Omnichannel Messaging is when you enable a customer to continue their conversations with the company from one channel to another. It’s when all modes of communication and marketing are integrated for an easy customer experience. These channels include E-mails, social media websites such as Instagram & Facebook, text messages, Google Business Messages, WhatsApp, etc.
Omnichannel Messaging is an amazingly effective way for companies to manage their customers. It not only empowers the customer to handle their issues through the channel that is most convenient to them but also bolster the company’s reputation with the potential for greater customer acquisition.
Functional Areas of Omnichannel Messaging
Omnichannel Messaging is used in various facets of business. Some of the functional areas which most utilize and are positively impacted by Omnichannel Messaging platforms are as follows:
Marketing
The most compelling use case for Omnichannel Messaging is marketing. You can connect with a customer through different channels and promote the same product in each conversation.
For Example: You receive a promotional offer through an e-mail, and you visit their website. You use Live Chat to know more about the product but do not complete the purchase. After a few days, you interact with their Instagram handle and the conversation continues seamlessly following which you complete your purchase. This is end-to-end integration of a customer’s conversation and data across all channels which improves the marketing efforts of a firm.
Customer Service
It is an undisputed fact that customer service can make or break your business. Irrespective of your credibility or brand, a customer’s opinion matters. Omnichannel Messaging ensures that you promptly address and resolve issues. It also solves the problem of unavailability of representatives, and it makes the process much more convenient for the customer as well.
For Example: Customer executives have the flexibility of being privy to a single conversation irrespective of the number of platforms through which the customer has interacted with the company. The productivity rates increase, response time decreases, and the time taken to resolve issues also decreases. Customer Service at its excellence.
Sales
Although not traditionally used for the purpose, Omnichannel Messaging encourages sales. Customers can conduct business however and wherever they want as they have the freedom to clarify their doubts over a channel of their choosing and convenience.
For Example: Sales representatives are able to sell their products better since they are able to carry on a conversation from one medium to another with detailed analytics about the customer preferences and buying patterns. They are able to personalize the sales process depending on the customer preferences.
Advantages of Omnichannel Messaging
Now that we know the use cases for Omnichannel Messaging, you also need to know the inherent benefits of the same. Let’s have a look at them to understand how is it that it’ll make your business better:
New Customers
You can never be sure of who your customers are. They might have come in contact with your products through a channel that you didn’t anticipate they would. Omnichannel Messaging makes sure that you do not miss out on any customer while possessing the potential to reach out to more. Here’s a little fact - The customer retention rate is 89% for omnichannel engagement strategies.
Greater Efficiency
Enabling Omnichannel Messaging lets a company collect customer information from one platform and integrate the data over all the channels. Every conversation can be carried forward from the point where it was left off and each customer support executive will have all the required information when an existing user initiates a conversation. This ensures greater operational efficiency and avoids the pain of having to repeat the same details again.
Increased Customer Satisfaction
Right message through the right channel at the right time can make a monumental difference in customer satisfaction. There is an increased rate of customer engagement since they can respond through the channel that most suits them. Customer retention tends to be higher for a company that has adopted omnichannel strategy.
Increased Sales
Omnichannel Messaging is a very efficient way of closing sales. Personalization leads to an enhanced buying experience which leads to new customers for the company. With that sales increase and so do repeat purchases which in turn leads to increased revenue. It can also prolong Customer Lifetime Value that is a crucial aim of any business.
Tips for Omnichannel Messaging Strategy
An Omnichannel Messaging must be precise and should include certain best practices of the business so that your efforts cover all bases and yield the best results. Here’s some of the most effective tips that you can incorporate:
Understand Preferences
You should understand various customer touch points for different channels and what their transition patterns are. Understand their frequency of usage, which media can be used to ‘close sales’ based on their purchasing patterns and a customer’s perception on legitimacy of a brand.
For Example: Some customers do not consider brands which advertise on Instagram to be legitimate. Rather, they view them as hack products. Hence, Omnichannel Messaging works better when there is a clear understanding of customer preferences.
Brand Consistency
A customer will place his trust in a company which is consistent across all channels of communication. It’s vital that the channels which you manage do not oscillate through extremities wherein there’s quick service through social media handles and E-mail correspondence does not come through.
For Example: The more familiar a customer is with your message, tone, style and language, the better. Consistency ingrains your brand into the minds of the customer and makes sure that they remember you.
Chatbot Supremacy
One of the most crucial aspects of an omnichannel messaging strategy is the quality of Live Chat. Most customers prefer using Live Chat since it guarantees quicker replies or so is the perception. So, if it’s choosing a chatbot provider or building one yourself, make sure it adds to the brand’s image positively.
For Example: Automated and keyword replies, integrating AI capabilities and leveraging the power of rule-based conversations should be your priority. Make the experience as pleasant as possible for the customer. Test the chatbot across all platforms and optimize its performance and responses on a timely basis.
Customer Relationship Management
Integrating all the data gathered about customer preferences for customer relationship management is extremely important for Omnichannel Messaging strategy. This unification ensures seamless and continuous conversations between channels. A central database is a key component to an Omnichannel Messaging Strategy.
Mobile Optimization
Majority of customers use their mobile phones to interact with company’s applications. You must tailor and design your mobile devices to facilitate automation, send timely messages and respond to customer queries on the go. Hence, be it any media channel, you must adjust it to suit mobile device usage.
Omnichannel Messaging vs. Multichannel Messaging
There’s a lot of confusion regarding omnichannel and multichannel messaging. While both these modes use more than one communication channel, there is a major difference between the two.
While Omnichannel Messaging is a seamless and high-quality integration of conversations across all modes, Multichannel Messaging is utilizing different marketing and message distribution channels wherein every conversation is independent and is standalone. Here, the advantage of using Omnichannel Messaging is that it makes the experience easier for both the customer and the company.
Conclusion
Marketing has become an art form in itself. It has evolved into an inseparable part of a product or service. Most of us seldom recollect a time wherein we made our last purchase not influenced by a firm’s marketing. More often than not, it is the way they advertise themselves towards which we are drawn. Omnichannel Messaging with all its benefits, use cases and statistics make a compelling case regarding the effectiveness of its implementation for management and marketing. Here’s to your company effectuating the change that it needs.
Comentarios