codes to track campaign success and drive traffic online.

4. Search engine optimization (SEO)

Optimize content— blogs, meta tags, and titles—for high-value keywords to increase organic visibility. For instance, a software company might create blog posts answering common industry questions to attract potential customers searching online.

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5. Content marketing

Content that informs and engages, such as eBooks, whitepapers, or how-to guides. These assets are excellent for building awareness and nurturing leads, especially when paired with SEO strategies.

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6. Emails

Personalized promotions, product updates, or exclusive offers. For example, send a post-purchase email with product recommendations to increase customer lifetime value.

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7. Events or activations

Host offline experiences like product launches, trade shows, or pop-ups to build excitement and foster personal connections. Follow up with attendees through email or social media for continued engagement.

8. Influencer marketing

Collaborate with influencers to access their specific audience. For instance, a beauty brand might partner with a LinkedIn creator to showcase product tutorials, driving trust and reach.

Customer feedback:

Surveys, reviews, or direct comments.

Social listening:

Monitoring mentions and discussions about your brand or industry.

Internal analytics:

Data on buying habits, behaviors, and the customer journey—from discovery to purchase.

In addition to understanding the audience, it’s essential to analyze competitors. Tools like LinkedIn’s Ad Library allow advertisers to view competitor campaigns, including targeting strategies and messaging, providing valuable insights to refine your approach.

Once you’ve collected and analyzed this data, you can segment your audience into specific groups and craft targeted strategies for each.

For example, Younger audiences might respond better to engaging video ads on social platforms, while professionals in niche industries might prefer in-depth content like case studies or whitepapers delivered via LinkedIn Ads or email.

Finally, personalization is key to executing a campaign that resonates. Whether targeting B2C or B2B audiences, customers today expect tailored experiences.

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This could include:

Specific offers or recommendations based on their interests.
Engaging with them on the channels they prefer, such as email, social media, or in-person events.
Following up after a purchase to ensure satisfaction and build loyalty.

By combining research, competitor insights, segmentation, and personalization, marketers can effectively meet audience needs and maximize campaign success.

Set goals and define objectives

No campaign will be successful if there aren’t goals and clear objectives to measure against. SMART goals are a great place to start if a team isn’t sure what the clear objective will end up being.

SMART goals are:

Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Relevant
Time-bound

Example: "Increase website traffic by 20% in Q1 through LinkedIn Ads and content marketing."

Understand budget and create a timeline

Tie multichannel campaign goals to a realistic budget and timeline.

Determine campaign duration—typically a month or quarter.

Work backward from deadlines to allocate time for each task, like content creation or ad deployment.

Factor in costs by channel—a television ad may require a larger investment than a paid social media campaign.

This approach helps prioritize high-impact channels within your budget.

Plan content and create distribution strategy

Planning ahead is critical to success.

Create a content calendar that outlines:

Drafting and review deadlines for copy, visuals, and videos.
Stakeholder sign-off timelines to avoid delays.
Publishing schedules across channels.

A distribution strategy should detail how content will be deployed. Not all content fits every channel, so tailor it to maximize impact.

For example:

Short-form videos for social platforms.
Thought leadership articles for email and LinkedIn.
Print ads designed for trade publications.

By planning strategically and tailoring content for each channel, marketers increase their odds that their messaging resonates with their audience and drives results.

Integrate channels for a seamless customer experience

Align channels work together to provide a smooth customer journey.

For example:

Link online ads to dedicated landing pages for consistent messaging.

Use email campaigns to follow up on event attendees.

Retarget website visitors with social media ads to maintain engagement.

Integration reinforces your brand presence and keeps the customer experience cohesive.

Define key performance indicators (KPIs) and benchmark goals

Set specific KPIs and benchmark goals based on the campaign’s goals, such as leads, conversions, or ROI.

For example: A SaaS company running a $1-a-month promotion might set a benchmark of 500 new subscriptions through a LinkedIn campaign.

These goals can change over time but begin with a specific set of KPIs, which we’ll get into next, to see where adjustments can be made later on.

Metrics to collect

Track and analyze data to understand campaign performance.

1. Return on investment (ROI).

To understand a campaign’s ROI, marketers must take the sales of a product or service, minus the cost of the ad or campaign, and divide it by those costs.

Example: A campaign generating $15,000 in sales from a $5,000 investment has a 200% ROI.

Illustration of the formula ROI equals revenue minus campaign cost divided by campaign cost multiplied by 100

2. Conversion rate

Measure effectiveness by dividing total conversions by interactions.

Example: 50 purchases from 1,000 ad clicks = 5% conversion rate.

3. Customer lifetime value (CLV)

Marketers can and should determine CLV, which calculates revenue a customer generates over the course of their relationship with a business.

Track and analyze results

Compile and analyze a multichannel campaign’s results.

Compare metrics against benchmarks and identify trends or gaps. Use insights to optimize your next campaign and reallocate resources to high-performing channels.

1. Create a consistent experience across channels

Customers should enjoy a seamless experience as they interact with the brand across different platforms.

While content may be adapted to suit each channel’s format—for example, an in-depth television ad paired with concise social media posts—the overall messaging, tone, and visual identity should remain consistent.

This cohesion builds trust and reinforces brand recognition.

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2. Be present on the channels that matter most

Instead of trying to be everywhere, prioritize the platforms that align with your target audience's habits and preferences.

Conduct research to identify where your customers spend their time and start there. For instance, a B2B company might focus on LinkedIn and industry events, while a lifestyle brand could prioritize other social networks and influencer collaborations.

3. Consider audience segmentation to optimize results.

Break audiences into distinct groups based on demographics, preferences, and behaviors, and tailor messaging for each segment.

For example, younger professionals might respond to LinkedIn Ads featuring industry insights, while tech-savvy buyers may prefer engaging video content on Instagram.

Segmentation increases the odds of a campaign resonating more effectively with diverse customer groups.

Multichannel campaigns are a valuable tool for marketers to consider when trying to reach a broader, yet still specific, audience and drive revenue and sales up.

It’s harder than ever to capture a buyer’s attention. Rather than executing on a similarly noisy and ineffective campaign that blasts information everywhere all the time, a multichannel marketing campaign can personalize, target, and generate brand awareness where the customer already is.

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What are multichannel marketing campaigns?