Have you ever heard of omni-channel (or omnichannel ) strategy or even better omnichannel ? In this practical guide, we aim to offer you all the main notions on this type of marketing approach , which is now increasingly used to target a transversal audience as specifically as possible.
The omni-channel marketing strategy is what we can define as a management in perfect synergy of the different channels that the company uses to communicate with its audience . In this sense, we are therefore referring not only to digital channels , but also physical ones , which will then have to be added to the customer touchpoints in order to monitor brand awareness , reputation and consumer experience .
Remember that any way in which the customer has the opportunity to interact with the company is considered a touchpoint : from person to person, digitally through social channels, an app or a website, or through any other form or way. of communication.
The omni-channel strategy cancels both the physical and the virtual space between the company and the final consumer through an articulated communication on multiple channels , anywhere and at any time . In practical terms, the company that chooses to rely on this type of marketing approach aims to Filmy4xyz always be reachable and to provide a perfectly coherent, coordinated and omnipresent image of itself .
The first rule to create an omni-channel strategy consists in creating a virtuous collaboration between the skills of the Sales team , the Marketing specialists and the Customer Care staff : as you can see, in this case the synergy begins precisely from the company.
Don’t confuse omni-channel strategy with multi-channel strategy
It is extremely important that the terms omni-channel and multi-channel are not considered synonymous or even comparable, as they are not . The substantial difference between these two methods consists in the depth of market penetration associated with that of integration of the various online and offline tools available to the company.
To date, most companies still mostly use a multi-channel strategy , which uses different tools (website, newsletter, social media, AdWords campaigns, etc.) but in a way that is not necessarily integrated with each other. In this case, as you have no doubt understood, the potential customer will be reached by the brand in multiple ways, but without benefiting from a fluid and continuous experience .
On the contrary, the omni-channel strategy has precisely this objective, since by its nature it integrates all the communication channels available to the company. Starting from the analysis and monitoring of the sentiment and behavior of its target audience and, more specifically, of the customers already acquired, the company optimizes its messages in a functional and coherent way by transmitting them through a plurality of tools .
But how do you create an omni-channel marketing strategy?
Now let’s get to the heart of our topic: How does a company create a successful omni-channel strategy ?
The first phase is, invariably, a preliminary assessment of the tools and touchpoints available, both physical and virtual, in order to understand clearly what can be integrated and how .
It will then be necessary to proceed by carefully evaluating customer behavior through the most diverse tools: from in-store observations to analysis through dedicated surveys , from customer service reports to the study of sentiment through online comments and reviews, to dedicate the following phase to the competitive analysis of the main competitors.
Subsequently we will move on to the study and drafting of the marketing plan , which will aim to provide the customer with a more fluid, simple and personalized experience , which starts on one tool (for example in the store), proceeds on another (for example on social networks) and ends on yet another (for example a landing page on a website). The principle to keep in mind is quite self-evident: every company is aware that the customer, by its nature, goes through several stages before making a purchase and guaranteeing them a satisfactory and harmonious overall experience must therefore be considered the priority .
To understand even better how to create an omni-channel strategy , try to think about how purchases worked before the digital revolution : the customer walked into a store, examined the product of his interest and proceeded to purchase. Simple, right?
Today, it is much more common for consumers to connect to the network using a variety of different devices (laptops, smartphones, tablets …), do a Google search regarding their purchase intentions, evaluate the opinions of other consumers on social networks network, purchases on an e-shop and perhaps withdrawals in the store . And this is just one of the many possible ways to buy!
Therefore, companies that exploit the power of omnichannel marketing do so because they want to attract the consumer’s attention and maximize their sales potential regardless of how and where the product will be purchased, knowing and intercepting the customer at all stages of the its customer journey.
In the purely decision-making and study phase of the omni-channel strategy , it will be fundamental:
- Segment your audience according to the different ways of buying and behaving, so as to maximize the impact of your new marketing plan. Advanced and now indispensable tools for companies such as Marketing Automation and CRM will make the difference.
- Design all the specific purchase paths of your existing and potential customers, dedicating the utmost attention to each customer journey in order to study the right contents and combinations between the different tools.
- Define the priority of your communication channels according to the purchasing habits of your customers: an omni-channel strategy does not require you to constantly use all your tools in the same way, but simply to integrate them in a synergistic and harmonious path . This means that if, for example, your buyer personas favor the app in their purchasing process and only minimally the physical stores, you will have to invest more so that their digital experience improves and allocate only a part of the budget to in-store. Remember that you are not trying to change the consumer’s habits, but to respond to their needs!
- Investing in customer care : this is a step from which it is impossible to transcend, especially in the current era in which the after-sales experience can create a “make it or break it” situation for the vast majority of customers. In a nutshell, the consumer who experiences poor customer care will be extremely inclined not to buy from that company anymore. So be careful. Considering after sales anything less than a milestone in your omni-channel strategy would be an unforgivable mistake.
Finally, remember to carefully monitor and analyze all the results of your omnichannel marketing plan in order to intervene precisely where you think it is needed, while maintaining the long-term objectives of your strategy: creating a fluid, coherent and harmonious experience for your customers, increase your profits , improve brand reputation and awareness, make happy those who decide to contact you.
