The term ‘omnichannel’ was introduced in 2010 and quickly became a marketing buzzword. However, back then, only big brands could afford to implement a seamless, multiplatform customer experience.
Fast forward to today, and statistics indicate that 86% of shoppers regularly hop from one shop to another and across multiple channels when making a purchase. Omnichannel marketing is no longer a buzzword but a marketing must-have.
In this post, we’ll define omnichannel marketing, why it is important, and what you can do to develop the perfect omnichannel strategy for your business.
What is omnichannel marketing?
Omnichannel marketing refers to a user engagement approach in which a business gives customers access to its products and services across any device, channel or platform. For example, an omnichannel experience might mean your customers and prospects are able to interact with your business via Facebook messenger, live chat, phone, email, etc. If you offer a promo code, it should work on social media, your website, and in-store.
As a retailer, marketer or entrepreneur, you should truly understand your customer journeys and explore new platforms to engage or retain your customers across multiple touchpoints. The time has come to shift your focus from conventional, old-fashioned marketing, to creating omnichannel marketing strategies.
How to create a perfect omnichannel marketing strategy
Here is what you can do to create a successful omnichannel marketing plan:
1. Understand your customers
To create an inspiring omnichannel experience, you must first understand your customers and their pain points. You need to know the platforms or devices they love to use, how they interact with brands across each touchpoint, and what challenges they face when purchasing goods or services.
Gathering this information will help you identify and strengthen the right touchpoints and integrate them to create a seamless, personalized digital experience for your customers.
If you need an example of the perfect omnichannel marketing strategy look no further than that of Disney whose websites, Magicbands and cards are seamlessly integrated. Starbucks is another notable example of a brand serving its customers across multiple channels and devices.
2. Improve your business structure
One of the biggest hurdles to implementing an omnichannel marketing strategy is poor organisational structure. All areas of your business must be in synch to deliver a great user experience. For example, your warehouse workers, sales staff, and marketing professionals should work together to create a customer-centric environment. Also, consider using a marketing tech stack and connecting your eCommerce store with your CRM. Evaluate your overall business structure to identify areas that can be streamlined and integrated.
3. Use data to guide your marketing strategy
Data is probably the most valuable asset you have as a business or marketer. When it comes to creating an omnichannel marketing strategy, you need real-time data to make smart decisions. For example, use your data to analyse how your customers behave when browsing through your website.
4. Integrate social media with your omnichannel marketing strategy
How do your customers use social media? and which platforms do they most commonly use? Once you’ve figured that out it is much easier to target the right people at the right time.
When it comes to social media, opportunities are endless. Here are some tips for integrating social media with your omnichannel marketing:
- Monitor your brand and product mentions
- Keep your customers’ data in one place
- Pick a CRM software to streamline your efforts
- Use a chatbot on Facebook to improve your customer service
- Enable shopping on social media to sell directly to your audience
Closing thoughts
With ever growing online competition, finding new and innovative ways to serve your prospects and customers is essential. Creating an omnichannel marketing strategy may be challenging and require additional work, but it is vital to achieve sustainable success.
