Get Started with Omnichannel Marketing

Omnichannel… it’s fun to say! Omnichannel marketing is a process, not to be confused with Multichannel marketing which looks at one specific channel to complete a transaction. Omnichannel marketing creates the opportunity to utilize multiple channels in a customer’s journey to complete a transaction. Omnichannel marketing allows your customers to take the path that comes naturally to them which creates a more natural flow for completing a transaction.

Creating an omnichannel marketing strategy won’t be a walk in the park, but worth the effort. If you think about how we choose our brands today, most of us are selective. Sometimes a new one will catch your eye, or someone will refer a new brand to you. Creating an omnichannel marketing strategy can help your brand pique the interest of new customers and bring more awareness to your brand.

So now, maybe you’re thinking about how to start an omnichannel marking strategy. Where to start?? Start with a customer-centric focus, not the platform or your brand. Here are a few areas to start.

• Map the customer journey – map out your customer personas to create your audiences. Different audience groups will respond differently to different channels and products. Times are changing and so are our customers. Make sure you know yours.
• Define your brand – create an easily identifiable brand image and messaging across channels
• Define your channels and your content based on what you know about your customers and their personas
• Gather data – Constantly gather data focusing on the habits of your customers and how they interact with your brand. What products and what devices do they use?
• Analyze – Now that you will be gathering data, make sure that you have a process to analyze it and course-correct if needed. If you don’t take the time to analyze your efforts then all will likely become ineffective.
• Review your strategy and adjust when needed – Never be afraid to change what is not working. Review often and change quickly when needed.

Most of all, be willing to change how you reach your customers and monitor their habits. Think about how you choose the brands you follow and what devices you use or don’t use. Do you respond more to emails or snail mail, or more to websites and social media ads? Take the leap and investigate omnichannel marketing. If you’re looking for the right strategy for you, Relationship One is here to help.