Alright, let’s be real for a second. If your marketing strategy still relies on just one channel to reach your customers, you’re already behind. That might sound harsh, but in a world where people switch between devices and platforms faster than you can say “omnichannel marketing” sticking to a single channel is basically asking to be ignored.
But, it’s not just about hopping on more channels. It’s about doing it in a way that feels like a smooth, unified experience for your customers—so they don’t even realize they’re being moved from one to the other. That’s the magic of cross-channel marketing, keeping the experience seamless. If you aren’t playing this game yet, it’s time to start.
Why It’s Time to Get Real About Cross-Channel
Here’s a fun fact from Braze’s 2024 Cross-Channel Guide: more than 80% of brands think they’re doing cross-channel right. But a lot of them aren’t.
Cross-channel marketing may sound easy. “Just throw your message everywhere, right?” Except... wrong. It turns out about half of these brands still don’t have a solid way of connecting the dots. In fact, 17% are still clinging to their single-channel strategies (no judgment, just facts), while 33% are juggling disconnected platforms that make their marketers’ lives miserable.
The future? It’s all about true, unified cross-channel engagement. And while there’s no one-size-fits-all playbook for every brand, there are a few golden rules to follow if you actually want this to work.
What Happens When You Actually Go Cross-Channel?
Your customers stop feeling like you’re just sending them spam. Cross-channel means creating an experience that feels cohesive, like all the pieces fit together. When you start linking up channels, magic happens. Users engage more, buy more, and stick around longer. Here’s what happens when you ditch the solo act:
The key? Mixing up the right blend of messaging channels: email, mobile push, in-app messages (IAMs), SMS, and web push. But it’s not just about throwing them all into the pot. It’s about finding the combo that makes your users want to keep coming back.
Finding Your Secret Sauce: Top Channel Combos That Work
You know how peanut butter and jelly is a perfect pairing? Yeah, it’s kind of like that with cross-channel marketing. For example, when you pair email with mobile push notifications and IAMs, the numbers shoot through the roof:
It’s not just about blasting out messages willy-nilly, though. Your channel mix needs to serve a purpose. If you’re focused on engagement, go with mobile push, email, and IAMs to get people interacting with your brand. Want more sales? Mix in SMS and IAM to drive purchases. For retention, your secret weapon is web push plus email. You get the picture.
How to Actually Make This Work (Without Losing Your Mind)
Now that you’re sold on cross-channel (you’re welcome), it’s time to talk strategy. Because not every brand is going to thrive on the same combination of email blasts and push notifications. This is where testing comes in. You’ve gotta experiment, tweak, and figure out what your customers respond to.
Once you’ve got your channel mix dialed in, you’ll see stronger engagement, more sales, and longer-lasting customer relationships. In other words, you’ll stop chasing customers across platforms—and they’ll start coming to you.
The bottom line: the future of marketing isn’t one-size-fits-all, and the brands that win will be the ones who can juggle a few channels at once without breaking a sweat. So, what are you waiting for? Start mixing and matching, and watch your customer journey transform into something unstoppable.
Work with Portage Labs to determine the right tools, channel mix and strategy. Give us a shout!
