Building a Successful Cross-Channel Marketing Plan: from Strategy to Execution

Consumers these days are active on multiple online platforms, engaging with brands across a variety of channels—from social media to email, search engines to websites, and beyond. To reach and resonate with this diverse and dynamic audience, businesses must craft a comprehensive cross-channel marketing plan that both aligns with their overall marketing strategy and also adapts to the unique nuances of each platform. 

But what is a cross-channel marketing plan exactly and how can you craft one for your business?

In this post, we’ll guide you through the essential steps to build a successful cross-channel marketing plan, from laying the strategic foundation to executing campaigns that drive engagement and results. Whether you're just starting out or looking to refine your approach, this guide will provide you with the insights and tools you need to create a cohesive and effective marketing strategy that meets consumers wherever they are.

What Is Cross-Channel Marketing?

Let’s start with the basics: what is cross-channel marketing?

At its core, cross-channel marketing is a strategy that integrates multiple marketing channels to deliver a unified message to the target audience. It goes beyond merely being present on different platforms; it focuses on creating a cohesive narrative that resonates with customers regardless of the channel they choose to engage with. Whether it’s a social media post, a billboard, or a flyer, each piece of communication is designed to complement and enhance the others. For example, a customer might see a billboard promoting a new product while driving, receive a flyer in the mail with a discount code for the same product, and later hear a radio ad reinforcing the product's key features. Each touchpoint strengthens the overall communication, creating a seamless experience.

The goal of cross-channel marketing is to create a seamless experience for customers as they move through the marketing funnel, from awareness to conversion. By ensuring that all channels are aligned and working together, businesses can increase the effectiveness of their marketing efforts, improve customer satisfaction, and ultimately drive more conversions.

What Is Cross-Channel Digital Marketing?

What is cross-channel digital marketing? Is it the same thing? 

Essentially, yes. Cross-channel digital marketing refers specifically to the integration of various digital platforms—such as social media, email, websites, and mobile apps—to create a cohesive marketing strategy. Unlike traditional cross-channel marketing, which may include offline channels like print or TV, cross-channel digital marketing focuses solely on online touchpoints.

For example, imagine a customer who clicks on a Google ad, is then retargeted on Instagram, and receives a tailored email offer—all reinforcing the same brand messaging and leading toward conversion. Each interaction is carefully crafted to move the customer closer to making a purchase, with data collected at every stage to optimize future interactions.

The Power of Cross-Channel Marketing for Success

In an age where customers are more empowered and informed than ever, cross-channel marketing is no longer a luxury; it’s a necessity. 

Here’s why:

• Consistency across touchpoints. Cross-channel marketing ensures that your brand’s message remains consistent across all platforms. This consistency builds trust and reinforces your brand’s identity, making it more recognizable and memorable to your audience. If a customer sees your ad on Instagram promoting a new product, they should receive an email with further details about the product that aligns with the social media message. For example, Nike's "Just Do It" campaign successfully integrated social media, email marketing, and in-app promotions. Customers would encounter the same campaign narrative, whether they saw influencer content on Instagram or received personalized product recommendations via email, demonstrating the power of consistency across channels.

• Improved customer experience. By integrating your marketing efforts, you can provide a more personalized and relevant experience for your customers. Coca-Cola’s "Share a Coke" campaign is a prime example of using cross-channel strategies to enhance customer engagement. The campaign encouraged customers to find personalized Coke bottles and share their experience on social media, blending physical touchpoints (personalized bottles) with digital engagement (hashtags, user-generated content). 

• Higher ROI. When all channels work together, the overall effectiveness of your marketing efforts improves. For instance, if a customer is exposed to your messaging across multiple channels, such as seeing a product ad on Facebook, getting a reminder via SMS, and receiving an exclusive offer through email, the chances of conversion increase. 
• Data-driven insights. Finally, cross-channel marketing relies heavily on data, providing valuable insights into customer behavior and preferences. This data can be used to refine your strategy, optimize your campaigns, and ultimately drive better results. For example, tracking a customer’s interaction with your email campaign, website, and social media can help you understand which channel is driving the most conversions, allowing you to adjust your efforts accordingly.

Steps to Build a Successful Cross-Channel Marketing Plan

Now that we’ve established the importance of cross-channel marketing, let’s dive into the actionable steps you need to follow to build a successful plan.

Define Your Objectives

The first step in any marketing plan is to define your objectives. For example, if your goal is to boost sales during the holiday season, your cross-channel marketing efforts might focus on seasonal promotions across email, social media, and paid search ads to drive traffic to your e-commerce store. Clearly defining your goals in this way will help guide your strategy and ensure that all your efforts are aligned with your desired outcomes.

