Omni-channel marketing, multi-channel marketing, what?

Marketing is evolving every single day with more ways to give customers a better experience. The most recent trend in this direction is “omni-channel marketing.” Which sounds almost just like “multi-channel marketing.” Both industry buzzwords indicate the use of several channels to connect with customers.

So what’s the difference between them, and why is the newer omni-channel marketing so important?

Multi-channel marketing is simply the ability to connect with customers through many channels. Omni-channel does the same thing but goes beyond that. It asks you to create one seamless experience across those channels. That means when a customer visits your site on their laptop at home and then sees one of your Facebook posts later on their phone when they’re waiting in line for coffee, the messaging and content are consistent.

No matter where the customer is, or what channel they’re connecting with you on, the story is the same.

Sometimes that “story” is simply sharing the same content with your brand voice and identity woven through, or the same offer is highlighted. For example, if a customer receives a direct mail package with a $15 coupon, they’ll see the same offer in their email and social media feed, keeping that offer top of mind and urging them to use it. Or, if they’re in the middle of shopping with you (say, they put some items in their shopping cart on their mobile but didn’t finish the transaction) they might get an email reminder about their cart, or they’ll get retargeted with a Facebook ad when they’re skimming their newsfeed.

There are so many ways a customer can interact with a business today that it can be a challenge to get a story to flow over many different channels. You can connect with a customer in person at a location, through a direct mail package or a catalog, on your website, through social media, on their laptop or on their mobile. To keep communication consistent and relevant, your data analysts, sales team, and marketing team should work together to interpret customer’s needs and how to reach them through targeted and inspired content.

Thinking about using an omni-channel approach to grow your customer base? Contact us today.