How to utilise an omnichannel marketing strategy!

Omnichannel marketing is an excellent tool for creating a seamless experience for consumers leading them into the marketing funnel. When used right, it can be a highly effective marketing strategy. This blog will discuss the ins and outs of omnichannel marketing and how you can utilise it. 

What is omnichannel marketing?

Omnichannel marketing is the variation of multiple marketing channels combined to run a campaign. Using various channels allows brands to maximise their reach, creating a consistent brand experience across platforms. 

Research shows that customers that engage with multiple touchpoints tend to be 30% more valuable. So, your brand needs to get your omnichannel campaign right to engage your consumers in the marketing funnel from different touchpoints. 

Why is an omnichannel marketing strategy effective?

An omnichannel marketing strategy allows your brand to engage audiences at different touch points in the marketing funnel, and their journey will not be affected. We look to different channels because each is effective for different objectives, and therefore, one channel is not the only answer. For example, to raise awareness, you would run an OOH, or your brand would utilise digital to start conversions. By running your campaign across multiple channels, you will create a seamless path for your consumers, making you more likely to convert them into loyal customers. Recent studies found that 86% of shoppers regularly channel-hop across two channels; therefore, an omnichannel marketing strategy is essential for meeting the needs of your audience. 

Through an omnichannel approach, your brand can connect with consumers at different stages of the buying process, from social media ads to email marketing reminding customers of their abandoned baskets to in-store promotions. No matter the channel, the experience should be consistent. 

Jared Rosenbloom, Director of Media Strategy and Operations at Centro, describes the difference between multichannel marketing and omnichannel marketing in the following way: “In multichannel marketing, the goal is to have as many touch points as you can – you want to push your message out as many times as possible to as many people as possible. It’s cheaper because your efforts don’t have to be coordinated. Omnichannel marketing is different: It’s about understanding the path to purchase that an individual takes and how can we speak to them at different points on that path.”

By understanding your consumer’s purchase journey, your brand can directly target them at any point, pulling them into the marketing funnel with a high conversion rate. Unlike a multichannel approach, omnichannel marketing is about creating a seamless user experience, meaning no matter where you start your journey, you will receive the same brand experience. 

How can your brand utilise omnichannel marketing?

You must mirror the consumer’s buying habits through omnichannel marketing and make ads visible through every channel everywhere. Each consumer’s path will depend on their habits, and each path will differ per user preference. Understanding the different touch points in an omnichannel marketing campaign will allow you to better understand the consumer journey due to the tracking data possibilities. 

You can reengage consumers when they abandon a cart, etc., and then look for reviews to repurpose at another touchpoint once a purchase has been made. To stay relevant and competitive in a saturated market, you must be able to provide a personalised experience. 

An omnichannel marketing approach increases the quality of leads as your marketing is specifically targeted to their shopping habits. This allows your brand to make a direct approach, increasing brand awareness and solidifying its purpose. An omnichannel strategy connects with audiences at different stages so your brand can authentically present who you are and what you do. 

Is an omnichannel approach best for your brand?

There are many factors to consider when thinking about the right strategy for your brand. For example, if you are trying to increase brand affinity, then an omnichannel marketing approach may be best as it allows you to better the user experience. By taking the omnichannel approach, your brand will likely see a better return as consumer loyalty increases. But a multichannel approach may be the more effective method for your brand if you are not equipped to deliver the cohesive approach that omnichannel requires.

Benefits of an omnichannel approach

Higher conversation rate

As an omnichannel approach is targeted at all levels of the marketing funnel, it works hard to reengage consumers into their purchase mindset and therefore allows your brand to benefit from a higher number of conversions. As consumers become more familiar with your brand and how the experience seamlessly flows across channels, they begin to trust your brand as a secure purchase.

As well as the brand experience consumers are reminded of their purchases or desires through targeted marketing. As the approach is seen through a variety of channels it becomes more recognisable to the consumer and breaks through the monotony of the thousands of ads we all experience each day.

Better brand loyalty

Consumers with a high conversion rate tend to have a higher level of brand loyalty as they trust your brand and will therefore return through the different channels and recommend you to their friends and family. By delivering a unified experience for the consumer, no matter where they are engaged with your marketing, they will be drawn to your brand as they are aware of previous positive experiences. 

More efficient marketing spend/improved ROAS. 

Whilst the upfront costs of an omnichannel marketing approach may be higher and require more commitment, once up and running they will be more time and money efficient as they will become self-serving. Data can be quickly and easily tracked with an omnichannel approach as there are more touchpoints to refer to. Allowing you to redefine your approach based on your consumer’s habits, thereby maximising the impact and reducing cost on channels which are not providing an ROI. 

If your brand would like to make a move to creating an omnichannel approach, then contact the team. They can help you develop the consistent approach needed to create a seamless user experience. From paid socials to website design, our expert marketers have a solution for each of your challenges.