Omnichannel: The Champion Multitasker of Digital Marketing

Multi-tasking. For the past few decades, it has been the buzzword of dedicated employees, the mantra of working mothers and the secret of cross-training athletes. Yet it is also the essence of a smart digital marketing campaign. Sometimes referred to as multi-channel or cross-channel marketing, omni-channel marketing is the master multi-tasker of advertising. It allows advertisers to reach the same customer on different marketing channels with a single campaign.

Case in point: Joe sees a display ad on Facebook advertising a new pair of shoes from a brand he likes. The next day, he sees a video ad on Yahoo for free shipping on that same pair of shoes. The week after that, he receives an email with a 10%-off coupon for those shoes and chooses to buy them at the mall the following weekend. This is omni-channel marketing at its best.

Likewise, reaching the same customer across various desktop browsers, smartphones, tablets, and other internet-connected devices, is another example of cross-channel or omni-channel marketing. For example: Joe saw a display ad on Facebook on his smartphone and then a video ad on Yahoo on his laptop. The ads—appearing on separate devices—could be part of a cross-channel campaign or multichannel strategy. Together, the approach creates one seamless customer experience across all marketing and sales channels and allows data to be passed between channels.

It is important to remember, however, that to be successful, a company must be sure that its social media campaigns, mobile marketing and website all work together. You can have multiple channels but if they are not performing in concert, they are not an ‘omni-channel’ package. The messaging must be consistent in goals, copy and design.

Some marketing experts point to Disney as the king of the omni-channel experience. Planning a trip is easy from any device. Customers log onto the glossy interactive website (which works well on mobile). And the experience continues with trip planning, trip updates, dining, park attractions and Fast Pass estimated wait times for rides. Its magic band program multitasks as a hotel room key, as well as a digital repository for photos and a means of ordering food.

Another omni-channel rock star includes Starbucks, with its successful rewards app, which features a card that can be reloaded via phone, website, in the store or on the app itself.

A recent report from market research firm Omnisend found that marketing campaigns using three or more channels engaged almost 19% of viewers, whereas campaigns using only one channel garnered only a bit more than 5%. And separate statistics show that 80% of in-store customers use their mobile device to check inventory while shopping inside the brick-and-mortar building. Yet another testament to the need for cohesive marketing.

In today’s fast-paced world, the worthwhile investors in omni-channel marketing will likely find that their multitasking will reap multiple benefits.