The ultimate guide to omnichannel marketing for businesses
Customers are no longer shopping on a single channel. In fact, channel hopping is becoming a popular consumer shopping behavior worldwide. They use multiple channels to interact with brands, including social media, email, mobile apps, physical stores, and more. This makes it important for businesses to adopt an omnichannel marketing strategy to meet their customers' changing expectations, provide a seamless, consistent and personalized experience, increase customer loyalty, and drive more sales.
What is omnichannel marketing?
Omnichannel marketing is a marketing approach that focuses on creating a seamless and consistent customer experience across all channels. This includes online and offline channels such as social media including WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and Telegram, email, mobile apps, physical stores, and more. The goal of omnichannel marketing is to create a unified brand experience for customers, regardless of the channel they use to interact with the brand.
To best implement omnichannel marketing, your business should:
have a comprehensive understanding of customer behavior and preferences
implement a consistent brand message and experience across all channels
integrate technology to provide a personalized and convenient experience
adopt a collaborative approach across all departments within a business
use real-time data analysis to measure and optimize the effectiveness of the marketing strategy.
Here are some essential channels to consider for your omnichannel retail strategy:
Social selling: to sell products, goods, or services across all social media channels, including WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, and more
E-commerce stores: to sell products and services online, allowing customers to purchase items through your website from anywhere, at any time
Digital marketplaces: to make your products available on popular online platforms such as Amazon, eBay, Etsy, and Alibaba. That's convenient for customers to browse and purchase from multiple businesses in one website
Mobile applications: to develop mobile applications and provide customers with a personalized and convenient experience, including mobile ordering and payments, loyalty programs, and more
What do customers want from the omnichannel experience?
As digital channels become an integral part of our daily lives, consumers are engaging with brands across multiple platforms. In fact, 60-70% of consumers research and shop both online and offline. For instance, they might research furniture online, visit a store to see and interact with it in person, and then place an online order for home delivery. As a result, customers increasingly expect a seamless and integrated experience between online and offline channels.
Businesses can no longer treat in-store and digital interactions separately. Both offline and online customer interactions must be consistent and work together to guide customers through the sales funnel. Brands that provide a smooth omnichannel shopping experience—like offering apps that help customers navigate the store or check in-store inventory, or allowing in-conversation bookings via WhatsApp—are already meeting the needs of omnichannel consumers, adding value to their shopping experience.
Omnichannel marketing examples: successful campaigns
Omnichannel marketing examples from established brands are a great source of reference. Here are some with incredible results:
Sephora creates a compelling customer experience with an omnichannel marketing strategy
Sephora, a beauty retailer, has utilized an outstanding omnichannel marketing strategy. Especially during the pandemic back in March 2020, in-store purchases were not an available option. That was when they created the VR (virtual reality) product demonstration and appointment-based online consultations. Even after the endemic, Sephora has continued perfecting the hybrid shopping experience.
At Sephora, customers can talk to beauty advisors in the store and get an email log to style their look based on the info they received from the professionals. Other than emails and phone calls, their customer support team has also incorporated the chat function according to current social commerce trends, personalizing one-on-one experiences for the customers. In addition, they use a mobile app to provide customers with tailored recommendations based on their past purchases and preferences. This seamless integration of the online and offline experience has helped Sephora survive the pandemic challenge while increasing customer engagement and loyalty.
Starbucks earns customer loyalty with an integrated omnichannel experience
Image from Starbucks
Starbucks, a multinational coffee chain, also succeeded in implementing an effective omnichannel marketing strategy. They started by identifying the channel most preferred by their customers, then won customers’ hearts with personalized recommendations. They boosted customer retention by fostering strong digital relationships and customer loyalty with reward points. They also distributed discount codes through email and SMS, where customers are then led to the store for engaging retail experiences.
WhatsApp Broadcast messages have an open rate of as high as 98%.
