An Introduction To Omnichannel Marketing 

Did you know that it is common for shoppers to channel-hop across two channels or more? Yes, it is true! Consumers do not just bounce from one store to another – they also jump across multiple channels while shopping. Sometimes, shoppers even make online purchases while they stand in line at a physical store. 

This is why retailers have started to recognize the omnichannel marketing strategy as one that is imperative for their business. These businesses know that if they want to be as successful as possible, they need to offer a superior experience for customers across multiple touchpoints. 

If you are not familiar with omnichannel marketing, we have you covered! Keep reading for everything you need to know. 

What is omnichannel marketing?

Omnichannel marketing involves establishing your business across multiple online and offline channels while creating a seamless experience throughout the consumer journey. Your online channels include your website, social media profiles, emails, SMS, WhatsApp, etc. Examples of offline channels are your brick-and-mortar store and in-person events. 

Remember, consumer satisfaction will always be ruled by the level of customer service they receive and the quality of their experiences. If your brand meets or exceeds their expectations, they are likely to become a regular customer, and if you fail to meet them, it may lead to churn. For this reason, your business must take your omnichannel marketing strategy seriously and improve it to offer the most positive customer experience you can to win and keep buyers. 

What a successful omnichannel marketing strategy looks like

Starbucks is one of the best examples of a brand that truly understands omnichannel marketing. The company understands what makes its consumers tick. Think of all the times you have gone to grab a coffee and found that there is an incredibly long line. This situation is always frustrating, but it is even worse when you are in a rush! Consumers are no longer willing to stand in a long line and wait. 

Knowing this pain point, Starbucks introduced mobile ordering, giving consumers the ability to place their coffee and food order in the app and just stop by the store to pick them up. Not only can you order and pay ahead of time, but the Starbucks app also makes personalized recommendations to the consumer based on local inventory, weather, and previous orders. Additionally, rewards members can easily add money to their account and earn loyalty discounts over time, including both free food and drinks. 

According to Starbucks, mobile order transactions now make up 26% of total orders at U.S. company-operated retail stores.

How your business can build a successful omnichannel marketing strategy

1 – Know your target audience

If you do not know or understand your target audience, you cannot craft a winning marketing strategy. Demographics, like age, gender, and location, are valuable in terms of where these people are likely to shop. For example, Gen Z is more likely to prefer shopping on social media, whereas older generations are more comfortable with eCommerce or in-person shopping. Once you know who your target customer is, review your existing buyer journey. From there, you can determine what is most relevant to them and make any necessary tweaks. 

2 – Tailor your content for each channel

Before you can start targeting consumers through various outlets, you need to spend time creating a personalized message for every outlet. For example you do not want to send the same message in a longer-form format like email to customers via text through SMS marketing. 

3- Remember to retarget 

When a consumer checks out your brand for the first time, they may not make a sale, but that does not mean that they will not in the future! To stay top of mind, run retargeting ads through Google and social media – this will increase the chances of conversion. 

4 – Test, track, repeat 

Lastly, ensure that you are running A/B tests and reviewing the data to know what is working best for your business and what is not. 

Are you ready to create an omnichannel marketing strategy? Get in Touch here to get started. We would love to help your business grow its customer base.