Omni-channel marketing is the practice by which businesses interact with consumers via polymorphous channels, i.e. both direct and indirect, in order to sell those customers goods and services offered by a business.
So, by direct channels we mean, the business proactively reaches a customer through physical stores, direct mail or catalogues. And via indirect channels, by way of websites or on social media platforms, commonly referred to as inbound marketing.
The other means by which consumers are reached or influenced by omni-channel marketing are through text messages, search engine optimization or SEO, GPS (a customer’s proximity to goods or services) and emails.
So, in short, omni-channel marketing is a combination of inbound and outbound marketing practices with the end goal being that a customer is reached through a channel of his or her choosing.
At the end of the day, the customer is more in control of the buying process than the marketer is.
Back in the day, before the dawn of the social media influenced era, email marketing was king. It was only over a decade ago that most had considered email to be an outdated means of communication with the meteoric rise of platforms like Facebook and Twitter taking center-stage.
Most thought that the email, had met its match and its reign as the G.O.A.T (Greatest of All Time) had finally come to a shrieking halt.
Some went as far as to state that email was simply unreliable, that it needed a huge overhaul. That the carcass of the email, lay strewn on the side of the information highway, rotting. Boy, they couldn’t have been more wrong.
So, what changed? When and how did this one-time trusted messenger, pull- off the ultimate phoenix maneuver?
Those that prophesied the fall of the email didn’t account for the fact that email, was destined to evolve.
Well, come to think of it, everything from your social media accounts, online shopping escapades, to your most favored guilty pleasure gaming app, requires you to login. Pretty much everything you do online does these days. And when it comes time to logging-in, the one thing that you require, is a valid email address.
The biggest appeal of the mighty email is that, it doesn’t you cost a dime and the service is easy to use.
What’s even better about it is that emails can be well-timed and are easily testable.
The down-side is that it does explicitly require a customer’s opt-in approval, it sees much lower open rates than say direct mail and essentially its low-cost creates a certain blandishment among marketers to over-do it.
It’s like most Marketers at times go the extra mile, when it comes to helping a consumer reach his/her email storage limit by way of spamming the life out of them. Instead of them opting to invest more efforts in targeting or segmenting their email campaigns.
Sometimes if an email marketer cites a low email opt-out rate as proof that they’re not over-doing it; that might not entirely be true. Most customers that are at the receiving end of a plethora of email campaigns as part of numerous email marketing strategies practiced usually tend to tune-out rather that opt-out.
You might agree with the fact that it at times, can become a tedious task to delete the monstrous number of spoiler mails that good ol’ regular Joe receives on a regular basis. The run-of-the-mill businessman in 2018 received an average of 95 emails each day. Yes, average!
Related blog: 5 Common email List mistakes to Avoid
According to the Digital Marketing Association’s 2015 national client email report, the ROI for the email was a staggering 3800%.
Email Marketing even claimed the title of being the most effective channel according to research conducted by Smart Insights & Technology for Marketing and Automation, 2015.
It should come as no surprise that email marketing and omni-channel marketing are closely linked to one another.
After all, email marketing isn’t just another means to communicate with prospects and customers alike. It has proven itself to be an effectively efficient way to guide your customers and prospects to your end goal/result once you have your marketing collateral on-point.
And that feat itself is enough of a reason to cement the fact that, email is a crucial factor in the success of any omni-channel marketing campaign today and is here to stay for a very long time.
With ReachStream, you don’t just get a large Contact Database, instead you’re guaranteed to have the incentive of access to quality contact information that will do wonders for your business.
Go ahead, contact us for a free quote!
Remember, there’s no school like the old school and email as it were, still remains the proverbial headmaster.
Content marketing manager
Kate is the content marketing manager at ReachStream and is responsible for driving more traffic to the website. Her sharp wit, creativity, and extensive knowledge about the industry have allowed her to precede over the content team, turning in more leads and retaining more customer.
During the last two years, she has actively participated in strengthening the content team. Content might be the king, but engagement is the queen, and this lady rules the house.
Other than motivating the team, Kate loves to meditate and go for long walks.
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