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Nike Inc. impresses customers with a seamless omnichannel retail strategy
Nike Inc., a sports apparel company, has also incorporated an omnichannel marketing strategy to captivate its members. Other than on the mobile app, e-commerce site, and email, Nike has successfully led customers to the flagship stores with express checkout, special store hours for members, or free gifts with purchases on “Member Days”. With NikePlus, a program launched in partnership with Apple, Nike offered a premium, personalized shopping experience on the app. They have an in-app onboarding process to understand the customers’ preferences and data syncing to allow customers to track their fitness goals. Integrated with its online brand presence across social media, Nike has no trouble increasing sales across its retail outlets and accelerating customer engagement in its e-commerce stores.
Image from Capgemini: “Nike: From Separate Digital Initiatives to Firm-Level Transformation
Omnichannel marketing vs. multi-channel marketing
Although often used interchangeably, omnichannel marketing and multi-channel marketing are distinct strategies with key differences.
Omnichannel marketing aims to create a seamless, consistent experience for customers across all channels. This approach requires a deep understanding of customer behavior and preferences, as well as the use of integrated technologies to connect various platforms. It emphasizes collaboration across all departments within a business to ensure a unified brand experience at every touchpoint.
In contrast, multi-channel marketing involves utilizing multiple channels to engage with customers—these can include online platforms like social media, email, and mobile apps, as well as offline channels such as physical stores. While this approach expands a brand's reach, the channels may not be connected, and the customer experience across them may lack consistency.
Here is a table that highlights the differences between omnichannel marketing and multi-channel marketing:
Integrating AI into your omnichannel marketing strategy
Incorporating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into your omnichannel marketing strategy is crucial for boosting revenue. AI agents, in particular, are among the most valuable tools for businesses looking to enhance their customer funnels.
When engaging with customers through messaging platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook Messenger, AI agents can respond instantly to inquiries, provide personalized product recommendations, and handle tasks such as order tracking and appointment scheduling. This creates a seamless online-to-offline (O2O) experience.
By automating and personalizing interactions, AI not only improves customer satisfaction but also boosts operational efficiency. As a result, businesses can see higher conversion rates, increased customer loyalty, and a significant rise in revenue.
Benefits of omnichannel marketing for businesses
Some of the benefits of implementing an omnichannel marketing strategy for businesses include:
1. Increased customer engagement
Omnichannel marketing allows businesses to connect with customers across various channels, creating a personalized and seamless experience. This approach not only boosts customer engagement but also encourages them to make a purchase.
For instance, if a customer messages your business on Instagram and later sees your Facebook ad, they’re more likely to engage with your content—whether by reacting or commenting—especially when your ads feature eye-catching visuals, engaging content, and consistent branding.
Learn how to get your customers to engage with your Facebook Ads using click to WhatsApp ads.
2. Improved customer loyalty
Providing a consistent and personalized experience across all channels is key to building customer loyalty.
Picture this: You send a WhatsApp message to your favorite coffee shop to order a cup of coffee before work. The chatbot, using insights from your previous Instagram interactions, suggests a few options. You click on "Caramel Macchiato" via WhatsApp, pay instantly through the provided link, and pick up your aromatic coffee to kickstart your day. With such a smooth and personalized experience, wouldn't you be eager to return for more?
A well-executed omnichannel marketing strategy not only creates loyal customers but also offers multiple benefits:
Happy customers bring positive word-of-mouth marketing.
Customers are more likely to return for repeat purchases
Customers tend to spend more buying your products or services
Additionally, customer retention is far more cost-effective than customer acquisition, meaning your sales in physical stores and online conversion rates will rise over time.
In fact, existing customers are 50% more likely to try a new product and 31% more likely to spend more.
3. Increased sales
80% of customers are more likely to make a purchase from a brand that offers a personalized and convenient experience. By leveraging smart tools like automation, social CRM segmentation, and in-chat payment links, businesses can deliver a seamless experience across all channels. This frictionless shopping journey not only boosts sales but also encourages impulse purchases, leading to higher conversion rates.
