In the first part of this series on cross-channel paid search, I posited that cross-channel marketing will one day be the standard for most marketing organizations.
I also presented some ideas on how paid search and social advertising could better work together, as they are natural cousins — they share the biddable, auction-based format.
In the second part, Search and TV, I made the case that even small gains and lifts in marketing performance from cross-channel coordination are a valid enough reason to push past today’s single-channel norm. TV’s mass reach and influence means that search marketers should make it a focal point for this evolution.
Ultimately, the point I’m trying to make with this series is that search marketers should be the ones to reach across the aisle and be the agents of change to help push cross-channel marketing forward. This is because of search’s unique place in the funnel as a “catch-all” net for all other channels to drive consumers towards.
In essence, search already is a cross-channel medium. If you’re going to build a cross-channel foundation, search has to be where you start, and it’s the responsibility of search marketers to lead this evolution.
Cross-channel operationalization is a dance
Take it from me — moving from a siloed, single-channel approach to a cross-channel one is not easy. Even though most marketers know that coordinated marketing across channels has the potential to yield higher returns than working via single channels, to put it into practice can sometimes simply be too big for their organizations to handle.
A few years ago, I worked for a cross-channel attribution company. This was when holistic measurement was really gaining legs and interest in the industry, and a lot of marketers were looking to go beyond the “last click” measurement standard.
However, as companies began investigating what it takes to bring all channels together, they quickly learned that it’s the operationalization — getting people on board to change to a new way of thinking — that is the biggest barrier to a cross-channel approach.
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