Siloed marketing channels are no longer enough to reach modern audiences – today, success demands a unified approach

Terry Cane, COO of SEOHost.net, a leading domain registration, SSL service, and SEO hosting provider, is advising clients on the importance of omnichannel marketing.

Omnichannel marketing refers to an approach where a business or brand is present on multiple channels while striving to create a unified experience across them. Intended to be as seamless as possible, it’s meant to provide a high degree of personalization and relevancy. In this way, it allows a brand to engage directly and personally with its audience no matter where they are.

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“The key difference between omnichannel marketing and multichannel marketing – I often see people use the terms interchangeably – is that the latter puts the company first, and the former puts the customer first,” said Cane. “As such, for today’s consumers, a multichannel marketing approach can often come across as remarkably impersonal, and in some cases, tone-deaf. Thanks to single-sign-on in the workplace and entertainment platforms like Netflix, people have grown used to seamlessness.”

“What that means is that when a business lacks that level of integration, whether in its advertisements or further down the sales funnel, people tend to take notice. In the best case, they tune out and your brand is lost in the noise of the web, in the worst case, they make an active commitment not to shop with you anymore.”

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As for how brands can adopt an omnichannel approach, Cane said that they start by establishing the framework for multichannel marketing, then evolve it. They should analyze customer data, and adopt sales and customer retention strategies that extend across departments. Ultimately, the goal is to shift away from customer demographics and profiles and towards more individual personalization.

“While you will likely encounter some challenges in navigating the collection and use of personal data, you may be surprised how many customers are willing to offer up their information in exchange for greater convenience,” said Cane. “They understand that, to some extent, data analytics is necessary in order to provide them with the best experience possible.”

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