4. Better customer insights
Omnichannel marketing enables businesses to collect data from multiple channels, providing a unified and comprehensive view of customer behavior. This wealth of analytics empowers businesses to make informed decisions and craft more effective marketing strategies.
How to implement an effective omnichannel marketing strategy
To implement a successful omnichannel marketing strategy, businesses must take a holistic approach that ensures a seamless and consistent experience across all touchpoints. Here are key steps to guide the process:
Step 1: Understand your customers
To deliver a truly personalized and seamless experience, businesses must first understand their customers' behavior and preferences. Beyond traditional customer research through surveys, businesses can leverage data collected across multiple channels. Installing a live chat feature on your e-commerce website is also beneficial, as it allows you to track visitors' browsing behaviors and respond to their product inquiries in real-time.
Step 2: Define your brand story
Crafting a clear brand story is essential for ensuring consistency across all channels. Your brand story should reflect your business values, personality, and unique selling proposition. Social media platforms are ideal for showcasing this narrative. Invest time in planning engaging content and managing your profiles to attract both customers and followers. Set up automation tools to respond to users who engage with your content or message your brand. From there, develop a social CRM strategy and create targeted retargeting campaigns to further engage your audience.
Related reading:
Step 3: Create a seamless customer journey
Mapping out the customer's journey across all channels can help create a seamless customer experience and identify gaps and opportunities for improvement.
Step 4: Leverage technology and smart tools
Leverage technology to provide a seamless and personalized experience. This can include using an omnichannel marketing platform, customer relationship management (CRM) systems, omnichannel marketing automation tools, and personalization software.
Get all of the features above from SleekFlow’s omnichannel solution!
Step 5: Measure and optimize your omnichannel marketing campaigns
Measure the effectiveness of your omnichannel marketing strategy and optimize it based on customer feedback and performance analyses.
Challenges of omnichannel marketing for businesses
While implementing an omnichannel marketing strategy offers significant benefits, businesses may face several challenges, including:
Complex integration of multiple channels and technologies
Data silos across different platforms, making it difficult to get a unified view of the customer
Resource constraints, such as limited technology, staff, and budget
Resistance to change among employees and stakeholders, especially if the current multi-channel approach has been in place for a long time
Though these challenges can seem overwhelming, there are solutions available. For example, conducting a thorough assessment can help identify your business’s specific needs in omnichannel marketing. By adopting the right omnichannel solutions, you can streamline processes, reduce costs, and optimize resource allocation. Many solution providers even offer free onboarding training to ensure your team is well-prepared. Once you begin to see improvements in sales, the effort will undoubtedly pay off.
Use SleekFlow for the best omnichannel marketing strategy for your business
Creating a successful omnichannel marketing strategy requires a deep understanding of customer behavior and preferences, seamless integration of multiple channels and technologies, and collaboration across all business departments. A powerful tool that can help businesses achieve these objectives is SleekFlow’s Retail AI Solution.
SleekFlow is a robust omnichannel marketing platform that equips businesses with the tools necessary to deliver a consistent and seamless customer experience across all channels. Here are some key features of SleekFlow that can help businesses craft the perfect omnichannel marketing strategy:
Centralized CRM System: Gain a comprehensive view of customer data to enhance engagement and personalization.
Automated, Personalized Broadcast Messages: Send targeted information at the right time through WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.
In-chat Payment Links: Offer a frictionless checkout experience directly within the messaging platforms.
Free Facebook Lead Ad Integration: Capture leads directly from Facebook ads and automatically add customer contacts to the CRM system.
Detailed Analytics: Track campaign performance, measure engagement and conversion rates, and optimize marketing strategies accordingly.
With SleekFlow, businesses can streamline their omnichannel marketing efforts and create a more effective, data-driven approach that drives results.
Don’t think, choose SleekFlow. It’s a user-friendly tool for marketing and team collaboration.
Keith
CRO of iBilik
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