How to integrate your physical and digital campaigns for an effective omnichannel strategy

One of the objectives of companies, whatever their activity, is to attract and retain customers. Tools such as promotional or directmarketing are proving their effectiveness, among other reasons, because they make it possible to combine physical and digital campaigns within the same strategy. We analyze this phenomenon and its specific benefits in greater depth.

These are the points we developed:

• The concept of omnichannel strategy and its role in direct marketing.
• Benefits of combining physical and digital campaigns.
• Keys to design a comprehensive plan combining physical and digital campaigns.

We recommend: What is direct marketing and its importance for companies.

Companies need to capture the public’s interest, hence they set up promotional plans. But is it effective to try to appeal to everyone in a generic way or is it more effective to focus on your target audience? Sometimes it is even necessary to go a step further and focus each plan on a specific and precise goal.

Data shows that direct marketing is more effective in attracting and strengthening the company/customer relationship. Response rates improve by as much as 35%, no less. And it makes sense, since these strategies launch a very specific message with a concrete action that reaches consumers in a more direct way.
If we add the omnichannel version, this impact is further reinforced. The company always prioritizes that the message reaches each customer through their preferred channel. But what happens if you can’t reach them by email, for example? Well, you can use SMS or another channel. In other words, the user is guaranteed to receive it.

Here is an interesting comparison between online and offline marketing.

Having demonstrated the effectiveness of using direct and promotional marketing strategies, we focused on the added benefit of incorporating an integrated strategy that combines physical and digital channels. And there are three beneficial impacts that are very interesting.

• Greater reach and personalization
  These strategies use metrics that evaluate the response and performance of the messages. This allows to implement changes if necessary and to have a direct connection with each customer in a much more effective way.
• Improved response and conversion rate
  Offering each user a personalized message and using their preferred channel increases their trust and improves loyalty. They feel more engaged and, as a consequence, are more motivated to respond.
• Strengthening the customer experience
  The use of technological platforms that integrate online and physical strategies allows for greater cohesion and coherence in the content of the message. But, at the same time, the message adapts to the channel and the customer enjoys a more efficient interaction.

These are the qualities of our CCM (Customer Communications Management), a solution to manage your company’s multichannel communications.

The key to a successful direct promotional strategy is personalization. Each company, at each specific moment, has a goal and seeks to generate an impact. Therefore, to be effective, there are many variables to analyze. However, along with these peculiarities, there are three elements that are decisive for an integrated plan of physical and digital messages to work.

• Audience analysis and segmentation
  Precise data must be managed to determine the target audience for each campaign. Then, the audience must be analyzed and segmented in order to direct the messages to the appropriate group in each case.
• Selection of appropriate physical and digital channels
  There are no better or worse channels, what matters to your company is that they are effective. And in direct marketing that means that the message reaches and impacts the customer. Therefore, you must have tools to identify in which channels each one moves more fluently.
  However, with omnichannel marketing you always ensure reception, because you use the available channels successively, until it is received.
• Definition of coordinated messages and timing
  The public immediately perceives incoherence and inconsistency in the messages. This generates doubts and distancing. Therefore, it is essential that the messages launched by all channels are the same, although adapted to the medium.
  And, also be careful with timing. The lack of coordination, the fact that the campaign is ahead or behind schedule can affect the feeling of inconsistency, of being out of place.

Don’t settle for just any direct and promotional marketing solution. At MailComms Group we have been innovating and proposing communication solutions that guarantee personalization with our customers for 30 years,contact our specialists!