It’s a true marketing requirement to have a strategy that encompasses a variety of different channels, including those beyond digital. More and more we see the customer journey take multiple twists and turns, as they research and compare products or services or brands. All of these interactions are what eventually lead to their decision (purchase/other KPI). Therefore, how can your organization afford to miss out on each? How would your marketing team really know which one of these touches is more or less important to have visibility on? Realistically, they wouldn’t.
Not only does the marketing plan need to consist of different channels and tactics (offline and online) but the messaging and content provided should align with where they are in the journey. As marketers, it’s our responsibility to meet that customer where they are — not the opposite! Spend the time to review the customer journey and map back which marketing campaigns and efforts align with each step in the process. Then I would encourage you to audit the marketing messages and website or collateral content being presented. Is it all aligned? If not, fix these important elements first. Don’t continue to waste precious marketing dollars without giving them a fighting chance to succeed.
Finally, determine reasonable KPIs for each. Certain steps in the customer journey, especially early on and/or for a complicated or expensive purchase or decision, will not usually lead to an end goal on first interaction. However, there are likely reasonable or expected actions you’d want the user to take, based on the messaging and content provided (from the work you’ve done above). Celebrate the little wins then move toward an attribution model so you can celebrate the big wins as well!
