What is an Omnichannel Marketing Strategy? Posted on June 9, 2021 by Smartboost Put yourself in the shoes of an average consumer: You’re thinking about buying a new beach towel for summer, so you look at Company A’s website for about 10 minutes. You decide the price is too high, and you close your browser to check Instagram. A few minutes later, you see an advertisement for the towel. You click on the ad and get taken back to the company’s website but decide not to buy. Later that day, when you check Facebook, you see another ad for Company A. Again, you click the link, but you decide to make a purchase this time. Company A is using an omnichannel marketing strategy, and it worked. Your brand is so much more than your product. Today, a company’s brand encompasses everything from a physical product or in-person service to the entirety of your digital presence, be it on social media, Google or Yelp. So, to maintain brand consistency and provide integration across platforms and devices, you need to know about omnichannel marketing strategies. Omnichannel marketing refers to creating a seamless user experience across relevant platforms; this typically includes a company website, all social media channels, email marketing, print media, and anything else controlled by the company that exists online. Now that technology has become such an integral part of modern life, omnichannel marketing is vital to most, if not all, brands. When a business attempts to create customer relationships and loyalty, it’s crucial to establish a sense of trust and familiarity. In a recent study, 81% of surveyed consumers highlighted trust as a requirement when purchasing from a company, and consistency and reliability in establishing a brand can have a massive impact on trust. An effective omnichannel marketing strategy requires a lot of careful planning and execution. Keep reading to learn more about why we think all that hard work is well worth it for your business. Start With Your Website Your website should be a perfect reflection of your brand. In any industry, be it construction, pet grooming, or cryptocurrency coaching services, you need to create a website that showcases who you are and what you do. Businesses that don’t have a website lose 70-80% of potential customers, so this should be your square one. If you already have a product or brand image, make sure to incorporate it into the design of your website with color schemes, photos, and more. With most of these services, you will have the ability to add a Shopify marketplace. Still, most importantly, you should be integrating all of your social media channels to be accessible to and from your site. Here at smartboost, we can help you build your website and optimize it for conversions. Focus on Social Channels Many companies will spend time and money cultivating a brand on their website but forget to do the same on social media. Each one of your social channels should adopt the same look and feel as your website because we often switch between devices and platforms many times in a single day. Aside from branding, social media plays another significant role in omnichannel marketing: sponsored ads. To create the seamless user experience we’re talking about, make sure your advertisements follow the same general script. Let’s break it down by channel, using our towel example above: Facebook Ads As the owner or marketing manager of Company A, you want your Facebook Ads to remind visitors about a purchase consideration they made in the past. Use product photos or lifestyle shots of your brand that lead back to your website. Even if the person doesn’t decide to buy after seeing your Facebook ad, you remind them that the product is still available. Keep in mind that Apple’s recent App Tracking Transparency update may affect the efficiency of your Facebook Ads. While the platform adjusts to changes on the world’s most extensive operating system, the use of cookies and activity tracking may fluctuate. Instagram Ads Similar to your Facebook strategy, you’re using ads on Instagram to keep the towel on a buyer’s mind. You know that the person is interested in your product, and you’re trying to convert that interest into a purchase. Instagram ads often utilize price stickers and a buying option that limits the amount of time a person has to think about making a purchase. Email Marketing You should always try to collect contact information from visitors on your website. Email marketing is still superior to social media when driving sales, and your omnichannel marketing strategy should extend here as well. For example, if a returning customer visits your website, send a marketing email to remind them about a potential purchase. The more touchpoints you put in front of your customer, the better. Track Your Success You should be able to quickly pull data from your touchpoints to see where you’re getting the most success. Then, when you’re starting, run different versions of your ads and compare the results to see which ones are getting the highest Click-Through Rates and where you could use some improvement. If Facebook Ads are getting better results, invest more into your social media ad spend. There are no pitfalls to an effective omnichannel marketing campaign. You’ll see the most success when you create a cohesive campaign across all digital channels. Keep your company in the mind of a consumer throughout their entire online experience, with fewer distractions. If you’re interested in implementing an omnichannel strategy into your marketing stack, smartboost is here to help. Set up a call, and let’s discuss your plans for higher profits and more sales.