Choosing the Best Marketing Channels for Your Business

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Although marketing is vital for business growth, not every marketing channel is equally effective for every business. Most small businesses face challenges getting model results because they’re unaware of which platforms work best for their industry. As a result, they typically leverage multiple and ineffective platforms, unbeknownst to those that truly align with their audience and goals.

However, proper marketing channels will help your business connect with its ideal customers, increase engagement, and drive sales. But with so many options like social media, emails, SEO, paid ads, video marketing, etc., it’s crucial to you:

1. Identify where your audience spends most of its time online.
2. Understand how they consume content.

Our latest article outlines the four key steps to selecting the best marketing channels for your business. By the end, you’ll have a clear strategy for reaching the right people, maximizing your budget, and improving your marketing ROI.

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Sneak A Peek!

Jump to your four key steps for choosing marketing channels.

• Where is your audience?
• Learn about the various channels.
• Explore your marketing options.
• Develop a plan strategy.
• BONUS STEP— Take the bonus step!

1. Identify Where Your Audience Spends Time

Understanding your customers’ online behaviors, preferred content formats, and buying journeys is key to effective marketing. This knowledge empowers you to choose the most effective channels, as your audience may engage differently across platforms. For instance, some prefer quick video content, while others seek in-depth articles or interactive discussions. Armed with this insight, your marketing efforts can hit the mark, leading to high engagement and optimized resources.

➣Example 1

Below, two businesses identify where their customers and targeted audiences frequently connect online.

1. Company A:   A local bakery learns its audience is highly engaged on Instagram and Facebook, where visuals and community interaction drive the most traffic.
2. Company B:   Meanwhile, a fitness coach starts to see better engagement through YouTube and TikTok, where video content allows for demonstrations and tutorials.

🔑 Key takeaways:

• Research your audience demographics and online behaviors.
• Analyze past engagement metrics to see where interactions are highest.
• Use customer surveys and insights to validate your findings.
• Prioritize channels where your customers are already spending time.

2. Compare Different Marketing Channels

Each marketing channel has strengths and weaknesses. Understanding how each one aligns with your goals can help you invest time and resources wisely. Some channels offer immediate visibility, while others require long-term consistency to build authority.

Moreover, the wrong channels for your business can lead to a poor ROI, but selecting the right ones ensures better audience engagement and sustainable business growth!

➣ Example 2

Look at how these companies learned about different channels and which ones could work best for their marketing campaigns.

1. Company C:   An e-commerce fashion brand may benefit from visually-driven platforms like Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok, where users actively browse products to purchase.
2. Company D:   However, a service-based business, like a financial advisor, may rely more on SEO and content marketing to educate potential clients and build trust over time.
3. Company E:   Lastly, a creative industry business could benefit from video marketing on YouTube or short-form content marketing on Instagram Reels.

🔑 Key takeaways:

• Social media platforms work best for engagement and brand awareness.
• Video marketing channels like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram Reels can enhance brand storytelling and engagement.
• Thirdly, there is email marketing, which is highly effective for nurturing and converting leads.
• SEO and content marketing, however, help build long-term organic traffic to business websites and various campaigns.
• Paid ads provide quick visibility but require a budget for ongoing success.
• Lastly, we recommend choosing a mix of organic and paid channels to balance long-term and immediate growth.

Ready to start selecting your marketing channels? Click below!

3. Consider Your Company’s Budget & ROI Expectations   

Small businesses often have limited marketing budgets, so they consider investing in channels with the highest return on investment (ROI). This recommendation is because spreading resources too thin across many channels can lead to inefficiencies and dilute results. Instead, you’ll want to focus on high-yield ROI platforms that are:

1. Comparable to your budget
2. Ensure that every marketing dollar spent delivers measurable value, whether through—
   • lead generation
   • brand awareness
   • or customer retention

➣ Example 3

1. Company F:   A new restaurant with a small budget may start with organic social media marketing and local SEO before investing in paid Google Ads.
2. Company G:   However, an online coaching business prioritizes video content marketing on YouTube to build authority and complement targeted Facebook ads for lead generation.

🔑 Key takeaways for marketing channel budget considerations and expectations:

• First, there’s organic marketing through SEO and social media. This method takes longer to obtain results, but it can be more cost-effective on a limited budget.
• On the other hand, paid ads offer faster results but typically require an ongoing investment.
• Video marketing can increase audience retention and engagement while building brand trust.
• Last but not least, email marketing has one of the highest ROIs when done correctly!
• Recommendation: Track your performance over at least three months to gather enough data before making any major changes. This practice keeps you informed about the effectiveness of your marketing strategy and allows you to make informed decisions about where to allocate your resources.

4. Create a Focused Marketing Plan

Creating a focused marketing plan to leverage the best marketing channels for your business is crucial. A focused marketing strategy prevents wasted efforts and helps your business stay consistent with messaging and execution.

Some small companies fail due to the owners’ attempts to simultaneously implement every marketing trend available without having a structured plan approach. However, a clear marketing plan keeps your team aligned, maximizes productivity, and ensures that efforts drive results instead of being scattered across ineffective channels.

➣ Example 4

Companies H thru Z:  Consider Allied Health Service companies offering educational training programs. They might develop strategy plans focusing on YouTube for long-form educational content and Instagram Reels for short-form promotional videos. Instead of posting randomly on multiple platforms, their solid plan for utilizing the best channels seems most viable. In addition, scheduling content in advance of campaigning ensures consistency and prevents marketing burnout.

🔑 Key takeaways:

• Select 2-3 core marketing channels to focus on at a time.
• Include video marketing as part of your content strategy for higher engagement.
• You’ll also want to create a content calendar to maintain consistency.
• In addition, be sure to track performance and adjust strategies based on data.
• Our Final Recommendation: Don’t be afraid to pivot if a channel isn’t delivering results after a reasonable time-frame.

Take the bonus step when selecting your marketing channels!

Allow BUILDINGBLOCKS to help you choose the right channels for your industry and business status. We understand your time is valuable and that proper marketing holds the keys to:

• Connecting with your audience(s)
• Maximizing your budget
• Driving real business growth

Instead of trying to leverage everything at once, we’re available to assist you in focusing on the channels your customers frequent most and what works best for your business.

However, if you carefully follow the four steps below, you’ll build a sustainable marketing strategy that delivers measurable results! Remember to—

1. Identify where your audience spends time
2. Compare different channels
3. Manage your budget wisely
4. Create a focused marketing plan

Did you know?

Video marketing has become one of the most effective brand awareness and engagement tools. Whether through YouTube tutorials, TikTok trends, or Instagram Reels, video helps businesses connect with their audience on a deeper level!

🎯 Want a step-by-step framework to select the best marketing channels? Click below to download our FREE Marketing Channel Selection Guide to optimize your strategy today!

📅 Lastly, if you need immediate assistance, freely schedule a call, and we’ll connect to discuss a marketing strategy tailored to your business!