By Marketing is one part quantity, one part quality. The age-old argument between reach (quantity) and value (quality) will never end. As is often the case, balance is essential for success. However, there is no argument that maximizing reach to as large of an audience as possible is a net positive for exposure and resulting sales. Omnichannel marketing is a surefire way to maximize your marketing reach.
Omnichannel Marketing Connects Your Business to a Large Audience
Omnichannel marketing is all about expanding reach to connect with a large pool of potential buyers. Customers anticipate a comprehensive omnichannel journey in which they learn more about the business and its value offerings through several touchpoints.
Personalized communication across a variety of channels complemented by elite customer service and a high-quality product or service results in sales. Fail to connect with target clients across a variety of channels and you’ll inevitably lose market share. Though it is expensive to advertise across multiple channels, doing so is mutually beneficial to businesses and customers.
Inside the Omnichannel Strategy
The omnichannel approach is broad in that it uses a variety of touchpoints ranging from pay-per-click and banner ads on the web to social media, mobile app content and more to establish customer connections. Omnichannel marketing empowers customers to seamlessly transition between channels without abandoning their online shopping cart, digressing to other pages or metaphorically stumbling in another way.
When properly executed, the omnichannel strategy connects the entirety of touchpoints across the following touchpoints and more:
- Mobile devices including mobile apps
- Email newsletters
- Webpages
- Online social spaces
- Offline channels
The goal is for customers to transition between channels without digressing or reaching a dead end. Such a holistic approach differs from the multi-channel strategy in which multiple touchpoints are used to connect with customers in restrictive silos without overlap. The target customer is put front and center without interference from outside boundaries.
Why the Omnichannel Approach is on the Rise
The omnichannel approach becomes increasingly popular with each passing year. According to a recent Coresight report, nearly 75% of retailers have implemented an omnichannel marketing strategy or have started to create one. The “why” of the shift to the omnichannel approach is attributable to the fact that the vast majority of customers pass through several channels before becoming customers.
Businesses that do not provide multichannel prospect engagement ultimately limit their exposure and subsequent sales. Some customers refuse to patronize businesses if their interactions are limited to a single channel such as a website or an offline ad that isn’t complemented by a comprehensive online footprint.
The lack of multiple touchpoints with businesses ultimately reduces trust in the enterprise. Familiarity inspires the creation and maintenance of an invaluable rapport. Exposure to the brand through several touchpoints is necessary for that rapport to form and hold strong for continued customer loyalty.
An Inside Look at the Omnichannel Method
The omnichannel approach converts prospects through the gradual building of momentum with each consecutive brand experience. The touchpoints work together to form a unified experience that culminates in conversion. Businesses that proactively seize the opportunity to communicate with targets through multiple channels make it that much easier for customers to understand the value offering and convert.
Consider a hypothetical situation in which a customer surfs the web to your website after exposure to the brand on Instagram or X (formerly Twitter). The visitor adds the product to their online shopping cart yet does not process the order. Before departing the site, the visitor is greeted with a pop-up message that dangles a 15% discount as a reward for entering their email address for a monthly or quarterly newsletter and/or other brand-related messages.
Regardless of whether the customer signs up for the email newsletter to receive the coupon or ignores it, he or she is treated to a personally tailored experience from that point forward. This initial point of exposure is not guaranteed to result in a sale yet it heightens brand awareness, greatly increasing the potential for a subsequent sale.
What matters most is that the business follows up with the customer after the shopping cart is abandoned. The prospect is presented with reminders through abandoned cart advertisements on social media platforms that serve as mutually beneficial reminders to complete the transaction.
There is also an opportunity to float out additional discounts that convince the prospect to complete the online order. If the prospect entered his or her email address or provided a phone number prior to abandoning the cart, those avenues can be used to transmit reminders.
Focus on Value When Shaping Your Omnichannel Approach
An omnichannel approach, characterized by multiple touchpoints including follow-up messages that are value-driven, resonates the strongest. Visually appealing flash has the potential to draw interest yet that initial exploration will be superficial and short-lived. Instead, center the focus on the core of your value offering to sell the product or service’s utility or other appeal.
Be patient while nurturing leads and you’ll convert prospects who expressed interest into loyal customers motivated to spread the word about your business to friends, family, co-workers and others.
