How to use an omnichannel marketing strategy to reach your audience wherever they are

The data shows that omnichannel marketing strategies have power. When implemented successfully, they increase ad-driven store visits by 80%. With consumers relying more on their mobile devices and expecting tailored, seamless experiences from brands, it seems like a wrong turn not to embrace omnichannel marketing. Omnichannel strategies can drive sales, personalize the customer experience, and increase retention rates.

Another positive is that by using multiple channels to deliver personalized messages, you can reach your audience members wherever they are. Whether they use their smartphone in your store, open their inbox or browse social media, your messages will be seen. And ultimately, they bring your audience closer to making a purchase. But omnichannel marketing is more than simply distributing your content on every available platform. Here’s how to do it thoughtfully and effectively expand your reach.

Reinforce your content

Amplifying your content doesn’t mean simply making more of it. That strategy can backfire if you don’t talk about what’s relevant to your audience. Sometimes less is more when you can use what you already have in different ways.

Repurposing your content is a thing cast, a comprehensive marketing platform, advises to reach customers more effectively. Think about the channels your ideal buyer uses and tailor your content to fit each channel. Expanding your content library can also include returning to topics you’ve talked about before. If something resonates strongly with your audience, they’re likely craving more. You just need to dig deeper, expand and adapt.

Let’s say you have a high-performing blog post. It brings people to your website and improves your lead gen results. But search engines aren’t the only place your audience hangs out. You can take the same post and turn it into a video on TikTok, a social snippet on Instagram, or an infographic on LinkedIn. If possible, you can make the topic into a series by involving more than one subject matter expert.

The key is to expand your efforts beyond a single format or channel. That said, you have to be strategic about it. See where your audience is, which formats they respond to best, and which topics appeal to them.

Walk in the shoes of your target audience

Before someone buys something, they’ve probably seen multiple ads and pieces of content about it. They’ve also likely interacted with your brand in person and online through a variety of channels. Marketing touchpoints are no longer limited to one or two. Today’s consumers are bombarded with online messages, emails and mobile app notifications on top of traditional advertising.

Only the mobile channel was running 41.8% of retail e-commerce sales in 2022. While this figure is impressive, you need to determine how channels like mobile apply to your audience. Pretend you’re one of them, looking for information about the problem your product or service solves. Which channels does your audience communicate with, which touchpoints do they see and how effective are they?

Walking through your ideal shopper’s journey is one way to identify which touchpoints are missing from your strategy. Let’s say you’re an online bank, such as SoFi, that offers loans, savings accounts, and investment products. Perhaps your website analytics show that visitors are spending more time exploring content about high-yield savings and investments. Now may be the time to target these consumers with personalized touchpoints like emails.

By collecting visitor data through short surveys and email sign-up forms, you can tailor your messages to better match their interests and behavior. For example, you can offer a higher interest rate if they open a savings account through your app. You can also provide a bonus for opening investment accounts with a minimum balance. Either way, you’re using data to cater to your audience’s preferences through their favorite channels.

Analyze feedback to optimize performance

You won’t know which parts of your omnichannel marketing strategy are working if you don’t analyze the data. More importantly, you don’t know what to adjust so they can work. Metrics you’ll want to look at include conversion and retention rates. But customer satisfaction, overall brand sentiment and customer lifetime value are additional data to consider.

For example, a video with low conversion rates can present several opportunities. Perhaps the size or length is not suitable for your purpose. You may want to educate your audience to convince them that your brand offers the best solution. You can test the same content as a webinar and how-to series. You can optimize your strategy to increase conversion rates by seeing which format performs better.

Likewise, you can look at the impact of your overall approach on customer lifetime value. What role do different touch points play in incremental sales if you’re a chain store like Target? Perhaps app notifications about sales and gift cards are more effective than direct mail. They are instant and use previous browsing and purchase history to deliver individualized savings. However, customer sentiment from surveys shows that too many notifications put buyers off.

By combining your data sources, you might find two app notifications per week. With this frequency, you can have a positive impact on customer lifetime value and brand sentiment. You reach your audience how and how often they want.

Achieving omnichannel marketing reach

Omnichannel marketing strategies often have the same effect as multiple product displays in a store. Wherever consumers turn, you are constantly reminding them of your brand’s existence and the value it can provide. With well-thought-out and sophisticated approaches, omnichannel marketing can help you expand your reach to those who are ready, willing and able to buy.