Omni Channel Marketing Vs Multi Channel Marketing
Omni channel and multi channel. What’s the difference? In this article, we will be looking at the differences between omni channel and multi channel. Whether these are completely new terms to you or you are aware of them but need clarity on what they really mean. I have simplified this in this post to help clarify and guide your choice of application to your small business. So let’s jump straight into it.
What Channels Are
Let’s start with a few definitions. First of all, when we speak about channels, what we mean is a medium through which a brand can communicate with its customers. So in terms of marketing, a channel could be anything from a brand’s website, physical stores, billboard, or product packaging. Regarding customer contact, a channel could be anything from emails to phone calls, live chat or video calling.
Understanding Multi Channel And Omni Channel
Now the definitions of multi channel and omni channel. A multi channel approach is when a company uses multiple channels to spread the message about their brand. The channels are usually separate and don’t relate with one another.
On the other hand, an omni channel approach is about integrating channels with each other. To provide a seamless customer experience, every channel should integrate and relate with one another. The customer can switch effortlessly between channels.
Difference Between Multi Channel And Omni Channel
So the first key difference between multi channel and omni channel is that multi channel focuses on customer engagement, whereas omni channel focuses on customer experience. So the main purpose of a multi channel approach is to cast the net as far and wide as possible. This way, you can maximise the number of people who can come into contact with your brand. As such, one of the key metrics of a multi channel approach is customer engagement. For example, on a social media channel, the main aim from a multi channel perspective would be to increase followers likes, comments and shares.
On the other hand, omni channel is about creating a consistent customer experience. The end goal of an omni channel approach isn’t about increasing the number of eyeballs your brand gets, it’s about engaging with the people who are already interacting with your brand, to make sure that they get a seamless and consistent improved customer experience, regardless of what channel they’re using.
This all ties in with the next key difference omni channel is customer-focused, whereas multi channel is channel focused. If we take retail as an example, an omni channel approach is designed to make the shopping experience as effortless and easy as possible. The customer is placed at the centre of the strategy, and everything works out from that.
Omni channel shopping experiences remove the friction for moving across different touchpoints, making it easier for them to complete their journey. On the other hand, multi-channel is all about increasing and maximising the number of channels available to customers. It’s about increasing the number of channels available to customers, so they can choose which channel they’d like to interact with or contact the brand.
So now let’s look at the differences when it comes to customer contact channels. In an omni channel customer service strategy, the customer would be able to choose from whichever channel was available to them and know that the quality of the support they would receive would be the same across all channels. Notice that I said the quality of the support, not the support itself. Customer contact channels are deliberately varied. Because the type of support a customer might need is dependent on the situation, they’re in. So some channels might be more appropriate than others.
A multi channel approach here would again simply refer to the number of channels available to the customer. For example, a customer might choose to phone a customer services agent to discuss their query. If they then wanted to start a new conversation over email, chances are with a multi channel strategy; they would then have to start right from the beginning all over again.
With an omni channel approach, the customer could start that query on one channel, and if required, they can move the conversation across to another without the need to start all over again. For example, if a customer strikes up a web chat conversation on their phone, they can easily escalate this call to a voice or video call at the click of a button.
Conclusion
These are just some quick differences between the omni channel and multi channel approach to marketing. As a small business owner, your choice of ‘marketing strategy’ goes a very long way in determining how you will fare in the market. Will you extend your reach towards attracting the maximum number of potential customers across multiple touchpoints or will you focus on your quality of service for those already in your pipeline?
