Customers today are more connected and informed than ever before, expecting seamless and consistent experiences regardless of platform. Implementing omnichannel marketing strategies has become crucial to engage shoppers, but retailers must ensure that their message is consistent and integrated, regardless of where or how customers choose to shop.
When brands focus on enhancing the journey across all platforms, they create a more compelling reason for customers to make a purchase. According to a recent Mailchimp study, ease of purchase was the top brand association for Australians surveyed, with 97% of repeat buyers stating that their preferred brand makes the purchasing process quick and easy.
But rather than offering a one-size-fits-all brand experience, omnichannel marketing empowers retailers to tailor interactions based on individual customer behaviour and preferences. With this approach, each action dictates what the customer sees next, allowing personalisation to create memorable experiences—offering multiple ways for customers to connect, and allowing brands to achieve better business outcomes in the process. But which techniques are the most effective? Here are three essential tips to help retailers optimise their omnichannel marketing strategies:
- Integrate email and SMS marketing
Combining email and SMS marketing offers brands a potent strategy to enhance engagement and effectively extend their impact.
Email marketing is powerful for delivering detailed content and visual storytelling, using images, videos, and links to convey brand personality and information. This makes it ideal for nurturing leads, fostering brand loyalty, and driving conversions through carefully curated campaigns. SMS marketing, on the other hand, provides a direct channel for communication, prompting immediate responses and calls to action.
This dual approach allows brands to leverage each channel’s respective strengths. Unified data and insights across email and SMS can provide a comprehensive view of customer behaviour and preferences, facilitating targeted and personalised efforts. This not only ensures that the audience receives consistent and timely communication, but also boosts the effectiveness of campaigns.
The strategic combination of email and SMS marketing empowers brands to create a compelling customer experience—fostering deeper engagement, driving conversions, and ultimately strengthening their market position.
2. Leverage AI for personalisation
Personalisation isn’t just a buzzword — it’s a crucial element in today’s omnichannel marketing landscape. AI-driven tools have revolutionised how businesses connect with customers by analysing data from multiple touchpoints at scale, allowing marketers to predict behaviours and tailor content to resonate on a personal level. This approach is about understanding each shopper as an individual and delivering experiences that truly matter.
By analysing buying behaviour signals across different channels, businesses can predict when a customer is ready to purchase and deliver timely, relevant messages or offers.
Our recent report, Brand Trust in the Age of Information Overload, highlights that 49% of Australian consumers will look for a discount code before making any online purchase. AI can allow marketers to tap into this demand from consumers without racing to the bottom, empowering retailers to apply strategic and personalised promotions that attract new customers and generate revenue from untapped sources.
This approach shifts away from using blanket discounts that might undermine existing revenue streams. When retailers focus on tailoring offers to individual customer preferences, they improve customer satisfaction and maximise revenue.
3. Streamline the customer journey
When you deliver a smooth customer journey across all channels, you craft a story that unfolds effortlessly for each individual interacting with your brand. The experience should feel intuitive and connected from the very first moment a shopper discovers your website, all the way through to their post-purchase interactions.
This requires not just functional optimisation of your website for easy navigation, but also a deep understanding of how to maintain a consistent message across every platform. Our report revealed that one of the things that matter most to shoppers when making purchasing decisions are companies with a strong brand identity. This emphasises the importance of investing in brand-building content; it’s a strategic move that can bring tangible rewards.
Imagine visiting a website where every click leads you naturally to where you want to go, where the layout makes sense and finding information is straightforward. That initial ease sets a positive tone, much like a warm welcome when you enter a favourite store. Consistency in messaging then becomes like a familiar voice guiding you through various channels — whether you’re browsing social media, receiving emails, or seeing ads online.
By focusing on creating a smooth experience where messaging is compelling and every interaction feels natural, retailers not only enhance satisfaction but also build deeper connections with consumers. When you recognise each customer’s individuality and ensure that every step adds value, you reinforce their decision to choose your brand.
Creating a solid foundation for engagement and conversion
By weaving together these strategies, retailers can not only meet but anticipate customer expectations, demonstrating a commitment to improving their experience.
With the right insights and data, brands can foster a sense of recognition and value through relevant, personalised offers and messaging. When you make every interaction count—from the first click to the umpteenth purchase—your brand and your customer will both reap the benefits.
Anthony Capano is regional director for ANZ at Intuit Mailchimp.