According to HubSpot, the omnichannel experience is "a multi-channel approach" to marketing, selling, and serving customers in a way that creates an integrated and cohesive customer experience no matter how or where a customer reaches out." Simply put, investing in an omnichannel marketing strategy allows your customers to engage with your brand whenever and however they like.
Such an approach results in a better user experience. Consumers can seamlessly switch back and forth between multiple marketing channels and devices to progress in their buyer's journey and ultimately purchase from your business. It's no wonder that nine out of 10 consumers want "an omnichannel experience with seamless service between communication methods," according to one study.
How can you provide an exceptional omnichannel experience to your customers? You'll need to have the framework in place first: marketing across multiple channels, such as mobile, social media, and email, and a dynamic website to serve as the focal point of your omnichannel marketing strategy. You'll also need to conduct market research to determine which mediums in your omnichannel infrastructure should be top priorities. You must also ensure that your various channels work together seamlessly to create an authentic omnichannel experience.
Let's talk about some of the benefits of remaining media agnostic and how you can do so effectively to create a successful omnichannel marketing campaign.
A "media agnostic" strategy allows you to focus on the marketing channels that are most effective at reaching your target audience and growing your brand. At the same time, this mindset also provides a great deal of flexibility when developing (or refining) your marketing mix.
By leaving your options open, you're better equipped to adapt your advertising tactics to the behavior and preferences of your target audience. For example, suppose you find that your target demographic is shifting away from traditional TV and consuming more OTT content (i.e. streaming services). In that case, you can refine your marketing mix to include a greater emphasis on programmatic buys from OTT service providers.
As you adjust your advertising efforts to stay top of mind amongst your ideal prospects, you may also find new audiences that would not have been discovered otherwise. You may learn new ways to market your brand and products and find that your campaigns yield a higher ROI than ever before. All of these benefits could be the direct effects of a media agnostic approach.
Technology is constantly changing and advancing, and consumer preferences change and advance with it. For instance, Gen Z (people born after 1997) differs from older generations in preferring online video as a brand discovery platform (behind social media and websites). Obviously, effective marketing to Gen Z will look much different from marketing to Gen X or the "Baby Boomer" generation.
For that reason, it's important to target consumers based on their behavior and generational preference, among other key factors. Today's consumers have multiple electronic devices that can connect to the Internet (smartphones, tablets, laptops, connected TVs, etc.) and thus have various pathways toward brand discovery at any given time.
Add to that the fact that many consumers still take in content from more "traditional" mediums, such as radio, TV, and email. Even magazines, a seemingly more conventional channel for marketing, have spiked in popularity, with 41% of readers claiming magazines are more important to them now versus before the pandemic. It's easy to see why a media agnostic approach can be so vital to marketing success. A holistic, flexible approach to advertising (e.g., "go fishing where the fish are") will increase brand awareness and engagement.
In the world of marketing, it's important not to remain so attached to a specific medium or channel that you miss out on opportunities to grow your business with other avenues. Your marketing never has to be either-or, such as magazines or digital. Instead, give customers a few channels to find you. It pays to have a balance of mediums in your marketing mix.
Undoubtedly, investing in a media agnostic, omnichannel approach can result in an exceptionally high ROI from your advertising initiatives. Still, much technical work needs to be done before you can reap the benefits of an omnichannel marketing strategy. An experienced ad tech partner can help you navigate the complexities of the omichannel marketing campaigns and help you to seamlessly market your products and/or services across a variety of mediums without diluting the quality of customer experience in the process.
In the end, a reputable team of ad tech experts can make your omnichannel marketing campaigns more effective and profitable than ever before. Instead of going it alone, with their assistance, you'll be able to obtain the highest possible ROI from staying media agnostic and watch your business grow day after day.