Welcome back to our new series, “Your Customer Engagement Questions, Answered.” Remember, you can send us your questions for future installments at Natalie@maropost.com.

Today we’re talking about marketing channels. There are a lot of options out there, but do you necessarily need to use all of them? Let’s jump right in…

Q: What B2C marketing channels should I use?

A: The answer to this question isn’t black and white. Between email, social media platforms, paid digital advertising, mobile applications, and more, the avenues you choose to target your customers will largely depend on the structure of your internal marketing team, as well as your audience. If you only have one or two people on your team, it may not be wise to start out with six channels; it’s better to start small and scale. Similarly, as an example, if your product targets a middle-aged audience, Tik Tok may not top the list of channels to use. Do some research and use your own customer data to make your decision.

This being said, there are a couple channels every brand should be using; the first being a website. It seems obvious, but without a website your audience simply won’t be able to find you. Your site should be clean, informative and professional; appealing and engaging for your audience; and responsive to format for any device. The second must-have is email which, with its unmatched ability to acquire and retain customers, still delivers the highest ROI of any marketing channel. Automated, triggered email campaigns are a simple way － after some upfront work, of course － to provide relevant content to your audience at the right time.

Additional channels, like Facebook, Twitter, paid ads and SMS, can support your email and website efforts and further boost engagement. But again, only take on what you can handle; start with just a few and try new approaches as your organization grows and you learn even more about your audience.