Table of Contents
1. Personalization of Ads and Marketing
2. Augmented Reality AR Applications
3. Mobile Integration
4. Use Video Content
5. Shoppable Videos
6. Contactless Transactions
7. Chatbots
8. Applying Customer Data offline
9. Conclusion
In today’s exponentially progressing economy, staying updated with the latest developments, changes, and trends is highly essential. Here are seven strategies that will help you keep up with the future of omnichannel marketing.
Personalization OF ADS AND MARKETING
According to a report by HubSpot, 79% of the customers stated that personalized customer service is more significant than marketing.
When your organization opts for an omnichannel marketing strategy, the most critical aspect is to put your customers’ requirements and interests first. A personalized approach will gain you reliable employees, loyal customers, and numerous referrals.
Microsoft revealed that 96% of customers say customer service is an essential aspect of their loyalty to a particular brand.
You can provide the personal touch by training your agents about personalized communication. Your customers will expect you to know:
- Their name and location information
- Past conversations
- Their previous purchases
A unified and personalized experience will not only favor trust and loyalty but will gain you positive reviews and referrals. For example, the customer expectations report of 2020 by HubSpot revealed that 77% of your satisfied customers would bring referrals to your organization.
Augmented Reality AR Applications
One of the best ways to give a personal touch is Augmented Reality (AR). It will help to provide a view about how your products will fit in their lives. Several brands like Shopify, Target, IKEA, and Home Depot have embedded AR in their customers’ shopping experience.
Here are some examples of how AR helps marketers to promote business:
They help to try on spectacles, sunglasses, apparel, and accessories to see if they will suit you
Filters from social media let you test the hair color dye that will suit you
It gives you a preview of how a particular furniture piece like a table or sofa will fit your living space
Mobile Integration
By the end of 2021, the e-commerce industry will make around 73% of sales through smartphones. (Statista)
People spend a lot of time on their smartphones. So, you should integrate mobile channels like chats and texts to leverage more leads, increase conversions, and generate more sales.
Video Content and Shoppable Videos
Video content and shoppable videos are expected to lead the market in 2021.
Consumers are around 85% more likely to buy a product after watching a video about it. Also, one-third of the consumers spend their time watching online videos.
93% of brands said they got a new customer because of a video on the social media platforms. (Source: Animoto).
The data above indicates that selling through video content is to become a significant trend.
You might know about the trend of tapping on products on an Instagram post to buy them. Shoppable videos apply the same logic. Shoppable videos help promoters target particular segments without feeling intrusive.
Contactless Transactions
According to a survey, 67% of consumers stated that they would continue using curbside pickups even after the pandemic ends.
Retailers and brands will create in-store applications and push them for their consumers to ensure contactless transactions.
Consumers with many touchpoints will expect more options at each stage, from pickup options, delivery, and logistics to the point of purchases and social distancing protocols.
Chatbots
The use of digital aids is essential with the accelerating digital demands. For instance, more than 50% of businesses plan to spend more on chatbots than mobile applications.
Use the right tools to plant customer data in the bots. By giving chatbots a personal touch, you can make the customer feel known. As a result, the workload of agents gets reduced, and it will also increase consumer engagement.
Apply Customer Data Offline
A report by Harvard Business Review showed that 73% of the customers use multiple channels in their shopping journey.
The direct-to-customer brand always has the advantage of leveraged data and customer relationships. Applying this structure to other channels will create effective promotions, more conversions, improved product development information, and strengthen consumer relationships.
Conclusion
The pandemic has brought significant changes in shopping behaviors and trends, which are most likely to continue even after the pandemic is over. To provide a seamless and unified experience to the customer, approaching omnichannel marketing is essential.
Deepak Wadhwani has over 20 years experience in software/wireless technologies. He has worked with Fortune 500 companies including Intuit, ESRI, Qualcomm, Sprint, Verizon, Vodafone, Nortel, Microsoft and Oracle in over 60 countries. Deepak has worked on Internet marketing projects in San Diego, Los Angeles, Orange Country, Denver, Nashville, Kansas City, New York, San Francisco and Huntsville. Deepak has been a founder of technology Startups for one of the first Cityguides, yellow pages online and web based enterprise solutions. He is an internet marketing and technology expert & co-founder for a San Diego Internet marketing company.
