Omni-channel marketing strategies: what are they and what are they good for?

When asked what goals they have for their business, most entrepreneurs say in chorus "Increased sales!". But few of them also have a strategy for this goal. More precisely, 1 in 10 entrepreneurs has a written marketing strategy.

Why have a marketing strategy?

You can't get sales for your product or service if you don't promote it. If people don't know about what you have to offer them, then how will they end up buying your product?

Although the connection is pretty clear, most entrepreneurs hope that their product will sell itself or with little effort. In reality, this is almost impossible. Marketing strategy is important because it is part of the business strategy.

Studies show that over 60% of those who are looking to buy something, they do it online. Subsequent, 44% of them end up purchasing. And there is a very high sales growth potential.

The more you have an online presence, the more likely you are to sell. But it's not guaranteed 🙂 There are a lot of marketers who believe that multi-channel promotion comes with guaranteed results. 

It's not enough:

• have a website;
• to promote yourself on several channels such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok;
• write blog articles;
• to do Facebook ADS and Google ADS;
• to do e-mail marketing campaigns.

You need one unitary promotion strategy, where each channel supports each other.

What is an omni-channel promotion strategy?

An omni-channel strategy is the way in which the brand communicates in a unified way and offers users a similar experience, regardless of the platform. In other words, omni-channel means that every promotion channel a brand uses supports the same message.

Thus, the user journey is simple and easy to follow. When a brand promotes itself omni-channel, there is a consistency and clarity of message conveyed.

Omni-channel vs. multi-channel: what's the difference?

Most entrepreneurs or marketing people promote themselves multi-channel. What does this mean? That a user has access to a variety of communication channels of a brand, but which are not interconnected or synchronized.

In contrast, in the omni-channel promotion strategy there are multiple but connected promotion channels that facilitate the transition from one to another without problems.

Imagine that a brand's product is a tourist attraction that you want to reach. And every promotion channel is a path to this attraction. An omni-channel promotion means that every road is clear, straight and beautifully paved, and at the end of it you are sure to reach the tourist attraction.

At the same time, omni-channel also means that wherever you start this journey, at the end, you will reach your destination.

Instead, multi-channel promotion means that there are several roads, but not necessarily good ones to cross 🙂 And it does not necessarily mean that at the end of the journey you will reach the much-dreamed-of attraction.

The road may be confusing, unpaved, or even clogged.

What makes a promotion strategy omni-channel

According to a recent study, a user needs 54 interactions, also called touchpoints, with a brand before making a purchase. If your focus is to sell your product, but you promote yourself multi-channel, every interaction of the user with the channels on which you promote yourself is a new start. Basically, the user takes it from 0 with the trust in the brand and the journey to purchase.

In the end, you end up with a confused customer who abandons the purchase process because it is too ambiguous for them. Remember that nowadays people lose their patience and attention very quickly!

On the other hand, the omni-channel strategy makes it easier to reach these touchpoints, and each interaction convinces him more and more to consider your product. And why not, even buy it 🙂 

An omni-channel promotion strategy must have:

• A tone of voice and a coherent and identifiable branding
• Personalized messages based on specific interests
• Content that is informed by previous user interactions and the current stage of the buyer's funnel journey.

What makes a good omni-channel strategy

Certainly, a good omni-channel strategy is one that manages to combine marketing, sales and customer relations in an optimal way. A customer is most likely to return when:

• meets a unified message on all promotion channels, in a tone specific to the brand,
• has a very simple and pleasant journey to purchase, regardless of the device from which they make the purchase
• has personalized and prompt Customer Care.

Here's what you need to check in the business to make sure you promote yourself omni-channel and do it well:

1. Have a seamless flow of information between channels, including between the website and the payment processor. You want your customer to complete the order with the products in the cart, not stop at the checkout.
2. Know your customer's journey to purchase. When you know where they prefer to buy from and in which phase of the funnel they are, you can optimize the processes to make their "way" easier.
3. Constantly measure the performance of the omni-channel strategy. These measurements are made based on some KPIs, also called KPIs. As you improve your promotion strategy, the results get better.

Top 3 successful omni-channel marketing strategies

Disney

One of the best-known and most appreciated brands, both by children and parents, Disney has a well-established omni-channel promotion strategy. In the online environment, the Disney website has a lot of functionality and runs very well in the mobile version as well.

Afterwards, if you've arrived at one of the theme parks, you can opt to plan your entire trip to Disney and avoid the lines. The platform allows you to see where the attractions you want to visit are located and the estimated time to get there.

Why does this strategy work? Because it helps customers have a unique experience, without inconvenience and without wasted time. Remember that time is people's most important resource!

Apple

A top leader in the technology industry, Apple takes omni-channel strategy to another level. With a well-established ecosystem through iCloud technology, Apple puts absolutely everything within the reach of users. 

Messages, photos and apps are stored in iCloud, and when you switch from one device to another, the system puts all the puzzle pieces in place. So, the user's data is not lost, and the time he wasted for the complete configuration of the mobile is significantly reduced.

In addition, the Apple ecosystem makes it easy to use all devices and allows them to be interconnected.

Why does this strategy work? Because it optimizes the basic processes that users go through and facilitates the smoothest transition from one device to another, even from mobile to desktop.

Spotify

Spotify's omni-channel strategy is based on the synchronization of the platform in its 3 variants: browser, mobile application and desktop application. So you can listen to music in headphones on your phone and change the song from the desktop app.

In addition, Spotify stands out for its personalized playlists and specific recommendations that it provides to users.

Why does this strategy work? Because it allows users to enjoy the same experience of the platform regardless of their chosen device. At the same time, it allows easy switching from one device to another.

How you can have an omni-channel marketing strategy for your business

Regardless of the niche in which your business falls, marketing strategy omni-channel is applicable. So, I have prepared for you a list of steps you must follow to promote yourself correctly:

1. Correctly identifies the customer avatar. This is the T0 point. This is where the promotion strategy starts correctly!
2. Create accounts on all relevant platforms for your business, but especially for the customer avatar.
3. Customize marketing actions based on avatar preferences. Do they react positively to emails or in-app notifications? Then keep these channels active and keep coming up with interesting content.
4. Create links between all the platforms you use: website, Social Media, email marketing, mobile application, Ads.
5. It offers well-crafted Customer Support services that solve customer problems and inspire confidence. The clearer and faster the answer, the more satisfied the customer.
6. Measure performance and adjust strategy based on results.

An omni-channel marketing strategy is complex, but not impossible to implement. You need CLARITY to begin.

Therefore, in March 28-31, 2024, we organize the practical workshop #BuildYourDigitalBusiness 3, within which you can get clarity and a complete omni-channel strategy!

See if the practical workshop it is for you!