Ashley Deland is Principal at Ashley Deland Consulting, Owner of Maison De Land (formerly Deland Marketing) & Top 40 Under 40 winner.
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For most leaders, technology is fully integrated into every aspect of their business. The lines between our interactions online and in real life are blurring, and more and more consumers are splitting their purchases between online and physical avenues. That’s why I believe omnichannel marketing is an important strategy to consider.
Omnichannel marketing is all about using multiple marketing channels to create one seamless experience for your customer. And by using it effectively, your brand can stake its online real estate claim on any applicable channel.
Contents
Define omnichannel marketing
Omnichannel marketing is a strategy that uses multiple marketing channels to create a seamless, personalized experience for your customer across all your brand touchpoints: in-store, online, on social media, in emails, in text messages, and on print .
Few things disrupt the customer journey like a disconnect between the brand’s website and social media or emails and the brand’s in-store experience. Effective omnichannel marketing guides the customer from touchpoint to touchpoint without running into barriers or dead ends. When done right, companies can close deals and maximize sales. If done poorly, companies can lose customers.
Benefits for brands
Companies are no longer in a position of power when it comes to sales. Customers have virtually endless options, so businesses need to meet them where they want to be, whether that’s on social media, in-store, or anywhere in their journey.
Customers also have the opportunity to research companies and products they’re considering, whether it’s a simple lip gloss or something as luxurious as a new car. I find they feel empowered when they can research a company and its products through online channels to make an informed buying decision. As a business owner, it’s up to you to provide them with a consistent, trusted brand experience that gives them the chance to interact with your brand in the way they choose.
Think about how you felt when you had a positive brand experience; you are likely to feel valued, heard, and recognized by the company, which encourages future interactions and sales. That is what effective omnichannel marketing can achieve.
How to build an effective omnichannel strategy
With an umbrella of unified channels, you can focus on creating a consistent brand that resonates across channels. Based on my experience, here are some proven steps to consider.
1. Determine your customer touchpoints.
Omnichannel experiences should always bring the desired response to the major platforms, whatever they may be. Determine what your customer touchpoints are by conducting an audit and putting yourself in the customer’s perspective. What frustrations or obstacles did you encounter along the way? Are certain aspects of the experience contradictory?
Once you’ve developed consistency between these touchpoints, you can work on creating unique touchpoints such as desktop stores, shoppable email marketing campaigns, and mobile apps to improve the experience.
2. Connect the gaps between channels.
I’ve found that the key to omnichannel marketing is seamlessness and an aesthetically consistent relationship of parts. Every point of contact must be reliable and coordinated, but so should the transitions between them. For example, your Facebook account can be linked to your website through integrations that allow customers to shop directly from the platform. Customers can choose to complete the purchase on desktop or visit the physical location, but they can avoid these extra steps and make an impulse purchase if they wish.
3. Focus on personalized services.
Personalization is essential for today’s business climate and for omnichannel marketing. Customers easily provide their information and know that companies collect it, so they want a high level of personalization in return. They expect companies to understand their pain points, challenges, needs, motivations and priorities. Use the data you collect to find this information and create a robust, personalized customer experience that leaves an impression. For example, you can provide sales representatives with tablets to make the shopping experience easier for customers in the store. If a product is not in stock, they can order it online in front of the customer. Your team would also have immediate access to more information to answer questions or clarify customer concerns.
Ultimately, omnichannel marketing is about making the experience as positive as possible. Consider how you can improve your in-store experience to match the level of service you provide online, and vice versa.
Strengthen your brand presence
Take a moment today to step out of your business owner’s hat and take a fresh look at your sales funnel to see what your customers see. Then consider where you can make the experience more personal, memorable, or more reflective of your brand and what you offer.
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Janice has been with businesskinda for 5 years, writing copy for client websites, blog posts, EDMs and other mediums to engage readers and encourage action. By collaborating with clients, our SEO manager and the wider businesskinda team, Janice seeks to understand an audience before creating memorable, persuasive copy.