What is Marketing Channel?
Marketing Channel refers to a marketing channel, which is like an organization, activity or person whose mission is to distribute goods from producers to consumers and help market products or services. The process of distributing goods is called a distribution channel. At the same time, those who perform this task are called channel partners.
The presence of partners is the most important thing when creating marketing channels with planned marketing strategies so as to effectively increase business profits. In addition, the presence of distribution channel partners helps to increase the popularity of the company among the target group. In this way, your own company not only achieves higher profits, but also a high level of brand awareness.
Therefore, the partnership process requires a mutually beneficial relationship between business owners and marketing channel partners in order to achieve the goals set by both parties.
Benefits of Channel Marketing
Then what are the advantages of marketing channels for companies?
The advantage of channel marketing is that it reaches customers who previously did not have access to the product or service. Businesses thrive with the help of these marketing channels. Affiliate presence is an important part of the marketing funnel. They also benefit a lot from this. For example, they can earn more by buying and selling products in bulk. Entrepreneurs and their partners can thus achieve the goal of success together.
Types of Marketing Channel
Types of business marketing channels, namely:
1. Direct Selling
The first type of marketing channel is direct selling or also called direct selling. As the name suggests, direct selling is selling directly to customers without intermediaries. So as soon as production is finished, distribute it immediately.
Service providers, on the other hand, usually contact their loyal customers to provide services at the time set by the service provider. The advantage of direct selling is the opportunity to earn big profits without much effort. The selling price can also be cheaper. However, you need to create high brand awareness so that many customers buy it.
2. Consultants
Service providers, on the other hand, usually contact their loyal customers to provide services at the time set by the service provider. The advantage of direct selling is the opportunity to earn big profits without much effort. The selling price can also be cheaper. However, you need to create high brand awareness so that many customers buy it.
3. Resellers
Next, there are resellers who are included in the types of marketing channels. Resellers operate by reselling company products to customers at various prices.
Resellers are also called retailers, meaning they buy goods and services from manufacturers in bulk and usually get a discount. Retailers can use the manufacturer's label in their stores or remove it for sale as their own brand. Don't sell things just to make a profit. They perform certain functions on behalf of the manufacturer, such as for example:
- Conduct sales and promotion of products.
- Manage warehouse storage and distribution of products to end users.
- Training customers to use the product or service.
- Provide customer support and resolve issues users have with their purchases.
- Value and pack merchandise prior to sale to buyers. Research market trends and customer behavior and gather other useful information for manufacturers.
4. Affiliate
Another type of marketing channel, namely affiliates. Recently, affiliates have become a type of marketing channel that many online businesses use. This marketing technique is an innovation in digital marketing. Affiliate marketing is usually done by people who are known on social media, such as: Celebrities or influencers.
Joining is done through a website or social media to promote the company. The website or social media used usually must have a certain number of followers which are the company's target market. With the help of cooperative marketing, companies can create high levels of brand awareness and engagement.
The way affiliates work is by distributing links containing company products that are sold to potential customers through websites and social media. If the product is sold through the link, the partner (affiliate) program participant will then receive a bonus from the company. The commission offered by each company certainly varies depending on the policy. However, this method is touted as an easy way to make a profit if you want to get into the business.
5. Social Media Marketing
Social media marketing must be familiar to some people. This type of marketing channel is widely used by online businesses. Because more and more people are using social networks, it has even become a necessity in today's digital era.
There are various types of social media that can be used as an effective marketing channel. For example Instagram, Twitter, Tik Tok and Facebook. Ease of use and a large audience is one of the main reasons why many business people use it to market their products or services.
But using it, online businesses need to create elaborate marketing plans to increase sales. If you plan to use social media marketing in your business, remember to create content that is engaging and relevant to your target market. If possible, try to work with famous people who are influential on social networks, such as celebrities or influencers.
6. Display Advertising
The next type of marketing channel is display advertising. When an advertisement for a product or service is created digitally and then posted on a website, email, app or content uploaded in other digital formats. These digital ads can consist of text, photos, video, audio, animation, and more, and can be designed as attractive as possible. Therefore, it takes a lot of creativity to display these ads.
If an ad is viewed and opened by a large number of audiences, this type of marketing channel is considered successful. This allows business people to assess whether the digital advertising they are running can attract customers or not. In addition to increasing product reach to customers, display advertising can also be proof of a company's existence online and make it more known to many people.
7. Email Marketing Email marketing
is included in the company's marketing channels. As the name suggests, the company promotes its business via email. However, you do need to define the right audience if you want to use this marketing channel. By using email, companies do not need to spend a lot of money on advertising and marketing. Although not as effective as social media marketing, email marketing is also considered very effective for business.
If you are interested in using this marketing channel, first try to create a customer database and then send them a newsletter with information about the products being sold. The more attractive the newsletter you share, the more likely it is that customers will buy your product.
The Importance of Channel Marketing for Business
The marketing channel is the real link between the company and its customers. They are the business factors that allow companies to deliver their products or services to end customers.
Marketing channels are important for businesses because they:
- Bring proposals to market
- Help companies reach their target audience
- Help brands build relationships with customers
- Promote and sell products or services on behalf of manufacturers
Moreover, marketing channels are important not only for businesses who want to reach customers and generate income, but also for consumers because they have the opportunity to easily get a variety of products or services at competitive prices.
Channel Marketing Functions
Marketing channels play a very important role in business success. Some of the main functions of marketing channels are:
Logistics and Distribution
Marketing channels play an important role in transporting products or services from producers to final consumers. They are responsible for ensuring that the selected product reaches the customer through their distribution network at an affordable price and on time.
Promotion
Marketing channels also drive product promotion by providing audiences with marketing and other promotional messages that help them build a strong brand image and reputation.
Transactional Function
These channels are important in transferring product ownership from producers to consumers. They help businesses with billing, invoicing and collecting payments from customers.
Facility Functions The
marketing channel also provides other important services such as storage, packaging, credit facilities and maintenance services that add value to the products or services offered.
Risk Sharing
Marketing channels help businesses share risks by going hand-in-hand with them as they can reduce their own risks and losses by reducing their vulnerability to all kinds of uncertainties. This reduces the total cost of selling the product or service because the manufacturer does not have to bear all the losses himself.
Efficiency And Effectiveness In Sales
By working closely with marketing channels, companies can ensure that their products or services reach the right customers at the right time and place. This helps increase customer satisfaction as well as company efficiency and effectiveness.