It’s all about the “touches”. It’s a basic marketing principle that it takes 7 interactions or “touches” for someone to internalize your message and take you up on a particular call to action. It’s been called the “Rule of 7”, though different voices will argue on the exact number. The number is just a guideline - some say 6-8, some say 13 touches, given how bombarded we all are with digital messaging these days. But the point is, you need to hear about something multiple times before it’s familiar or credible. This is why omni-channel marketing becomes so important.
Touches can come from a variety of sources. It might be seeing a display ad for a product online or a billboard for services on the side of a highway. It might be hearing a recommendation from a friend’s Facebook post, visiting a booth at a tradeshow, or seeing a logo on a piece of swag or printed material. The options for “touches” online have expanded - as social media channels grow, you have the ability to see advertisements or recommendations on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, as well as through website display ads and ads within your various email accounts.
For B2B marketers, the challenge is getting a sufficient amount of “touches” in with limited information (Okay, let’s just say interactions, touches is starting to sound weird). Often B2B marketers have one avenue for contact -- like a business email address. With that, you might hit your B2B prospects with an email drip campaign (yay). Another interaction might be on LinkedIn, after you upload your email list to that platform -- but really, how many people use their ever-changing business email addresses for LinkedIn (hence, the low match rate)? So now what? How else can you get in front of them?
With typical B2B data, you’re only getting a partial profile of a customer. Maybe you can see that they are a senior director of a relevant target company, in a position that could make a decision about the goods or services you’re trying to market. With such limited information, it’s hard to target the content you’re creating too. Instead, you create generic sales materials and hope for the best. But, if you can layer your limited customer profile with consumer data...well, now you have an even better understanding of what they want to see and where they will see it. Because Mr. James Smith from the finance department of your target company is also Jim Smith on Facebook, who is a Millennial and lives on the west coast. With consumer data you are connected to a wealth of lifestyle and demographic data that you can use to create content that piques a user’s interest. Consumer data can tell you that Jim is @therealjimsmith on Twitter so your additional advertising “touches” can reach him when he’s off the clock from work and on his social channels or just googling for a dinner recipe online.
With both business and consumer data, you can market to the whole customer, wherever they are, not just when they are wearing their professional hats. Because they aren’t a target, or a prospect. They are a PERSON. With Versium REACH, you can interact with the whole person, and they will have that magical number of interactions that make them know and trust your brand - and then take action. It’s what omni-channel marketing is all about.