The Omnichannel Marketing Playbook: Strategies the Pros Don’t Share

Imagine wandering through a maze where every turn leads to an even more exciting experience with your favorite brand: website, chatbot, mobile app, offline store… You easily move from one channel to another, and this is not a dream but well-thought-out omnichannel marketing, a seamless journey where you are pleased every step of the way.

Here’s how such a journey may look:

Source: Contentwriters

Without a doubt, omnichannel marketing is King in generating and converting clients. The numbers speak for themselves: three or more omni-marketing channels increase orders by 494%.

Read on to learn the untold omnichannel marketing hacks that will set you apart from the competition.

What Is Omnichannel Marketing?

Here’s a simple example: You see an ad for a new product on Instagram, then get it featured on the company’s website, and then receive a personalized email. This is nothing but omnichannel marketing in action.

Omnichannel digital marketing successfully combines three key principles:

• Integration: All marketing channels must work in sync to create a consistent customer experience.
• Personalization: Creating personalized messages for each customer based on behavior and interests.
• Measurement: Tracking the performance of each channel to optimize marketing efforts.

Why Is Omnichannel Marketing Important? 

Did you know customers targeted by the coordinated action of several channels make purchases 1.7 times more often? The benefits of omnichannel marketing are undeniable, from improved customer experience to greater engagement to more sales and profits for the brand in question.

Here are the advantages of omnichannel marketing in detail:

Omnichannel Marketing vs Multichannel Marketing vs Cross-Channel Marketing

While all three approaches aim to reach customers through different touchpoints, there are substantial differences between cross-channel, multichannel, and omnichannel marketing. 

Let’s consider these marketing types in detail:

The difference between these marketing types is at the very core of marketing. Multichannel approach focuses on channels, cross-channel focuses on the message, and omni channel best practices also include interaction with the client.

Source: Linkedin

Real-World Omnichannel Marketing Best Practices 

Omnichannel marketing is not just a theoretical approach—thousands of brands have successfully implemented it over decades. 

Here are some of them:

Starbucks

Source: Bulbapp.io

Starbucks, a global chain of coffee shops, is an example of omnichannel marketing focused on customer acquisition, loyalty, and profit. Their coffee shops, website, and mobile app are integrated, allowing customers to order drinks online or using smartphones. 

Their loyalty program is also a part of their omnichannel marketing strategy, enabling bonuses for purchases regardless of where they are made.

Oasis

Source: The Times

Oasis, a UK womenswear retailer, has achieved success through the seamless integration of interactive displays in stores, a mobile app with exclusive features (“Find in Store” and “Scan Barcode”), a website containing information on events, previews of collections, reviews, and more.

Results:

• 1416% increase in website traffic
• Increase in income by 20%
• Better customer satisfaction

Sephora

Source: Secret Manchester 

Sephora is a leader in the beauty and cosmetics industry. The company’s marketing department uses the omni channel approach through a website with a mobile version, a mobile app with videos and a virtual fitting, and physical stores where beauty workshops take place. There you can get free makeup or find “Beauty Bags”.

Results:

• 11 million participants in the “Beauty Bag” program
• 60 million monthly website visitors
• Increased conversions and sales

How To Build an Omni-Channel Strategy for Your Business

Omni-channel marketing is a must-have, but it will bring you nothing without a solid strategy that backs up your endeavors. 

Here are some important questions to answer:

• What channels will you use, and how will you interact with them?
• What messages will you send, and how will you adapt them to each channel?
• How will you measure success and make adjustments to your omnichannel marketing strategies?

Source: Digizuite

Every customer wants to easily interact with a brand at all stages, from acquaintance to purchase, but where does it all start for a brand? 

Let’s help you build successful omnichannel strategies step-by-step, starting with an overview of the customer journey.

1. The Client’s Path Through All Points of Interaction

First, let’s visualize the customer journey trajectory along which customers move and interact with the brand at various stages of the sale cycle: 

Source: EdrawMax

Now, think of the following:

• Where do customers most interact with your brand?
• Where do clients have difficulties? 
• Are there any channels or stages of the journey that need improvement?

The trajectory of the customer’s journey is not static but needs to be regularly updated to reflect changes in business and customer behavior.

2. Consistent Branding and Messaging

No matter the channel, customers should have a consistent experience, which can be achieved through uniform branding, colors, fonts, style, wording, and more.

Here’s how you can ensure brand consistency:

• Create a single tone of voice, regardless of which channel you use
• Deliver consistent messages that convey the value of your brand
• Use a content management system (CMS)
• Set up brand monitoring to track what people say about your brand

3. Integration of All Channels and Platforms

To create a pleasant experience for customers and maximize the effectiveness of your marketing efforts, make sure to integrate all channels and platforms into a single system that caters to the client’s needs and wants.

For example, imagine that you interact with customers through a CRM system that tracks purchases in your store, an email newsletter, and a social media platform. By integrating these channels, you can combine purchase data, email history, and social media activity to create a buyer profile to cater to.

