Never before in history have there been so many opportunities for advertising. From display ads to traditional TV to OOH to mobile devices, there are dozens of avenues brands can utilize to put their message forward. But that raises one key question: which platform is ideal? Or, more accurately, which platforms are best?
Some brands are dedicated to a single-platform strategy, focusing on one method over all others. While this can be effective, depending on the brand and target audience, for most, this means missing out on the benefits of omnichannel advertising. Purchase rates are 287% higher with omnichannel strategies in use versus single-channel advertising. By running ads across multiple channels, whether two or ten, it’s possible to widen reach, expand the customer base, and move into new areas of the market.
What Is Omnichannel Advertising
Omnichannel advertising is a simple way to refer to advertising across multiple different channels, contacting customers at as many touch points as possible. However, omnichannel advertising is also about creating a compelling and comprehensive campaign to best meet buyers where they are rather than a scattershot approach. This means finding savvy ways to consistently engage, whether that means tablets, smartphones, computers, television, streaming services, or all of the above.
Omnichannel advertising sounds the same as multi-channel advertising, but there are some differences. In multi-channel advertising, touchpoints are usually approached in silos rather than tailoring a strategy in a customer-centered way. Omnichannel is uniquely cohesive, making the most of every potential avenue with the same end goal in mind.
The Benefits of Omnichannel Advertising
There’s a lot to love about omnichannel approaches to advertising. These are some of the biggest advantages brands that leverage these strategies successfully can expect.
The Ability to Tell a Cohesive Story
When customers only encounter a brand once, or on one platform, they’re not able to explore all of the facets of a company’s product or services. Omnichannel advertising allows brands to better create a story across devices and platforms, creating the ability to tell a cohesive story and measure across all applicable touch points.
Brand Awareness Over Time
Some customers may remember a brand they encounter once, but the more platforms and avenues in use, the more likely it is that a customer will be aware or interested in what a brand has to offer. Purchase decisions can take time to cement, and one encounter may not be enough. Long-term awareness can translate to long-term sales, building a loyal user base versus a one-time sale.
A Better Audience Experience
Advertising across multiple channels allows brands to reach out to prospective customers across numerous avenues – something that threatens to overwhelm viewers. A fragmented strategy eliminates a way to manage how often customers see ads, but omnichannel advertising overcomes this potential downside. By employing a more strategic cadence, brands can be sure their ads are being seen by the right people at the right time versus everyone, all at once. This also allows for the opportunity to personalize based on previous exposure and the platform in use.
Reach New Customer Segments
When using one avenue for advertising, there are lots of limitations on who can be reached and when. Not all customers use all devices, so even the entirety of an audience won’t be in reach when one avenue or a less targeted multichannel strategy is in use. Employing an omnichannel approach, it’s possible to tap into new segments of the market and grow a customer base organically – not one by one.
Increased Operational Efficiency
Omnichannel advertising may bring benefits in customer exposure and brand awareness, but it also has benefits in increasing operational efficiency. With an omnichannel strategy in place, companies only need to collect customer data one time vs. once per touch point. In addition, this means that there’s no need to implement unique strategies for every channel.
This translates to cost savings as well, including improved inventory turnover by optimizing stock levels, reduced time spent on redundancies in advertising, and flexibility in moving ad dollars to the avenues proving most effective without delays.
Better Access to Data
Data collection is a key part of planning ad campaigns that work. Now that third-party cookies are falling by the wayside, companies are always on the hunt for new ways to collect data and target customers. Luckily, omnichannel advertising can lead to better, more accurate data.
Data is important for many aspects of advertising, but above all else, the right information makes it easier to meet customer needs. This includes tracking metrics for things like sales, conversions, and engagement, as well as customer demographics. With the right tools in place, it’s possible to get a full-picture analysis of who customers are, what tactics best drive sales, and how to craft a compelling and effective campaign across all platforms.
More Sales
In essence, all of these advantages come down to one key upside: more sales. When customers experience advertising in a natural, flexible, and personalized way, they’re more likely to spend money on the products they see. In addition, with ongoing brand awareness, they’re more likely to be regular customers, making more purchases than just one. And, if tactics aren’t leading to more sales as anticipated, omnichannel advertising makes it easy to pivot and try something new based on collected data.
For most brands, leveraging omnichannel advertising will come with far more advantages than risks. Benefiting everything from customer experiences to data collection to every company’s goal – more sales – exploring strategies across numerous digital platforms can help any business grow and evolve in the right direction.