Understand Your Audience

To create a cohesive cross-channel marketing plan, you need to have a deep understanding of your target audience. For example, if your audience is Gen Z, you might prioritize platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, while for older demographics, email and Facebook may be more effective. By creating detailed buyer personas, you can tailor your messaging and choose the right channels to reach your audience effectively.

Select the Right Channels

Not all marketing channels are created equal, and not every channel will be right for your business. When selecting channels for your cross-channel marketing plan, consider where your target audience spends their time and how they prefer to engage with brands. For instance, if your audience is active on LinkedIn but rarely engages with email, focusing your efforts on LinkedIn advertising and content marketing might yield better results. Common channels include social media, email, search engines, content marketing, and paid advertising. It’s important to choose channels that complement each other and can work together to deliver a unified message.

Define Your Cross-Channel Marketing Funnel

After understanding your audience and identifying the channels where they are active, the next step is to map out their journey through your cross-channel marketing funnel. This helps you structure your efforts by identifying what content, messaging, and channels to use at each stage of the funnel—from awareness to advocacy.

For example, during the awareness stage, social media ads and blog posts may be most effective, while personalized email offers might work better in the conversion stage. Define each step clearly and determine how your marketing efforts across channels will guide your audience from one stage to the next.

Create a Cohesive Message

The key to successful cross-channel marketing is creating a cohesive message that resonates with your audience across all touchpoints. This means that your brand’s voice, tone, and messaging should be consistent across every platform. However, it’s also important to tailor your message to fit the unique characteristics of each channel. For example, the way you communicate on Twitter might be different from how you communicate in an email newsletter, but the core message should remain the same.

For instance, let’s take a look at the American company Fabletics, a fitness apparel brand. Fabletics ran a campaign promoting their new Luxe360 collection. Their cross-channel marketing strategy included a coordinated message across various platforms: Instagram, Facebook, email, and Twitter.

On Twitter, Fabletics used a specific approach to highlight their new Luxe360 collection. Here’s an example of their tweet:

Tweet Specifications:

• Visual Content: The tweet was accompanied by an eye-catching image or video of the Luxe360 collection, showcasing the new products in a dynamic way.
• Hashtags: The hashtag #Luxe360xGR was used to create a branded conversation around the new collection, making it easier for followers to engage with and follow the campaign.
• Tone and Voice: The tone was energetic and motivational, targeting a community of ambitious and style-conscious individuals.

Leverage Technology and Tools

To execute a cross-channel marketing plan effectively, you need to leverage technology and tools that can help you manage and optimize your campaigns. For instance, using a marketing automation platform allows you to send tailored email offers based on customer behavior on your website, while CRM systems help track all interactions across touchpoints, making personalization easier. Social media listening tools, in turn, allow you to monitor conversations around your brand and gain insights into customer sentiment, while social media reporting tools help you analyze the performance of your social campaigns across different platforms.

Analyze and Optimize

Once your cross-channel marketing plan is in place, the work doesn’t stop there. To ensure ongoing success, it’s crucial to continuously analyze your results and make adjustments as needed. For example, if your email campaigns are driving higher engagement than your social media efforts, you may decide to allocate more resources to email marketing, while adjusting your social content strategy. By analyzing this data, you can identify what’s working, what’s not, and where there’s room for improvement.

Measuring the Success of Your Cross-Channel Marketing Efforts

Following on from this last point, to determine the success of your cross-channel marketing plan, it’s important to establish key performance indicators (KPIs) that align with your objectives. 

Common KPIs for cross-channel marketing include:

• Brand mentions. Tracking how often your brand is mentioned across different platforms can help measure brand awareness and visibility.
• Earned media value. This metric helps you quantify the value of the media coverage and word-of-mouth promotion generated by your campaigns.
• Customer lifetime value (CLV). Measuring the total value a customer brings to your business over their lifetime can help assess the effectiveness of your marketing efforts in driving long-term loyalty.
• Conversion rate. The percentage of users who complete a desired action, such as making a purchase or signing up for a newsletter, is a critical metric for evaluating the success of your campaigns.

The best way to track all this data is by using a robust marketing analytics platform. For instance, Influencity’s platform offers comprehensive analytics and reporting features that allow you to track key performance indicators (KPIs) across various channels. With Influencity, you can monitor brand mentions across social media, assess your earned media value, and gain insights into your audience's engagement with your content. The platform also enables you to analyze the performance of your influencer marketing campaigns in conjunction with other channels, providing a holistic view of your marketing efforts. That way, you can make data-driven decisions, optimize your strategy in real time, and ensure that every aspect of your cross-channel marketing plan is aligned and on track to help you achieve your business goals.