The Importance Of Omnichannel Marketing For Small Businesses

The concept of marketing, in general, has evolved over time to be a very tough nut to crack. Even more so is the consumer purchasing experience. On average, customers use ten or more channels to engage with sellers. That’s twice as many as it was five years ago – hence, the importance of adopting an omnichannel marketing mindset.

What is Omnichannel Marketing?

Grasping the concept of omnichannel marketing is the first step to understanding how it functions. Omnichannel marketing is essentially a seamless integration of branding, messaging, online and offline experiences strategically designed to lead consumers down the sales funnel for the ultimate customer experience.

Think of it from a customer-centric point of view and all the ways someone can interact with your brand. An omnichannel marketing strategy ensures a positive, consistent experience at each channel. A few key elements include:

•  Branding: Cohesive brand messaging and visuals to support it
• Personalization: Catering to customer’s specific interests
•  Content: Creating content that is thoughtful of a customer’s past interactions and the current stage in their buyer’s journey.

All of the above elements work together to increase brand recognition and impact the way consumers interact with your brand on all channels.

The Benefits of Omnichannel Marketing

While you may be tempted to work on a smaller marketing scale, don’t be overwhelmed by the complexities of the omnichannel approach. While it’s a more intricate marketing strategy, the benefits outweigh the time and effort put into it. Here are a few ways the omnichannel marketing approach can benefit your small business.

·       Consistent Branding: Every brand should have guidelines that set the brand image and tone to make it easily identifiable. This messaging should be tailored to the target audience, their needs, and values. Focusing on the overall customer experience can ensure a more comprehensive brand strategy that translates into brand loyalty and more targeted messaging.

·       A Richer Experience: The customer-centric approach that embodies the omnichannel experience drives more sales and better retention rates than traditional methods that focus on the platform.

·       Better Data: Not only does omnichannel marketing enhance the user experience with your brand, but it enhances your data analytics as well. By taking a more holistic approach, brands can better understand the customer journey, customer engagement points, and which campaigns create the most value.

·       Increased Revenue: The omnichannel approach encourages customer engagements at multiple different channels and touchpoints. The increased engagement at each stage of the buyer’s journey can increase revenue. Studies show that customers who engage at multiple touchpoints are 30 percent more valuable. Targeted messaging also builds brand loyalty, making them more likely to purchase your products and services again.

Prominent Industries Adopting The Omnichannel Approach

The omnichannel approach can be applied to any industry, but there are a few segments that find it more beneficial than others.

• Healthcare: From making appointments to filling a prescription, patients encounter a variety of touchpoints along their journey with providers. By analyzing this journey, providers can cater to patients by providing them with the data that’s most valuable to them.
• Retail: The ability to purchase in-store, along with the emergence of social media and reviews, has only added to the complexities of creating a successful marketing strategy. The omnichannel approach helps marketers centralize efforts to create a more positive outcome.
• Financial Services: Many banking and financial service businesses have caught on to the omnichannel customer-centric approach to enhance their products and services while utilizing data to deliver personalized experiences.
• Automotive: The automotive industry has shifted with more enticing online purchasing options now available. The ability to create value at each of the consumer touchpoints is more vital than ever in today’s marketplace for dealerships and manufacturers.

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Anna Teal