Omni-channel marketing is the latest way to build your company and provide your customers with a better buying experience. Statistics on omnichannel payments show that omnichannel shoppers spend between 50-300% more than single-channel shoppers. 

Implementing an omnichannel strategy into your plan is a no-brainer if you want to grow your brand. We’ll discuss the differences between omnichannel and multichannel, ways you can use omnichannel to provide a better buyer’s journey, and how SMS marketing fits into the equation.

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How Is Omnichannel Different Than Multichannel?

When you think about omnichannel marketing, your first thought may be of multichannel, but they are actually quite different. Multichannel marketing is a term that refers to the use of different types of marketing platforms, but they operate independently and do not necessarily have effects on one another. 

Some examples of multichannel marketing are print advertisements, having a website, and hosting an event. These things are all helpful in advertising your business, but they are not actually integrated into one another. 

Omnichannel marketing is different from multichannel in that it uses multiple channels, but they all work together and are connected through the common goal of providing a seamless user experience. Tracking key metrics using the correct tools will enable you to report accurate data and derive actionable insights to enhance your omnichannel approach.

You can remember it by thinking of multichannel as meaning “multiple” while omnichannel means “all” — all things working together for one central goal. When everything works together to create a continuous journey for the customer—that’s omnichannel marketing. 

It’s no wonder that customer loyalty data shows companies with omnichannel marketing can have as much as 91% greater customer retention rates than those who don’t. 

When you focus on improving the customer’s experience and making it as easy as possible to flow through the buying process, everyone wins.

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All About the Customer Experience

The main element of omnichannel marketing is that the customer is at the center of its purpose. 

While multichannel marketing is more focused on getting advertising pushed out for your business in as many ways as possible, omnichannel is more concerned with the overall customer experience and seamless transitions between stages of buying. 

An omnichannel marketing example would be showing an advertisement for a product that a user was recently looking at online, then sending an abandoned cart text notification, or offering a “buy online and pick up in-store” option. 

What all of these examples have in common is that they are curating the message based on a customer's activity and providing an easy transition across mediums and devices. Let’s get into what omnichannel marketing can do for your business and how SMS is a necessary part of your strategy.

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What Omnichannel Marketing Can Do For Your Brand

Because of the seamless experience that omnichannel provides, visitors can receive customized messages that are relevant to where they’re currently at in the buying process. 

This personally tailored experience with your company will provide the visitor with consistency and familiarity with your brand. They will be able to rely on your messages being made specifically for them and what they care about, plus you’ll stay at the top of their mind. 

Here are some key things that omnichannel marketing can achieve for your company. 

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Consistent Brand Tone and Message

When your marketing is focused on connecting all aspects of the user experience, you can provide a consistent message throughout the customer’s journey. This helps people learn your vision and be able to identify your brand quicker. 

When a company can stay in front of their consumers’ eyes, the customers learn to associate you with the positive tone of your messaging and will internally build loyalty. Your audience will know what you stand for and what they can expect from doing business with you.

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Personalized Messages Based On Customers’ Interests

Segmenting your audience based on their interests and personal details is just one of the ways that omnichannel marketing can help you provide a better customer experience. Build personal connections with your audience by caring about the content of the messages they receive from your brand. 

Keeping your communications interesting is how your audience will stay engaged and continue to return to your shop. 

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Customized Content Based on Past Actions

With omnichannel marketing, you can provide content and notifications that are triggered by certain behaviors of the consumer. This ability to uniquely reference where a customer is currently in their buyer’s journey is what the omnichannel experience is all about. 

This retargeting of your audience is how you can use omnichannel marketing to optimize the potential of every client that comes through your business. 

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Different Channels & Data

While multichannel marketing covers various channels, like social media, mobile, direct mail, and a physical location, omnichannel campaigns serve to create a more seamless shopping experience regardless of channel or device. The customer can be shopping online on an e-commerce site, from a desktop or mobile device, or in a brick-and-mortar store, and the experience will be seamless. 

Customer relationship management (CRM)software, Google analytics tools, and marketing automation accumulate consumer data and facilitate engagement to help understand your audience interaction and buyer personas. 

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How SMS Fits into Your Omnichannel Strategy

Let’s talk specifically about how SMS marketing is a vital piece to any omnichannel strategy. 

When you incorporate texting into your marketing arsenal, you’re able to reach your customers on their mobile devices without requiring them to open up an app or check their email inbox—it’s the most direct method of communication.

Text marketing allows you to send short, personalized reminders that your customers can receive and act upon quickly. You can even send links to products they were looking at or exclusive discounts to encourage them to revisit your store. 

Here are a few more ideas for using SMS marketing in an omnichannel strategy.

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In-Store Text Messages

Companies are using texting in their omnichannel strategy by sending customers SMS messages about a sale or other type of promotion while shopping in the physical store. 

This allows your customers to interact with your brand both online and offline, across their devices, in a seamless manner. It’s a great way to encourage the sale and make a lasting impression on the consumer. Whether they complete the sale in-person or not, they’ll see your brand's message stored in their text inbox for later.  

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Restock Reminder Texts

Let’s say your company is a makeup brand or yoga studio—an SMS platform in your omnichannel marketing plan can help you send custom reminder texts. 

Retarget your past customers when it may be time to restock on your product or if it has been a while since they last came in for a class or service. 

You can send personalized reminder texts with a “we miss you” message or even a direct link to repurchase or register for your services. 

SMS provides a simple way to recapture your past clients and provide a smooth transition for them to find their way back to your business.

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Content Specific to Their Interests

Craft messages that are specifically curated to subgroups of your audience. Segment your contacts based on customers’ purchase history, their lifestyle or interests they tell you in a survey, their location, or any other relevant data.

This personalization of content will help consumers build trust and loyalty to your brand as you adapt to their needs. Our SMS marketing platform can help you easily categorize your audience members into segments for delivering custom content.

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Notifications on Recently Viewed Items

With an SMS omnichannel marketing strategy, you can text notifications when there is a promotion on an item that a customer was recently viewing. You can even include a link or photo of the item in the SMS. 

A notification when their item of interest is now at a lower price point will help you connect with your audience in a unique way that can benefit both of you. They’ll learn to trust and value your company because you’ve shown that you value their customer journey.

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Final Thoughts

Omnichannel marketing is the modern way to provide the most user-friendly and customer-satisfying experience for your brand. 

Text marketing is a necessary component to creating connections with your audience across devices and platforms. With SMS, you can get directly in the hands of your audience in an intimate and personal way. 

Recapture your past customers and keep them subscribed by sending customized content that’s specifically relevant to their purchases and interests. Omnichannel marketing is the strategy of the future, where your customers can place their loyalty in your brand as you provide them with specially curated notifications and experiences. 

Sources:

The Store of the Future and the Role of Omni-Channel Payments in Driving Business Growth | World Pay 

Customer Loyalty News | Loyalty360 Daily News

44 Cart Abandonment Rate Statistics - Cart & Checkout | Baymard.com

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