Omnichannel marketing is a marketing and sales approach that involves seamless communication across multiple channels. For example, after viewing an item on an e-commerce site, a consumer might see that same item in an ad on social media, and then later receive a text message that the item they viewed is now on sale. This style of consistent communication is important for high customer touch interactions, as viewing different sales or prices on different channels may confuse customers and dissuade them from purchase.
Consumers have come to expect personalized touches and expert customer service. Marketing teams today have to map out the entire customer journey and optimize the user experience at every stop. Implementing an omnichannel marketing strategy goes beyond advertising sales at the brick-and-mortar store or having a flashy mobile app. Omnichannel strategies involve data analysis of target audiences and their behavior and then utilizing that data to create a seamless experience across all channels and platforms.
Omnichannel marketing differs from multi-channel marketing, as multi-channel marketing strategies often work parallel to each other. An omnichannel marketing campaign aims to encompass the entire customer journey and personalize each sales interaction. Depending on where they are in their journey, marketers can communicate appropriately. Whether it's a nurture email campaign for a customer who is still in an acquisition stage, or a personalized cross-sell or up-sell proposition for a longstanding customer. In either scenario, marketers are taking the customer experience to a more customizable level, inspiring brand loyalty and consumer confidence.
This approach requires that marketing teams not be siloed. Marketing and sales teams need to collaborate and have access to the same data analytics to ensure that the brand messaging is consistent and that customers aren’t receiving redundant messages.