What is omnichannel marketing?

Omnichannel marketing includes physical (such as stores) and digital channels (such as websites and social media) and a combination thereof - such as “buy online and pick up in-store”.

What is the purpose of omnichannel marketing?

Omnichannel marketing aims to empower the customer to shop or interact with a brand from any device or platform. It allows them to engage on their terms while still offering many opportunities for fulfilment, such as convenience and a seamless experience. This, it is believed, will lead to an improved experience overall and thus drive better relationships across all possible channels and touchpoints. This includes traditional and digital channels, point-of-sale and physical and online experiences.

An example of omnichannel marketing could be:

• A visitor receives an automated voice message from their favourite artist telling them the ticket sale of his concert has started after subscribing to the presale online;

• A visitor of a festival receiving a WhatsApp message regarding the start of the happy hour of their favourite drink;

• Or a person receiving an SMS with a coupon for their next in-store purchase.

Why do you need an omnichannel marketing strategy?

A brand must have a strategy in place to launch an omnichannel marketing campaign successfully. This includes but is not limited to, an integrated, multi-channel approach that creates a unified customer experience (CX) while eliminating siloed interactions.

Integrating a strategy is vital to meet customers' expectations, who anticipate a seamless and consistent experience in every channel.

A unified experience is the number one expectation of customers today. According to CX Today, 9 out of 10 consumers expect an omnichannel experience with seamless service between communication methods. This isn’t going to change any time soon. As the number of touchpoints increases, so does the need for seamless integration between them, whether that’s a targeted ad on social media, a desktop interaction with a chatbot or a real-life chat with an in-store representative.

Another example is through a brand’s social media. An omnichannel approach is used for customer service operations and marketing strategies. This means it’s essential that teams from each of these departments collaborate to create a consistent experience for the customer.

However, omnichannel must not be confused with multichannel marketing, which addresses different issues. While omnichannel marketing is all about ensuring a customer’s interaction with a brand is consistent, no matter the channel, multichannel marketing concentrates on the channel strategy, from social to mobile, with each track having its own goals.

Why is omnichannel marketing important?

Omnichannel marketing has become essential to most modern-day businesses as it can help them create a positive customer experience at every stage of their lifecycle while building a positive brand reputation.

By connecting with customers through a more personalised experience, omnichannel marketing can keep businesses relevant and competitive in a crowded market and create loyal and - in some cases - lifelong customers. It can also help reach new customer segments critical to growth, especially sales.

Another benefit is increased operational efficiency and lower costs. With an omnichannel marketing strategy, businesses only need to collect a customer’s data once (instead of at every touchpoint), meaning they don’t need to create and implement a strategy for every channel.

With the Mobile Marketing Cloud from CM.com, it's easy to set up complex, multi-channel communication streams that build lasting customer relationships. Using one platform for all your customer interactions can save time and be more efficient.

With our marketing automation solution, you can also send hyper-personalised campaigns anytime, anywhere.