We've all been to those meetings. How often have we heard vacation of "Less is more"? But when is less really more and when is more actually more when it comes to proven strategies which will reach your target audience and successful B2B marketing campaigns. It really depends on how you look at it. And in our business, there's a lot to look at.
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Even when you ask marketing wunderkinder like Paul Arden, he'll hammer the point that the broader your creative approach (meaning doing less), the harder your message will hit (and your client will love you for it).
What are the most important things in direct or indirect distribution channels and why? You might have a great creative and execution, but in truth, a lot has to do with selective distribution channels. When getting your word out there, you face a lot of fads in both thinking and action.
Let's define distribution channels at first! Do you need indirect distribution channel or direct distribution?
One moment digital is huge, and TV is old news, then Facebook has its moment, but then fizzles, and then someone tells you that LinkedIn is the place to be.
Suddenly, podcasts are hot!
Then it's the metaverse.
Then it's an NFT thing you simply don't get. It goes on… and we as marketers tend to fall for the "solution du jour" on any given day.
Head on down here: Analytic Partners report. I'll try to summarize it for the lazy ones out there that don't want to click on another link:
Marketers tend to overvalue the effectiveness of certain distribution channels at any given moment.
That often leads us down false paths.
For example, in the targeting category, marketers responded that they think direct email and social media are the best way to reach out to potential customers.
The data reveals that it's actually… radio. Yup, good ol' radio.
Your dad's favorite old-school, back-in-the-day excuse for not having to talk to you while he drove you to school. At least the both of you had a good laugh listening to Howard Stern prank call the White House. Ah, memories…
Data showed that as well. But the disparity grows down the list. Marketers polled claimed that social media and online print had the best ROI.
The data told another story.
It's actually traditional print. Like… your grandma reading the newspaper, flipping the pages, old-as-time-itself print. Ha!
Or you might be saying to yourself that these channels don't apply to B2B.
Hey, you may be correct, but the critical insight here is about human behavior. Our impression of the reality we are looking at does not always align with the world around us. That's why your distribution channel strategy is so important.
Now, a little treat for you. The main attraction of this very insightful post. The smart people at Analytic Partners complied two decades worth of data and came up with some sweet insight.
In short, it doesn't really matter which channel you choose as long as it's not just one.
A campaign with 5 media platforms boosts ROI by 35% compared to a campaign eliciting attention through just one channel.
Here's Mark Ritson explaining it best:
If you have organic social media, add paid social. Add a sponsorship for a blog or set up one yourself. Add print or outdoor or just be at events. A multiple channels approach proves to work best time and time again.
Whenever in doubt, focus on what you value and undervalue. And mind to pay attention to the opportunities these channels provide.
Let's be clear, there is no one-size-fits-all distribution marketing channel. But when you think of all the boxes and start thinking outside of them (and realize how wonderfully they can work together), you can create a synergy through those types of distribution channels in your B2B marketing strategy and in between them to get what you and your client desire… and more of it. So once again, do not use most common distribution channel. Intensive distribution is a key. And multi-channel marketing strategy is another key!
What's next? Get in touch with us, and let's start creating compelling B2B videos today to take your client engagement to new heights.
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