Marketing is about the Engagement, Not the Channel
Multichannel marketing, once the hot new thing, is being displaced by the new darling of the social media crowd: omnichannel marketing. Channel-less marketing, as Paul Greenberg, CRM expert, calls is the new kid in town.
The original “social customers,” according to Greenberg, were on the cusp of the wave. They weren’t engaging: they were using specific social media channels to get what they wanted. Now people are full “digital customers,” engaging on their terms, on a variety of channels, in a way that demands a brand be prepared to work to gain their trust.
This distinction, Greenberg explains, is extremely important. “And contrary to popular belief, this has nothing to do with a generational shift,” Greenberg says. It has everything to do with the omnipresence of all kinds of channels and the way we effortless switch between them.
Greenberg cites the way people flawlessly jump from text messages to Skype to Twitter. They may seek out a brand on one channel—following a page on Facebook, for example—but then engage on another, whatever is closest to hand at the time.
The solution, Greenberg says, is for brands to engage their customers across all these channels. Not through push advertising, but through being responsive, understanding the finer aspects of multichannel communication.
Greenberg refers to customer engagement technology as the cornerstone for brands looking to engage in omnichannel communications in the 21st century. In fact, it is precisely through using technology that brands can build the trust they need to attract and retain customers.
Think of it this way: when you talk with different groups—say co–workers or your spouse—there are major differences in what you say. However, it’s always essentially you at the core of those interactions. Greenberg lets us know that customer engagement technology can help an organization manage those same sorts of contextual interactions, even automating them, without creating a fragmented experience that drives away customers.
To hear Paul Greenberg’s complete thoughts on omnichannel marketing and the role CRM plays, watch the entire complimentary on demand webinar.
