Build Customer Relationships with Omni-Channel Marketing
Learning Objectives
After completing this unit, you’ll be able to:
- Explain the value of omni-channel marketing.
- List three steps for creating omni-channel customer experiences.
The Value of Omni-Channel Marketing
Today’s customers depend on digital. They make purchase decisions, complete transactions, and communicate with brands they love using a variety of digital devices and channels. In some cases, a customer can use multiple digital channels within a single transaction.
Every moment in a customer’s journey is critical. That’s why it’s essential for marketers to create seamless experiences for their customers across digital channels. Omni-channel marketing does exactly this—meeting customers where they’re at, regardless of the device they’re using. With this approach, marketers maintain a meaningful relationship with customers throughout all stages of the buying process. To survive in a digital age, organizations need to make omni-channel a key part of their marketing campaigns.
Effective omni-channel marketing doesn’t happen overnight. But you can start the process of creating powerful omni-channel experiences with three key steps.
Three Steps to Omni-Channel Experiences
- Onboard your customers.
- Activate first-party data.
- Measure your marketing.
Step 1: Onboard Your Customers
As a digital marketer, you know the importance of first impressions. Initial encounters can influence the tone and scope of any relationship. Keep this principle at the forefront during customer onboarding.
When engaging with a customer for the first time, begin with a warm greeting, regardless of the channel you’re using. From there, personalize your communication with any details you have about the customer, such as a name, occupation, or location. Be sure to thank the customer for their interest or membership.
This type of onboarding not only creates a powerful first impression—it also helps you learn about your customer. In turn, you can deliver even more personalized communications throughout their journey. Learning about your customers is also key to the second step in omni-channel marketing: making use of first-party data.
Step 2: Activate First-Party Data
First-party data refers to insights marketers collect about their customers and their behaviors. As you develop a relationship with your customers, you’re getting to know them. You’re learning about the content they like, for example, and the digital channels they’re most likely to use. In other words, you’re acquiring valuable first-party data.
It’s vital to use first-party data throughout your marketing efforts. Use this data to customize interactions with customers and ensure their journey is tailored to their interests. In the context of marketing, specific is often better than general.
Let’s say that a customer doesn’t open an email. Your next step might be to engage with this customer via mobile instead (meeting them where they’re at). If the customer responds via mobile, you’ve learned something about them—and that’s valuable first-party data that can inform future decisions.
Step 3: Measure Your Marketing
Once you’ve activated first-party data, there’s still more work to be done! It’s important for omni-channel marketers to measure their efforts. Constantly keeping track of what’s working (and what isn’t) is critical to create meaningful customer experiences. It can also make your marketing efforts more impactful and cost-effective in the long run.
When measuring your marketing, look for both individual and group insights. To gain individual insights, you might take a look at a single customer’s product review, for example. Such an insight can be important for learning about your target audience and their preferences. To gain group insights, you might take a look at email open rates for certain kinds of emails. Group insights like these can say a lot about how your audience is responding to broader marketing efforts.
When combined, these individual and group measurements provide powerful information that can be used to give customers the personalized digital experiences they want.
Omni-Channel on the Horizon
It’s time to make omni-channel a part of your marketing vision. By developing an effective customer onboarding process, making the most of first-party data, and adequately measuring the results of your campaigns, you’re well on your way to giving your customers the best possible experience throughout their journey.