Omni Channel - A Customer Centric Strategy

Multi-channel optimization or omni channel strategy. It’s what allows you to spot an Apple store from blocks away, or find the Starbucks app on your phone as quickly as you spot the green straw in a sea of orange Dunkin’ cups. Multi-channel optimization involves developing a strong presence across a variety of sales channels. These channels may be direct, such as online or brick-and-mortar stores, and brand social media and email lists, or indirect, such as through online or brick-and mortar retailers. 

Simply having a multi-channel marketing strategy is a huge advantage to any brand, as it increases market coverage, exposing a greater number of consumers to the brand. You have to be where the customers are, and they’re everywhere. Plus, research shows that the most valuable customers are multi-channel customers. They spend three to four times more than single-channel customers. So make it easy for them to buy, however they do it.

This applies to more fickle buyers too. We all know that humans are creatures of habit, and the more we allow them to retain those habits, the more they’re likely to favor our products. To accommodate the habits of the most people, provide as many choices as possible when it comes to channels. 

But just being present in multiple channels isn’t enough. Without optimizing their presence across those channels, brands may sabotage their own marketing efforts. Optimization requires creating a unified brand experience, whether the consumer is scrolling through Instagram or walking through Walmart. Your brand should be easily recognized no matter the channel. Make sure that everything related to your brand has a unified visual language by using consistent fonts and art on packaging, advertisements, websites, and social media. With a single glance, it should be clear who made your product, even on a third party site. This is referred to as having an omni channel strategy.

Of course, your brand is more than just your logo and your colors. It is the overall public perception of your brand. You also need to consider the tone and voice you use in everything from Instagram captions to Amazon product descriptions. This may mean creating templates for documents that are part of your process or for social media posts on brand pages to avoid a vague or indistinct brand voice.

At the heart of omni channel strategy is a firm knowledge of your brand’s goals and values. Consistency of value-driven strategies like influencer or employee messaging about the brand is essential. Keep brand values present and clear to make consumers feel good about buying.Brand recognition makes your audience feel secure. When you make it clear what you offer and what they need to do to get it, the audience is more comfortable and therefore more likely to buy. This also applies to repeat business, so make it easy for them to come back.

Ultimately, omni channel strategy can save you big money, because you’ll have the data to optimize resources, putting your marketing budget to the best use possible. In 2020, this isn’t something brands can afford to ignore.