If you’re interested in omnichannel communication, you’ve come to the right place. Before we dive in, I’d like to ask you two quick questions. Firstly, do you typically make a purchase on a company’s website during your first visit? Most likely not. Instead, do you typically research on Google, read customer reviews, browse blog posts, and follow the company’s social media accounts? Chances are, yes.
According to Digital Marketers World, 70% of consumers surveyed use three or more channels to research and make a purchase. Regardless of the channel your customers choose, they should always find the same brand messaging. They should instantly recognise you and realise that you are the same on every channel and platform. That’s why every business puts effort into its brand identity and tone, right?
But to be a consistent brand, you must go a step further and create a consistent customer experience. Across the customer journey, your customers will try to interact with you on many different channels.
Many prefer to receive SMS, others want to solve their problems via WhatsApp, and some love to hear from you in their emails. That’s why you should integrate different mobile communication channels to reach them all.
It’s crucial to consistently deliver the same message across your channels to impact your target audience and boost your CX. How can businesses do that? Well, omnichannel communication can help.
What is omnichannel communication?
Omnichannel communication is a multi-channel approach to marketing, selling and serving customers in a way that creates an integrated and solid customer experience. It ensures you’re available no matter how, where, or when a customer reaches out.
Consistent messaging means communicating with clients, citizens, and employees in the appropriate channel and with the right message during all the customer journey stages. The message will always be updated and relevant, no matter what channel they choose.
Most businesses are still investing in multi-channel experiences for their customers. Meaning they have many ways to communicate with their customers, but the different platforms don’t speak to one another to form a seamless, consistent messaging experience.
87% of customers think brands need to put more effort into providing a seamless experience and with the speed technology is advancing at, businesses need to be embracing omnichannel now.
Soprano’s omnichannel platform provides the ability for organisations to increase loyalty with customers, employees and partners by creating engaging, interactive experiences through the most popular communication channels such as SMS, IP, MMS, email, voice and social media.
Capturing your prospects, leads and customers on the channels they enjoy using means you’re more likely to receive a positive response and improve your relationships. Plus, if they decide to switch channels mid-conversation, that’s not a problem. Interactions by email, SMS, social media, voice and IP are all stored and managed in one place, meaning you can create seamless, personalised experiences.
95% of customers use three or more channels in just one interaction with a brand
Zendesk
Omnichannel communication benefits in a nutshell
- Increase engagement by reaching customers in real time on any device, in any location
- Improve the customer’s experience by reducing how often they need to enter information
- Provide clear and consistent information across key marketing channels
- Gain insight into the full 360-degree customer journey
- Foster interactivity with direct and personalised customer communications
- Increase brand recognition
- Combine marketing data and create streamlined business reports
Why is omnichannel communication important?
Boost your Customer Experience
A good customer experience is fundamental if you want your customers to choose you again. And it’s not the only reason: with a great CX, you can gain loyal customers who will recommend your brand to others and allow you to grow.
Nowadays, customers are spreading across multiple channels and devices during the customer journey. People expect to interact with your brand where, when and how they want. With an omnichannel CX strategy, you can consistently deliver the same experience regardless of the device, platform, or communication channel they employ.
By receiving consistent messaging across channels, your customers will experience a more personalised service, which is super appreciated and valuable.
More channels, more people
Your mother may prefer a voice message to receive an appointment reminder. You may choose WhatsApp to interact with brands. Your friend, on the other hand, only reads emails with promotions.
Using many mobile communication channels allows your business to have the possibility to reach more people and meet their different needs and expectations. Most people use many channels simultaneously to interact with brands, but others don’t.
Enterprises should coordinate their communication between departments to consistently deliver the same message on different platforms so customers can receive the right message at the right time (and in the preferred channel).
Personalised business communication
Consistency is only the first step. But it would be useless without personalisation, one of the critical elements to improving Customer Experience.
People use many channels, but they also interact with them in different ways. For example, SMS is an excellent tool for communicating real-time, concise and essential information. But if you want to send a promotion, maybe your right channel is email.
Tailoring the message is vital to engaging your audience. Otherwise, if your customers receive the wrong message in the wrong channel, they will probably feel annoyed and deconcentrated.
How to implement an omnichannel communication strategy?
Omnichannel communication aims to deliver an integrated and personalised CX during the customer journey.
In the omnichannel process, each team should operate together and know their role to the other departments – sales, customer service, and marketing precisely – and work as one.
This will allow users to shop, communicate and research, enjoying the same experience regardless of the device, platform, or communication channel.
With an omnichannel messaging platform, businesses can communicate with their clients in different channels from the same platform. Omnichannel communication entails a higher delivery rate and brings the possibility of tracing each communication for every company department.
Do you want to learn more about omnichannel communication? Don’t miss our article about the keys to build a successful omnichannel marketing strategy.
