5 Must-Know Advantages of Multi-Channel Advertising

Multi-channel advertising enables you to reach users across different platforms and channels. This strategy helps campaigns gain greater reach by capturing users who are only using some channels. 

The focus of a multi-channel campaign is on creating a cohesive message across the included channels. You may choose to run a campaign across two channels, like display and audio, or across several including digital out-of-home (DOOH), connected TV (CTV), and more. 

The Rise of Multi-Channel Advertising

A multi-channel strategy is becoming increasingly crucial in today’s programmatic landscape because consumers are active across various channels and devices. 

According to an exclusive research report conducted by StackAdapt in partnership with Advertiser Perceptions, 50% of advertisers who have implemented a multi-channel advertising strategy saw a better return on investment (ROI). A better ROI is also why 40% of advertisers will increase their programmatic ad spend in the next 12 months.

Agencies, more so than marketers, use nearly all media types in their campaigns. But, the report found that digital video and display, along with social media, are the most widely used channels for multi-channel campaigns.

5 Reasons to Use Multi-Channel Advertising

Let’s explore 5 must-know advantages of multi-channel advertising. 

1. Multi-Channel Advertising Helps You Exceed Campaign Goals

Optimizing targeting so that it mimics the customer journey, which typically doesn’t stay confined to one channel, helps advertisers to achieve and exceed their campaign goals. In fact, the report found that 60% of marketers believe multi-channel campaigns achieve or exceed their key performance indicators (KPIs) at least most of the time.

This is largely because a multi-channel campaign delivers extended reach. When ads appear across various channels, you reach more of your target audience on the channels that they spend the most time with. 

2. Multi-Channel Campaigns Cover the Entire Funnel 

A major benefit of a multi-channel strategy is that it covers the entire funnel. By creating multiple points of contact for the target audience, advertisers create more opportunities for acquisition. 

Our multi-channel advertising report found that more than 40% of advertisers believe multi-channel advertising is extremely important in achieving upper- and lower-funnel goals. And, 33% view multi-channel advertising as extremely important for mid-funnel goals. 

Respondents to the questionnaire shared that social media, digital video, and linear TV are commonly leveraged to drive awareness, and search is the leading channel for driving sales. CTV, in-game advertising, and DOOH are great channels for upper-funnel campaigns. When building out your multi-channel strategy, ensure that you have coverage across channels that will guide your audience from awareness through to conversion. 

The right mix of channels ensures users are reached regardless of where they are in the conversion process. Continued exposure to your brand across various channels and devices will help drive users further into the funnel, toward the desired conversion goal.

Clearly, multi-channel campaigns are an opportunity to capture users throughout the entire marketing funnel, allowing you to build awareness, consideration, and lead to purchases. 

3. Multi-Channel Advertising Delivers Increased Awareness

With a multi-channel campaign, your brand, products, and services will have more presence on various channels. By creating a coherent message across the channels that you’re advertising on, you can consistently remind users about your offerings, which will inch them closer to conversion, as well as help build brand awareness.

Plus, you’ll reach your audience on their preferred channel. Some audiences may not find a native ad engaging, but hearing your ad through programmatic audio might capture their attention. A multi-channel campaign ensures that the medium that works best for your target audience is the one you’ll reach them with. 

4. Multi-Channel Campaigns Have Consolidated Reporting

The report found that advertisers have difficulty measuring their goals across different channels. A multi-channel strategy within a single platform helps to consolidate reporting and can alleviate advertiser grief. Reporting that is consolidated by one platform means the reporting is done using the same methodology and technology, making the data consistent and clear across channels. 

5. Provides Opportunities for Retargeting

A retargeting strategy enables you to deliver online ads to a user based on their previous intent-based actions on the web. It’s an important tactic for moving users down the funnel to conversion, or another desired action. 

Native and display are common channels to use for retargeted ads. For example, after running a multi-channel campaign across CTV, in-game, and programmatic audio, you can retarget engaged individuals with HTML5 display ads. With these ads, provide custom content related to what the user has previously seen.

Multi-Channel Advertising F.A.Q.

Get Started With Multi-Channel Advertising

Based on our multi-channel advertising report, it is clear that multi-channel advertising is gaining increasing relevance. Advertisers are recognizing the benefits of running campaigns across several channels. 

Leveraging a mix of complementary channels as part of a multi-channel strategy can help increase audience reach and help brands tell a cohesive story throughout the entire customer journey. They key to getting started? Finding the right programmatic partner. 

A programmatic partner will support you in finding, tracking, and sharing the metrics that are most important for your clients. And, a programmatic partner can support in improving campaign ROI, provide access to tactics that previously were cost prohibitive, and allow for more testing and experimenting to drive multi-channel performance. 

Learn the benefits of running campaigns across several channels and what to consider when integrating multi-channel advertising into your digital strategy. Download the full report: The Power of Multi-Channel Advertising.