What do you do to market your business online? Are your efforts focused on building a social following on sites like Facebook and Twitter? Maybe blogs and posting fresh new content are your forte? Or perhaps you find paid search is most beneficial because it draws immediate traffic? If your answer is that you do a little of each, you’re already on the right track! However, if you’re putting all your eggs in one basket, you may be in trouble if that basket disappears.

At Eden, we recommend that our clients select a number of relevant channels and spread their budget amongst them in order to achieve the best results from their online marketing mix. Though it might seem easier to choose one main focus and stick with it, there are actually several reasons why relying on a single online marketing channel is not wise.

1. Online Marketing Channels Change, Evolve or Even Disappear.

If Google’s constant updates have taught online marketers anything, it’s that nothing in online marketing is ever safe from change. The world of online marketing is in constant flux as user-behaviour and motivations shift. Do you remember a time when MySpace was the height of your online social life? Now, it’s probably been years since you even thought about the site, if you know it at all! What works today may be pass? next week.

Example: Link Building Strategies
Consider how link-building strategies have evolved over time. Once upon a time quantity was valued over quality. Businesses hoping to beat the SEO system invested in link farms to boost their search rankings. Fast-forward a decade and this approach is not only frowned upon, but has resulted in many websites being blacklisted on search engines. Imagine how much time, effort and money was invested in this online marketing strategy. This change in algorithms nullified that investment, and required many businesses to invest even further to recoup their losses and build up their rankings again.

Example: Google Authorship
A more recent example is Google’s elimination of the Authorship content attribution program. Despite a strong push by the brand, and numerous benefits to users, the service had a weak adoption rate and Google pulled it last year, laying waste to all the effort website developers put into integrating Authorship into their website practices.

Google (and other online businesses) make changes constantly. Though Google may seem like a larger than life presence, it is still a business. Just like any other business, Google’s aim is to make money. They make changes to algorithms and add or eliminate new products as it makes sense for their bottom line.

You never want to be in a position where your marketing strategy is completely dependent on the motivations of another business. Keep a few eggs in each of your online marketing baskets, so even if a few turn out to be rotten, you still have other streams from which to draw leads to your website.

2. A Variety of Marketing Channels Reach a Variety of People.

Diversifying your media channels provides diverse opportunities. In order to reach your target, you will likely have to spread your marketing efforts across different channels, each of which offers your business something the others can’t. Your website is a good base to start with, but drawing fresh leads from search marketing, social media, email marketing and link-building will extend your reach.

Example: Social Media Channels
Each popular social media site offers a unique, but highly targeted audience that your business can tap into. Here are the demographics of some popular social media sites:

• Facebook: Wide appeal to users of all ages; 71% of the North American population has an active account.
• Twitter: Most popular among college-educated adults, particularly those under 50.
• Instagram: Most popular with young adults aged 18-29, in urban areas.
• LinkedIn: Business-oriented professionals, skews older with most users between 30 and 64.
• Pinterest: Dominated by women, who make up approximately 80% of users.

As you can see, each channel reaches a different, but highly targeted audience. Perhaps some channels are more suited to your needs than others, however you should be able to find a couple social media channels that align with your marketing goals. The same goes for online marketing channels!

Your website, paid search, display, remarketing, blogs, email marketing, and other online efforts each help you reach out to potential customers in different ways. And if one of these channels disappears one day, you won’t be left with nothing.

3. Your Online Marketing Channels Are Stronger Together.

Think of your website and online presence as a snowball. With every new channel you add, your snowball grows bigger. When you invest in different areas of online marketing, they all work together to pull in traffic to your website, grow your sales and ultimately build your business.

Example: Organic Search and Paid Search
Though organic search and paid search are two entirely separate components of search engine marketing, they work hand in hand. The cost per click for your paid search campaigns is dependent on a variety of factors. Organic search engine optimization takes these same factors into account. Therefore, the better you optimize your website for organic search, the lower your cost per click will be for paid search. Inversely, when your paid search campaign performs well, you will see a correlation in increased organic traffic.

Additionally, when your site appears in in the sponsored and organic areas of the search results pages, your business takes up more real estate on SERPs (and limits the space for your competitors!). This increases the chances that your business will capture the attention of searchers, ultimately converting into more clicks for your website.

This is just one example of how your online channels work together to draw leads to your website and grow your business. Every channel you add to your online marketing mix will contribute to your overall growth. Blog posts can contribute to your email and social content. Videos can boost your social profile and your search engine rank. Everything you put on the Internet works together to contribute to the overall success of your business.

But remember: all of these channels and marketing efforts drive potential customers to your website. Optimizing your site’s design, user experience, and conversion potential is of the utmost importance before you start exploring and investing efforts into other marketing channels.

Once your site is optimized to its full potential, cherry picking channels that work together is the most effective way to grow a successful online presence for your brand. If you’re not sure which channels will provide the best opportunities for growth, Eden Advertising can help. We will consult with your business to select optimal online marketing channels to meet your marketing and business goals. Contact us to set up a consultation or call us at 1-800-844-0106.