Did you know companies that adopt omnichannel marketing strategies retain 89% of their customers on average? That number drops to 33% for companies that don’t have an omnichannel approach.
Omnichannel is the only shot marketers have at winning over today’s empowered consumer. But without a step-by-step recipe, cooking up an omnichannel strategy is daunting. After all, omnichannel deals with every channel and customer touchpoint and requires sophisticated analytics and cross-channel integration. Where do you even begin?
To help you gain some momentum, I have four simple omnichannel ingredients you can start adding to your marketing little by little. As a bonus, there are real-life examples from brands reaching new heights in omnichannel marketing so you can see how these ingredients work in action.
A dash of personalization with customer details
To provide a truly personalized omnichannel experience, you need to get details about your prospects. Any information can be valuable including data about their engagement history or insights gleaned from demographic information. Personalization can begin with simple dimensions like:
- Web pages visited
- Product interest
- Geographic location
- Gender
- Name
The more you learn about your customers, the more you can make them feel like you know who they are and provide contextually relevant experiences.
Take a look at how home automation provider, Vivint Smart Home, nails contextual personalization with its true one-to-one customer experience.
Vivint’s social ads lead directly to relevant landing pages with a variety of contact options, including click-to-call. Sales reps, armed with information about a caller before the phone even rings, are ready to answer questions about specific products and can even comment on the caller’s local weather because they know their geo-location. No matter how many different ways a customer interacts with the brand, the entire experience feels like a personal conversation.
Start using what you know about a prospect to personalize the next interaction. This can be as simple as using their first name in a follow-up email or talking about the product they’ve shown interest in when they call you.
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A heap of consistency across touchpoints
The buying journey has to be one unified experience. Each step should be meaningful, helpful, and encourage the prospect to move forward no matter where they are in their journey.
3 Day Blinds does a good job of creating consistency throughout their online and offline marketing channels. A consumer can start their journey with a TV commercial and easily move to a phone call or online experience. From there, they’re met with a consistent message and special offer designed to move them to the next step.
3 Day Blinds ensures their campaigns don’t compete with one another or send conflicting messages. Rather they all work together to keep the brand top of mind while incentivizing the consumer to take the next step.
Consistency gets tricky when you’re hitting consumers from all sides. Your messages don’t have to be the exact same from channel to channel, but there should be a common thread and a consistent look and feel. And if you’re doing any kind of retargeting or follow-up, don’t send a generic message. Segment your customers based on attributes like product interest, browsing path, even geographic location so you can send a targeted message.
A lot of integrated marketing technology
If you’ve got a sophisticated marketing tech stack that handles everything from retargeting, email, and paid search, it’s important to integrate these systems whenever possible. Disney uses integrated tech to make everything from direct mail, social, email, and the in-park experience more convenient, personal, and in true Disney fashion, magical.
Disney’s customized vacation experience starts off shortly after purchasing tickets when the vacationer receives a wristband in the mail that pair with a specially designed mobile app. Park goers can begin planning their visit right away through the app and then track and update their agenda while at the park. Follow-up emails after the visit include personalized offers and individual memories of their trip.
Businesses without a Disney budget can still take a page from its playbook by making sure their systems are integrated and working off the full picture of the customer journey. Use an in-store purchase to inform your next email, or retarget someone who called but didn’t make a purchase. Look for ways your technology platforms can talk to each other and inform the next step in the journey.
A helping of engagement options
Understand that different segments of your customer base want to engage in their own way. Don’t force your audience down a single, generic path to purchase. Omnichannel marketing is about adapting to customers who want different types of contact with brands at different points in the buying journey.
Nordstrom does this by encouraging shoppers to take the next step online or in store. Let’s say a shopper abandons their online cart. If they do a Google search for the same item the next day, a local Nordstrom listing will appear with inventory information and directions to the nearest store locations. This choice to purchase online or in store lets shoppers take the next step in the way most convenient for them.
Customers are the heart of your business so it’s important they feel valued and empowered to make their own choices. Options are the keys to successful consumer engagement.
As a marketer don’t assume that because a purchase started online it will end online. And don’t push shoppers down a certain path just because it’s easier for you to track and get credit. Put the customer and their convenience first, then figure out how you can track and optimize that journey.
4 Simple Ingredients That Will Make Your Marketing More Omnichannel
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