The technology boom also has affected dentistry. More and more companies are using the Internet as a means of getting information out to existing customers as well as potential clients about their company and its products and services. And there’s good reason: Web advertising enables companies to provide information quickly and completely to interested parties. It is much easier to convey this information on your Web site than to try and cram all of it into a direct mail piece, which may never reach the intended target.

However, using a Web site as your sole promotional tool is not enough in today’s business environment. Successful marketing demands using a variety of tools to reach your audience.

Multi-channel marketing requires mixing different methods and media to promote a company, product, or service. Think of the number of times you have seen promotional pieces on a particular company, product, or service that are presented in a completely different format. Each serves to reinforce the company’s message to you and increases the chances you will, over time, respond by buying that product or, at the very least, request more information through a phone call or a visit to the company’s Web site. Some examples of multi-channel marketing venues are:

These examples are only a few of the marketing channels used by dental laboratories; other industries use many more traditional media outlets such as radio, television, and outdoor advertising.

Recently a client (not dental) came to us wanting us to develop a Web site for a new product. The client was inexperienced in taking a new product to market. Our job was to provide not only the questions but also the answers that should be addressed in the campaign development strategy. If you find yourself in a similar situation, here are the questions you need to ask.

The answer to all of these questions is a multiple-channel strategy that will help you gain exposure and provide you with sales leads.

A good mix of the multi-channel methods will provide a number of “touches” with your customer, giving you a better chance of leaving an impression about your company, products, and services. All of this is part of what is called the “branding process” and is necessary if you want your campaign to be successful.
You cannot expect a Web site to do all the work unless you use proper tools to get people to go to your site. This means that your Web site address should be included in everything your company sends out to existing and potential customers. Newsletters can mention an educational article or highlight portions of an article and then direct the reader to your site for more complete information.

This can be accomplished through traditional printed newsletters or an e-newsletter, which is distributed to recipients via e-mail. A word of caution on e-newsletters: Make sure you provide an opt-in sign-up process, so you are not tagged as a spammer.

It can be an expensive mistake to assume that one direct mail brochure or a Web site alone will accomplish all of your marketing objectives and goals. Good marketeers use a variety of tools in their marketing campaigns with the knowledge that consistent communications through different marketing channels will ultimately provide the success they want.