Omnichannel? What is it and Why Do I Need It?
Omnichannel Experience, Omnichannel Experience, Omnichannel Experience
If it feels like you’re hearing about omnichannel experience everywhere, it’s because you are. Omnichannel is the latest trend in digital marketing and, like cross-platform promotion before it, it’s the must have strategy.
Great. So What is It?
Do not let omnichannel scare you. If you’ve been using a cross-platform marketing strategy for your business, you’ve got omnichannel covered. In a nutshell, omnichannel is creating the same look and feel for your content across all touchpoints—that is where you market to your customers online, print, and in-store. An omnichannel experience helps the customer recognize your business regardless of where they encounter your owned marketing channels: website, social media, and digital signage. This consistent marketing builds brand recognition, trust, and loyalty.
If you’re not sure if your business provides an omnichannel experience or has a cross-platform strategy, ask yourself these questions:
- Does my message sound the same on my website, social media, and on in-store signage?
- Am I using the same graphics on my website, social media channels, and signage?
- Is my branding consistent on all marketing channels?
If the answer is yes, you’ve got an omnichannel experience. Congratulations. Don’t rest on your laurels, however. If you know anything, you know that digital marketing changes rapidly so make sure you continue to message with your brand voice and images optimized for each channel in a way that flows through all your digital marketing channels.
Do I Need Help With It?
If you answered no to the questions, you don’t have an omnichannel strategy. Your marketing doesn’t match up and you are probably confusing your customers. If you answered I don’t know, try this: find 2 or more marketing assets your business has used, make a box around the upper left quarter of each, and compare the boxes. Are the colors the same? Are the fonts the same? If you put the copy of one quarter in the other, would it sound similar?
In this digital age, your customers can be acquired from a variety of channels. Having an omnichannel experience lets them know that they are still talking to your business. If your experience changes across platforms, they could be easily lost with a similar looking ad promoting a similar product at a better price. It’s why the designer knock-offs thrive.
Omnichannel experiences let your customers know they are engaging with the original, not an imposter.