To achieve this, do the following:

• Collect customer data from various sources using email surveys, cookies, and omnichannel marketing analytics tools
• Segment customers based on shared characteristics or behaviors
• Identify trends and patterns that can help you better understand the burning needs of your customers

A good idea would be to leverage the advantages of omnichannel marketing automation to personalize emails, SMS, and other marketing materials. For example, you can recommend products that are more likely to interest a particular customer or send them personalized offers based on their purchase history.

5. Systematic Testing and Optimization of Omnichannel Experience

Since customer behaviors constantly change and technologies develop, you need to update and refine your omnichannel marketing approach over and over again, and there’s really no way around it.

Here are a few omnichannel marketing tools that can be useful:

• Google Analytics and Adobe Analytics to track website traffic, the performance of your omnichannel marketing campaign, and customer behavior
• Optimizely and VWO for A/B testing and optimization of websites and mobile apps

Omni channel marketing strategies can seem overwhelming, especially for small businesses with limited resources. However, do not be afraid – start small, focusing on 2 or 3 most relevant channels. 

Must-Have Omnichannel Marketing Tools & Technologies

To create a successful omnichannel strategy, you need the right tools to manage data, personalize experiences, and measure results across all channels. 

Let’s talk about different omnichannel marketing services and their purpose.

Centralized Customer Data Management (CDPs, CRMs)

Centralized customer data platforms (CDP) and customer relationship management (CRM) tools are the basis of omni channel marketing, collecting and managing customer data from various touchpoints.

Omni Channel Marketing Automation

Cross-channel campaign management includes marketing technologies that support customer data management, analytics, segmentation, and tools for the design, execution, and measurement of omnichannel marketing campaigns. 

In other words, you can automate repetitive tasks like email marketing, scheduling social media posts, and personalized email delivery. Popular omnichannel marketing programs include ActiveCampaign, Klaviyo, and Marketo.

Personalization Engines Powered by AI/ML

AI-based personalization engines are AI-driven omnichannel marketing software that analyzes customer data and creates personalized experiences.

Here are some AI personalization engines:

• Adobe Target, Dynamic Yield, and Evergage analyze user behavior and select optimal content options
• Amazon Personalize analyzes purchase history and other data to offer products that may be of interest to users
• Kensho optimizes advertising campaigns and provides better omnichannel communication with users

Robust Analytics and Reporting

To manage omni channel marketing campaigns effectively, businesses need robust analytics and reporting tools like Adobe Analytics, Google Analytics, Webtrends, Kissmetrics, or Mixpanel. These tools offer cohort analysis and modeling features to help understand the omnichannel marketing funnel and where a particular customer stands there.

Measuring Omnichannel Marketing Success

Did you know companies that use omnichannel marketing software make 9.5% more? This is a significant increase that can impact your business.

Here’s how to determine whether omnichannel digital marketing is profitable:

1. Track the Right KPIs

Some of the most important KPIs for omni channel marketing include:

• Reach: the number of unique customers reached by marketing messages across channels
• Engagement: the level of customer interaction with your brand on different channels, the number of likes, clicks, open letters, etc.
• Conversion: the percentage of customers who took a desired action, such as subscribing to a newsletter or making a call
• Customer lifetime value: the average amount of money that the customer spends during the entire time working with the company
• Customer satisfaction: overall customer satisfaction with the brand and interaction experience on various channels

Source: Viseven

Here’s how to get the ball rolling with KPI metrics:

2. Use Attribution Models

An attribution model is a way of assigning value (weight or points) to the channels that lead to a conversion, from the first contact to the target action. Omnichannel marketing attribution helps track brand interactions and determine which channels are worth investing in and which aren’t. 

There are many different attribution models, each assigning different values to different touchpoints in the customer journey:

Source: MPG

There is no universal model, and the choice depends on your business goals, the data you have, and the customer journey itself. For aspiring marketers, it’s better to start with a simple model like last-click attribution and progress to more complex ones over time.

3. Collect Customer Feedback With Omnichannel Marketing Platforms

Customer reviews are a valuable source of information about how effective your omni channel strategy is. Collect feedback from post-purchase servers, forms in your store, brand mentions, focus groups, and wherever you can reach or are mentioned. The more detailed feedback, the better.

Your reaction to positive and negative feedback is no less important than collecting this feedback. It will show customers that you value their opinions and want to improve their experience. Be polite and professional when responding.

The Future of Omnichannel Marketing: A Symphony of Technologies for Seamless Customer Journeys

Omni channel management is already the language of successful brands, but more to come as we race toward technological advancements.

As omnichannel technologies develop, we can expect better contextual marketing based on customer signals. Customer signals will go beyond demographics and purchase history. For example, when a smartwatch detects an increase in heart rate during a run, it triggers a notification from a fitness brand offering a personalized training plan. 

Location-based services will become even more sophisticated, and retailers will tailor promotions and product recommendations based on the distance between you and their stores.

Here are some omnichannel marketing trendsetters:

• Sephora uses augmented reality to allow customers to try on makeup virtually before purchasing
• Nike introduced an app that helps create a vibrant online community of runners, driving engagement and brand loyalty
• Red Roof Inn uses geo targeting to find people with canceled flights and offer them hotel rooms near airports

These omnichannel marketing examples are just a drop in the sea of marketing tricks crafty brands use today to win their audience. And why not? Customer experience are also getting ever more pleasant.