If you use multiple marketing channels (and most companies do), you must maintain a consistent tone and presentation to avoid frustrating your target audience. Even well-known brands often excel in one aspect of their marketing strategy but drop the ball in others.
But if you look closely at every touchpoint and map the buyer’s journey, you can identify and address gaps before they affect the customer experience.
What Is an Omnichannel Customer Experience?
Omnichannel marketing is the strategy of creating cohesive interactions at every encounter someone has with your brand, including direct mail, in-person customer service and your social media profiles.
Imagine this:
You encounter a Facebook ad from an airline highlighting a flash sale for a weekend trip to Orlando. You tap the ad and scroll through the landing page, but the price is different, and the flight actually goes to Miami.
So, you download the airline’s app, which opens with an unrelated promo about credit cards, but you find the Orlando flight after searching yourself. It’s listed for yet another price. Confused but under pressure to snag the limited-time deal, you book the trip anyway.
On the day of your trip, you get an app notification that the flight is delayed by an hour. However, when you get to the gate, the service agent tells you it’s going to be a three-hour wait because they receive more accurate updates from air traffic control. Discouraged, you cancel your flight and go home. A week later, you receive an email from the airline offering you free miles. You recall your previous experience and delete the message.
Those friction points reveal the inconsistencies in the airline's marketing plan. And that’s bad for business.
Why Consistency Matters
The airline example makes a strong case for consistency in omnichannel marketing, especially if you have multiple teams working together. Defining the heart of the story you want to tell allows you to weave elements of it throughout different aspects of your marketing campaign.
For example, if you’re promoting an upcoming trade show via digital ads and emails, be sure to use the same fonts, colors and iconography that you plan to present at your booth so visitors can find you easily.
Unified customer experiences also build trust with your target audience. You’re showing them you understand their pain points and will provide solutions regardless of where they encounter your brand. That increases the likelihood of retention and conversion.
Mapping Physical Touchpoints
Despite digital’s heavy-hitting presence in today’s marketing landscape, physical assets still matter. And they can go a long way toward creating a sensory experience that sets your brand apart from the competition.
In-Store Experiences
Your in-store marketing elements might be the first thing customers encounter from your brand or the next chapter in a relationship that started online. Either way, that in-person experience should "feel" like an extension of your digital presence.
That may include:
- Branded packaging that mirrors your web design
- Photo or video walls that showcase your social feed
- Signage that uses the same color scheme and iconography
Print Ads and Direct Mail
Mailers, packages and print ads are all physical touchpoints. You can use those assets to deliver a condensed narrative of your brand, from the wording on a business card to the color treatment on tissue paper. Those details create small moments of delight that compound with each interaction a person has with your brand.
Events and In-Person Interactions
These moments are your chance to show what your brand is all about off-screen and off-page. Everything shapes how potential customers perceive your company, including the way your team explains your products and services and how they greet someone.
Whether you’re at a trade show or providing customer service, it’s important to have guidelines regarding:
- Talking points
- Tone of voice
- Follow-up interactions
Crafting Digital Experiences
Websites, mobile apps, social media accounts — they demand the same level of consistency to ensure your online presence mirrors your offline persona.
Social Media and Email Marketing
If you present your brand with an authoritative, no-nonsense tone in your brochures and one-sheeters, it may be off-putting to have a more playful presence on your social profiles and emails. You can use common phrases and wording in email preview text and body copy, and in social captions and graphics to create a pattern your audience can identify.
Chatbots and Support Channels
If a customer browses your online catalog, consults your website’s chatbot then calls tech support, your team shouldn’t have to ask them what they need. That’s where shared data systems come in, especially if you’re using multiple platforms. It’s also crucial to design your online assistants to use the same language and tone as your live agents. Failing to do so could lead to a disjointed customer experience.
Websites and Mobile Apps
Your website and mobile app — if you have one — are your digital calling cards and the places where you have more control over your audience's perception. Every element of the design, such as content layout and navigation, should support your brand narrative and guide users to the point of conversion.
That demands:
- Consistent messaging that’s optimized for online consumption
- Accessibility compliance so anyone can navigate your content
- Data collection to help you understand how users behave
Turn Every Touchpoint into a Memory
Omnichannel marketing takes a hands-on team for successful execution. MadAveGroup is a family of agencies that specialize in graphic design, marketing management, digital marketing and much more. So, we know how to create a consistent brand presence across multiple channels. Learn about our services, and let’s talk.
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