From digital advertising, to CTV, to social media – advertisers have seen new marketing channels enter the mix for decades. Figuring out new channels is a fun challenge that will always be part of an advertiser’s role.
Take social media channels as an example. Everyone knows X (Twitter), Snapchat, TikTok, and Meta Products Facebook and Instagram. A year past its release date, most people are familiar with Meta’s newest social network, Threads. Created to rival X, with 175 million active users, Meta recently confirmed publicly that they will introduce ads to the Threads platform.
Krystal Scanlon reported in Digiday that Advertisers don’t seem too tempted by Meta putting ads on Threads. At Postie, we don’t blame these advertisers. It was only a few months ago reports were released about Meta ads being ‘terribly broken,’ with advertisers seeing glitches, higher prices, and poorer returns, something advertisers need to be mindful of as we approach the high purchasing cycle this holiday season.
In this rapidly evolving media landscape, testing new channels is critical. But what should a marketer think about when deciding which channels to test, when, and how? If you’re considering adding a new marketing channel to your mix–Threads or otherwise–here’s our recommendation for what you should consider:
1. Is your target audience actively engaged with this channel?
It’s important to fully understand the user base of channel before investing. Validate if your current customer base uses this channel, and if they don’t, research if the channel appeals to a similar user base as your target audience. The more you know about your customer base the better off you’ll be. If your user base aligns with that of a specific channel the more important it is to make the investment in that channel. The key to efficient omnichannel addressable marketing success is engaging a specific audience, authentically, with the media they engage with most.
If your target audience isn’t in this new channel, let’s just stop here–jump down to the summary of this post instead. Your target audience may eventually start using this new channel, but until they do you shouldn’t waste your precious budget.
2. Can you optimize this channel?
Research if your reach on this new channel has the potential to improve with effort, creativity, data, and investment. Not all channels serve the same purpose in your marketing stack. Some channels require a leap of faith and typically are more valuable in building brand recognition. The power of addressable channels is that they are measurable, so it’s possible to know what works and what doesn’t. Investing in a new channel is beneficial if that channel is measurable, and offers the tools to optimize audiences, creativity, and frequency to improve performance over time.
3. Can you scale the channel?
If you invest time and budget to test and optimize a new channel and figure out a formula that works for your brand, it’s only valuable if that channel can scale. It’s important to pinpoint the total reach of active users in the channel before investing too heavily. The exciting part of finding success is knowing it’s possible to double down and harness rapid growth.
4. Is the channel brand safe?
Many digital channels offer scale, valuable audiences, and are optimizable. Those same channels come without the ability to control how your message is delivered. You may be able to find measurable results from your investment but what good is that if the same channel causes your brand value to deteriorate over time because you are repeatedly aligned with content opposite the brand message you worked so hard to create and promote? A heavy investment in a new channel is a big step, and should never be done without considering the possible implications across the entire brand.
5. Is the channel predictable?
Channels worth investing in should offer staying power that allows you to rely on predictable performance over long periods. There are no shortage of channels that you can spend time investing in, yet only so many hours to invest. Always remember that it makes the most sense to invest in reliable and consistent channels. Building a marketing stack is similar to constructing a building: you need a strong foundation and each new channel should add to the overall structure and stability of the marketing framework.
6. Is this a growing, stable, or declining channel?
Investigate if users spend more time with this channel over time and if it’s becoming a part of their daily lives. Ideally, the core channels you invest in will be stable or growing. Growth can come from user engagement levels such as how much time a user spends with the channel or how many times a day, week, or month they engage with the channel. These statistics are typically published and can be important factors in deciding if a channel should be prioritized.
You’ve decided on a new channel…Now what?
If you answered yes to several of these questions, then it’s time to start testing. Even the shiniest new channels don’t warrant high-spending campaigns out of the gate. Start small, test often, and keep revisiting questions 1-6. Marketing budgets should be flexible to accommodate new channels, new trends, and unforeseen hiccups (good and bad) that enter your market.
Don’t forget about the constantly-performing channels either. Take performance direct mail for example. The world’s most loved consumer brands have run more than 45,000 campaigns with Postie to gain new customers and grow lifetime value through personalized, programmatic, expert-level campaigns at scale, delivering an average return-on-ad-spend of 1,382%. See the results for yourself, or book a call to learn more.
