Omnichannel Vs Multichannel Marketing: Which Drives Better Results?

Digital marketing now spans many platforms for businesses to reach customers. Email, messaging, and social media- all come together to improve outreach. This shift has created new marketing tactics, like multichannel and omnichannel marketing.

Multichannel marketing uses different platforms to communicate different messages. This helps reach unique target audiences. Omnichannel marketing uses the same custom messages on all platforms.

Both approaches have their pros and cons. In this blog, we’ve explored how omnichannel vs multichannel marketing works, and which one you should choose.

What is Multichannel Marketing?

Multichannel marketing involves using different channels to reach out to customers, and all of them target a unique audience. For example, you might reach younger customers on Instagram and older ones via email.

What is Omnichannel Marketing?

Omnichannel marketing uses a connected approach. It focuses on the client's preferred channels. The messaging must be the same across all of them. For example, you can send a personalised email offer to a customer and follow it up on social media.

Difference Between Omnichannel and Multichannel Marketing Approach

The difference between omnichannel and multichannel marketing is about its method. We have listed how both of them function, providing unique benefits.

Benefits of Omnichannel Approach for Customer Engagement

Let’s check how the omnichannel approach helps with customer engagement:

1. Increased Brand Awareness

Omnichannel marketing helps you understand your audience. It lets you tailor a message to new customers' interests across many channels.

2. Improved Lead Generation

You may get new audiences while generating leads. But, converting them to loyal buyers can be tough. This is where the omnichannel marketing approach comes in.

It lets your sales and marketing team reach more people. It helps to engage them across many platforms and move them down the marketing funnel.

3. Create a Frictionless Customer Journey

It is important to make the customer journey as simple as you can. The longer a customer has to go through the same process, the more likely they are to reconsider.

An omnichannel approach lets you contact customers on their preferred channel. Sending them repeated messages can quicken their decision making.

4. Improved Data Insights

As a marketer, you understand how tedious data collection is. However, omnichannel marketing can smoothen the process, by making insights more accessible. The more channels you use, the better your data will be.

5. Increased Targeting

Using many channels makes it easier to target clients based on demographics and behaviour. Some customers prefer social media, while others prefer email or text. Omnichannel marketing lets you reach your clients without missing out on any.

6. Improved Customer Win-Backs

It's important to contact customers immediately after they leave products in their carts. At this point, their intent to buy is still strong.

Offering them timely next-best offers across channels boosts conversions.

Real-Life Examples of Omnichannel Approach

Let’s take a look at some brands that successfully used omnichannel marketing.

• Leesa

Leesa, a luxury mattress company, offers discounts for signing up with email addresses. This helps build on client data, which is later used for marketing.

If visitors add a mattress to their cart but leave, they will see retargeted ads on their social media. If the user has not converted after a week, Leesa will change its strategy. It then highlights its socially concerned side to appeal to new pain points. When the user returns to the website, they will be shown products that match the new message.

With this approach, Leesa keeps the messaging relevant and the brand experience seamless.

• Logitech

Logitech is an e-commerce platform for electronics. It takes customers to specific products with a 'Where to Buy' button. Based on factors like pricing and rating, it chooses which merchants to display first.

Logitech's multichannel marketing helps understand client preferences better. It tracks their product interests, recommending what they’re more likely to choose. This helps improve customer experience.

These are only two examples to help you plan your strategy. However, there are many more ways of implementing an omnichannel approach. Your methods can vary as per the channels you use and the needs of your target audience.

Benefits of Multichannel Marketing

If you wish to target different audiences, you might choose multichannel marketing. Here’s how it can help you:

1. Increased Touchpoints

Multichannel marketing lets firms be present at every stage of the consumer journey. From discovery to post-purchase support, brands can remind customers of their values. This builds trust with clients and ensures it grows over time.

2. Enhanced Customer Intelligence and Data-driven Decisions

A multichannel approach gives brands a diverse set of data. This data is vital. It reveals consumer behaviours, wants, and preferences. It enables better decision-making.

Unlike omnichannel insights, it presents information about different demographics.

3. Increased Brand Loyalty

Loyalty is built on consistent value addition. Multichannel marketing lets firms present their value in many ways. To build loyalty, attract customers to your brand with unique deals, like discounts.

4. Strengthens Trust

Marketing across many integrated channels builds customer trust in the brand. Contacting customers on their preferred channel shows you value them. It also shows you know how to reach them and ensures continuous loyalty to your brand.

Real-Life Example of Multichannel Approach

Here’s an example of how another brand uses the multichannel approach in its marketing.

• Vrbo

Vrbo is a major rental marketplace that meets customers' needs via multichannel marketing. It shares messages and user content on social media. This builds brand awareness and stirs travellers' emotions.

It uses multiple social media platforms to understand users' interests. Based on metrics like search history and re-engagement, it uses these channels to retarget ads.

Measuring Success: Metrics for Omnichannel Vs Multichannel

The success of omnichannel and multichannel strategies is measured by different indicators. For multichannel marketing, the following KPIs are used:

• Reach: Number of clients each channel has touched.

• Conversion Rates: The ratio of leads to sales per channel.

• Return on Investment (ROI): Determining the revenue by each channel.

In contrast, success in omnichannel marketing uses more integrated measures, such as:

• Customer Lifetime Value (CLV): The revenue a consumer generates with a brand over time.

• Customer Retention Rates: They record brand loyalty.

• Net Promoter Score (NPS): A measure of customer willingness to promote a brand.

You can use these indicators to check how your marketing is working.

GrowthJockey's Role in Optimising Your Marketing Strategy

Designing a marketing strategy for ever-changing consumer preferences is tough. Choosing between multichannel and omnichannel marketing takes the difficulty to a new level. This is where GrowthJockey can assist you.

We are full-service growth and marketing partners. We help businesses, regardless of size, at every stage of their journey. Whether you are rethinking your marketing or starting afresh, we handle everything.

Wrapping Up on Multi-Channel Marketing vs Omnichannel

Omnichannel marketing creates a more personalised marketing experience than multichannel. Businesses use multichannel to create a diversified marketing strategy.

Multichannel may offer more touchpoints but omnichannel ensures that they work together. It creates a complete customer experience across all platforms to boost customer satisfaction.

To meet the needs of your contemporary customers, use omnichannel. It is beneficial for businesses of all sizes and offers the user a customised experience.

Looking for a new way of marketing? Contact GrowthJockey to revamp your marketing approach. Let’s change the way you speak to your customers!

FAQs on Omnichannel vs Multichannel Marketing

1. Which is better: multichannel versus omnichannel?

An omnichannel approach seems ideal. It boosts the shopping experience and long-term revenue. Multichannel suits firms that want many but less integrated communication channels.

2. Which best describes the differences between the multichannel and omnichannel retail approach?

There are two critical differences between multichannel and omnichannel strategies: focus and personalisation.

A multichannel approach aims to be present on many channels. It need not connect them or consider preferences . It must ensure a consistent experience. An omnichannel approach uses different channels for the same audience. This allows customisation of experiences.

3. Why is multichannel strategy preferable?

Multichannel is a great choice if you can't afford omnichannel. It's also good if you want to reach customers on many platforms. It helps you engage with your audience where they are.

4. Why is omnichannel better?

A brand must use omnichannel marketing. It ensures a consistent customer experience across all touchpoints. This method ensures all channels are part of a unified strategy. It aims to strengthen customer relationships.