Having multiple offline and online selling channels is a good move. But to manage and drive all those different platforms into the right course, and accepted by the customers, is a whole another matter. Here’s how an omni-channel marketing strategy can help business owners tackle this challenge.

What is Omni-channel Marketing?

Omni-channel marketing is an integrated way of branding & messaging, targeting, and marketing efforts of a business, where the customers may interact with various channels provided. Be it from an offline store, from online marketplaces, or from mobile apps; the message and tone would be the same. Customers may choose to interact with the business through social media, chat apps, or e-mails, and would get the same detailed information. 

For example, if a business has a Shopify store, a Shopee marketplace, an Instagram account, a WhatsApp account, and an e-mail newsletter; the information shared through those platforms (to several demographic groups of customers, perhaps) must be consistent, integrated, and not overlapped with each other, so the customer would feel that it was all under one business, and handled by a centralized hub; instead of having a feel that multiple separate admins are handling it. 

This is important, because that way, not only that business is deemed flexible, easy to use & to access by different groups of customers, but also professional due to the consistency through all platform it provides. It can help to give a unified positive customer experience, by allowing the marketing and customer support teams to address customers’ needs, with the right message & solution, at the right time. 

Omni-channel vs Multi-channel

Multi-channel is how a business can be made available through different offline and online platforms, while Omni-channel marketing strategy is more of how a business manage its multi-channel platforms to provide a unified customer experience. Multi-channel is more on the operation side of the business, maximizing various channels available to expand the business; it’s only one part of the whole Omni-channel marketing.

What are the Benefits of Omni-channel Marketing?

Better customer experience

The first benefit for a good Omni-channel strategy is of course to the customers. When customers happy with the services provided, they will spread out the word and positive vibes about the business. This can lead to more new visits and more returning customers, and it’d lead to more sales.

Better data and insights

With increased engagement and sales, the business can improve their tracking and analytics performance to get better insights. What kind of demographic a particular promo attracts? What time in a month that generate more visits and sales? More customers engaged with the business, the more data it can collect, and the more accurate the results. Eventually, these activities will help the business to plan better future sales, marketing, and branding strategy.

Better branding strategy 

Now with better insights from customer experience, the business can plan ahead of what kind of branding and message it would like to build in the future, the ones that are suitable and relevant with the business itself. Is it ok to go after younger demographic? Is it good to push for sustainability message in the ad copies? Positive branding and good message tone play a big role in developing a business, because they help to build loyalty among the customers.

Better revenue

And of course, all will lead to an increased sales and revenue for the business.

How to Manage an Omni-channel Business?

The easy way is this; once a business established its Multi-channel platforms, then the Omni-channel strategy can come into play. 

Set the tracking tools from each Multi-channel platforms, and collect the results. From there, the business can analyze its customers demographic; create groups based on gender, age, items purchased, purchase time, basket size, conversion period, etc. Based on all that information, the business can create personas and customer journeys (or user stories).

Once it has its customers details, the business can start creating marketing and branding strategy to suits those customer groups from various channels available. Eventually the business can roll out the Omni-channel plan step by step, do A/B testing on various message style & ads, and optimize them from there. 

Also remember, a good Omni-channel marketing strategy wouldn’t mean a thing if it doesn’t have support from a good supply chain & logistics management.