What is Omnichannel Marketing & Why Do You Need It?

Aug 24, 2022

If you have done any type of research into online marketing recently, you will likely have come across one of the industry’s current buzzwords - omnichannel marketing! However, unless you are an internet strategy consultant, you probably don’t know what this actually means. Let’s take some time to explore omnichannel marketing and why you might want to take advantage of it to promote your business.

What is Omnichannel Marketing?

Let’s start with an explanation of what omnichannel marketing actually means. In simple terms, it is a marketing approach that is designed to give consumers a consistent and cohesive experience across all platforms. This could mean multiple online channels, such as your website, email marketing, and social media platforms. It could also mean creating cohesion between your online marketing efforts and any marketing that you do offline. For example, if you publish content on various social media platforms and mail out postcards or other printed materials, all of it should use the same branding. It should be a seamless experience for a consumer to read that postcard they received in the mail and then visit the website printed on it to gain additional information. They should never feel like the two platforms represented two different brands. This is one of the reasons why it is important to work with an internet strategy consultant to develop consistent branding for your business and build the right ‘voice’ for all your online and offline communications!

The Four Pillars of Omnichannel Marketing

An excellent omnichannel marketing strategy can be divided into four distinct ‘pillars’ that will make up one cohesive and consistent marketing strategy for your business.

  • Marketing Channels - This covers a variety of platforms that you might make use of, including email, social media, video content, mobile apps, websites, press releases, PPC ads, display ads, and offline marketing. These are used to engage your target market and generate brand recognition and product demand.
  • Sales Channels - Many of the platforms that fall under the marketing umbrella will also fall into this category. It can also include any other platform that you utilize to convert your audience into paying customers.
  • Operations - As part of your omnichannel marketing strategy, you can also streamline your backend operations by introducing automation and standard operating procedures. All of these should be consistent with the rest of your branding and marketing strategies.
  • Fulfillment - When it comes to shipping out your product or delivering your service, you can carry the strategy through to those platforms too. Why not use things like packing slips, invoices, staff uniforms, and other platforms to boost brand recognition or add additional marketing opportunities to promote repeat customers.

Key Steps to Take in Omnichannel Marketing

A number of key steps need to be taken when executing an omnichannel marketing strategy. You may not feel confident in planning and putting this type of approach into action, but that is when an internet strategy consultant like bluedress INTERNET MARKETING® becomes a valuable resource. The steps you should include are:

  • Consistent Messaging - As previously mentioned, it is important to develop a voice for your brand and make sure that your messaging is consistent with that voice. Regardless of the platform, everything you put out needs to be relevant and on brand. Work with an internet strategy consultant to determine how your voice should sound.
  • Identify Pain Points & Desires - Part of delivering the right messaging is knowing what your target market wants to hear. What problems are they looking to solve? What are their wants and needs? Think about how your brand can fulfill those needs.
  • Segment Your Audience - Is your target market split into different sub-sections? If so, you may want to take a different approach when marketing to each group. Of course, you should maintain the same tone and branding for consistency, but by segmenting your audience, you can send out only the content they are likely to engage with. Talk to an internet strategy consultant about the best way to segment your audience.
  • Personalized User Experiences - Consumers today expect more from brands. You need to build relationships with them and make them feel like they matter to you. Personalized user experiences and direct responses to their comments will work wonders to improve their experience with your brand.
  • Reinforce Your Messaging - Let’s take it back to the start. Your message is the most important aspect of any internet marketing strategy. Everything comes back to the message. That’s why the final step in your omnichannel marketing plan should be to reinforce that message at every opportunity.

Why Should You Consider Omnichannel Marketing

The online market is incredibly crowded. Now more than ever, brands need to fight to make their voices heard in a sea of digital clutter. Omnichannel marketing is important as it helps you to remain relevant and competitive in this crowded marketplace. Talk to an internet strategy consultant today to discuss developing your own omnichannel marketing strategy.

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To Your Best Online!

Ingrid Maddox, Internet Marketing & Strategy Consultant. bluedress INTERNET MARKETING®, an Internet Marketing Company headquartered in Knoxville, TN. Internet Marketing Developed, Implemented, and Managed to Full Circle! Organic Internet Search Engine Guru. Turn-Key Internet Optimization Programs Placing You Everywhere and Anywhere You Need to Be Online.

ingrid@bluedressinc.com

865-378-7712