A common mistake made by businesses is assuming that they have to do everything. Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Ads, SEO, email marketing, YouTube—and whatever other social media site seems trendy at the moment. On the surface, this may seem like a reasonable assumption. The more platforms your business utilizes, the more traffic you will bring in. Or will you? In our experience at BrandFuel, we have come across several companies that have used five or six marketing platforms but failed to get their desired results. We have also noticed other businesses thrive with a select few marketing strategies done right. How many marketing channels should you really use? Likely less than you imagined.
More Channels Won’t Always Result in More Growth
One common misconception in business is that presence in all places is the key to success. However, every channel requires management which entails spending of resources and energy. Trying to do too much can lead to something getting done poorly. Poor content, lack of consistency, failure of campaigns and failure of leads to convert are just some of the negative consequences. This is why so many businesses collaborating with a digital marketing agency are often surprised to hear about the importance of focusing on fewer channels to begin with.
Go Where Your Customer Is
When deciding whether to use more channels or focus only on a few, it is better to think about the customer first. Some businesses may see their customers coming from strong SEO services and visibility on Google search pages. Others may benefit from social media marketing and generating awareness through social media. Visibility should not be spread out everywhere because it does not always translate into conversions. A good online marketing company knows the right channels to pursue.
A Small Number of Channels Are Enough
It’s not necessary for a company to have six channels to see results within the first month. Usually, only two or three channels will be enough. For instance, SEO, content marketing, and social media marketing can build the basis of sustainable business development. Moreover, SEO combined with performance marketing can lead to positive short-term and long-term results. What makes channels effective is the ability of marketers to combine them rather than compete.
Why Do Companies Quit Too Early?
Marketing channels require some time. This aspect is frequently underestimated by companies. A company launches SEO, gives it just two months, and expects to see their site at the top positions. They advertise for several weeks expecting huge sales. However, after all these efforts, they decide that a particular channel doesn’t suit their needs. Actually, there are no secret platforms that can make a brand famous. They use a certain marketing channel consistently enough to achieve success. In this case, cooperation with online marketing companies can be helpful.
Three Is Better Than Ten
Think about creating ten different social media pages and being inconsistent with content across them all. Now think about creating a high-quality website with SEO work done for it along with managing only one of those platforms. Most of the time, this second option is going to give you better results. And the reason why has nothing to do with excitement, but everything to do with sustainability. Here at BrandFuel, we frequently tell our clients to focus on building up their momentum slowly, starting with just one channel before expanding to others when they have seen success already. This helps to reduce stress and make it manageable.
But How Many Platforms Does Your Business Actually Need?
Of course, there is not really a specific answer here. However, two or three will be enough in most cases. It is about focusing on the appropriate platforms where your target audience can be reached and then staying consistent, measuring performance, and growing accordingly. Successful brands do not always do everything, but they almost always do the right things.
What’s Next?
Are you looking for marketing partners? Check out our blog post: The Hidden Cost of Hiring the Wrong Growth Agency. Here, you will see how a bad decision can affect your business’ development and make things unnecessarily difficult.
Conclusion
Just because there are more marketing channels, doesn’t mean you will have more customers. Often, they only become more distractions. The best way is to concentrate on what brings results, and start growing from there. At BrandFuel, we know which marketing channels are worth considering and help businesses get the right momentum.Want to know more? Just click here.
