Marketers have long been tasked with the specific challenge of reaching customers in all places at all times. This used to be relatively straightforward, but with the advancements in technology we’ve seen, marketing opportunities are literally everywhere. So, it behooves us to structure our marketing strategies to meet the consumers wherever and whenever they are ready to make a buying decision. To do this, using an omnichannel approach has steadily marched toward ubiquity as more and more brands realized that being a one-trick pony will not get the sales and brand awareness needed to experience growth.
As McKinsey explains, the traditional purchasing funnel is outdated. Marketers were once able to walk alongside shoppers as they started with a set of potential brands and methodically reduced that number to make a purchase through the phases of awareness, consideration, purchase and loyalty. But now, consumers are seeing (and expecting) brands to be in more places than ever before—with input coming from TV, Facebook newsfeeds, TikTok, news reports, podcasts, digital kiosks, conversations with family and friends, online reviews and more. And so, neglecting to show up where consumers are looking, shopping and researching may cost you a sale.
A 14-month study conducted between 2015 and 2016 and discussed in the Harvard Business Review set out to learn whether omnichannel shoppers are more valuable to retailers. After interviewing 46,000 shoppers, the researchers found that 7% of the customers were online-only shoppers, 20% were store-only shoppers, and 73% used multiple channels throughout their shopping journey. By going omnichannel, brands can deliver the most positive and seamless consumer experience at every step of the journey. In the current market, brands often need to be everywhere to achieve awareness and grow, so here are a few tips for utilizing an omnichannel approach in your business.
Don’t Just Copy The Experience: Expand It
When DTC-native brand Function of Beauty branched out into retail, they used a slightly different (and expanded) shopping experience. Their online model was heavily based on a made-to-order hair care routine derived through a personalized online quiz, which is a difficult model to execute offline. So, when they expanded into Target stores, they figured out a way to bring the core of their success, a personalization process, into brick-and-mortar stores in a scalable and easy-to-shop way. Shoppers can pick one base depending on their hair type and add up to three boosters to mix at home and try the same day. I believe the trade-off between extreme personalization (online) and immediate gratification (offline) paid off for this brand because it figured out how to expand the consumer experience into a different channel.
When brands are considering expanding into a new channel or market, the first step to a successful crossover is to map out the core values and goals of the brand that they need to hold onto while working toward delivering on a new shopping experience. Zesty Paws, our pet supplement brand, has tested this type of approach a few times by hosting pop-up shopping experiences. This way, we’re able to test our products in new and various markets and gauge consumer interest with minimal investment.
Test The Waters
Another example of a company that’s adopting an omnichannel approach to experience growth is Glossier, a historically direct-to-consumer beauty brand entering into its first retail partnership (paywall) with LVMH-owned beauty giant Sephora. The brand is pivoting from its nearly decade-old DTC strategy to an omnichannel approach that will bring the brand to stores across the U.S. and Canada, along with providing the ability to shop through its e-commerce site. Vogue Business reported that Glossier might also leverage more influencers.
When it comes to testing out marketing strategies for a brand, I have found that using surveys and focus groups can be a great method for assessing how particular campaigns might perform prior to launching. While much of my current experience in surveying new concepts and products is through palatability testing with cats and dogs, surveying has still proven to be a tried-and-true method to bring prospective ideas to a smaller test market before hitting the ground running.
Tailor Your Messaging To Fit Just Right
An omnichannel communications approach involves creating a seamless experience for the customer, regardless of the channel they use. So, if a brand offers 30% off its best-selling products on the website, its social media ads, e-mail marketing campaigns and customer service teams need to be aligned on this approach and promote the same messaging.
Having aligned, on-brand messaging at every touchpoint allows brands to offer a personalized cross-channel experience throughout the customer journey and can shape first impressions for any new acquisitions while also comforting returning customers. Brands can help consumers make purchasing decisions at the right time by thoughtfully communicating these deals, subscription offers and more. For this reason, I’ve found that omnichannel communication has become a powerful tool to boost sales and growth.
Marketers, including myself, have seen this shift to omnichannel happening for years as the power transferred from the brands deciding where and how they want to market to their consumers to the buyers themselves dictating where the advertising budgets and brand awareness campaigns should land. Consumers seem to have no problem saying, “This is where I want to see your product and how.” So, whether your brand is testing the waters with a new approach, expanding into retail stores or creating holistic communications plans, remembering that your customers are everywhere and connected more than ever is key to success.
This article was originally published at Forbes.com, by author Yvethe Tyszka. Original article >>
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