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Omnichannel messaging: What it is and how it works

Connecting with customers isn’t as straightforward as it’s been in the past. Modern businesses must juggle various communication channels while ensuring consistent messaging and avoiding repeated offers. 

Omnichannel messaging offers businesses a centralized solution to customer communication. In this article, we’ll explore its benefits and offer solutions for effective implementation. 

Jump right to: 

• What is omnichannel messaging?
• Trends in omnichannel messaging
• Benefits of omnichannel messaging
• Key omnichannel messaging channels 
• How to create an omnichannel messaging strategy 
• How to choose an omnichannel messaging platform

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<h2 id="What">What is omnichannel messaging?</h2>

Omnichannel messaging is a customer-centric approach in which all communication channels are integrated into one unified platform. This allows brands to see and respond to conversations and synchronize data across multiple channels. 

Omnichannel messaging platforms allow businesses to send messages from multiple channels (like web chat, SMS, and social media) within a single location. This synchronized communication goes a long way to improve brand reputation, expedite the sales cycle, and improve customer satisfaction. 

Omnichannel vs. multichannel: What’s the difference? 

Often confused with multichannel messaging, omnichannel messaging offers a more unified customer experience focused on engaging the customer. Multichannel strategies are product-centric, whereas omnichannel approaches are customer-centric. 

Businesses using a multichannel approach don’t have access to a unified backend; instead, they answer customer communications through each individual channel. This means that if a customer speaks to one representative through Facebook Messenger, their conversation history will not be viewable by another representative responding to customers via SMS.  

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<h2 id="Trends">Trends in omnichannel messaging</h2>

Let’s dive into two trends shaping the omnichannel messaging landscape.

AI-powered omnichannel messaging 

Artificial intelligence is an emerging trend shaping how businesses communicate. Let’s look closer at ways that AI is improving omnichannel communication strategies. 

• Optimization. AI can analyze massive amounts of customer and product data, helping businesses make data-driven decisions and develop effective outreach campaigns. With AI-provided data, brands can analyze which channels customers prefer to interact on, identify the best channels for conversion, and determine areas for improvement.
• Personalization. Personalizing your outreach to customers is no longer an option — it’s become a necessary practice for brands to stay competitive. AI tools can analyze a customer’s data, like purchasing habits,  to identify preferences and provide product recommendations. 
• Automation. AI is helping brands replace manual and repetitive tasks. Generative AI tools can provide representatives with message templates, objection responses, and product solutions in real time. 

The importance of mobile-first strategies 

Customers today expect a seamless experience when using their mobile devices to communicate with businesses. The negative side effects of delivering a poor mobile experience are extensive. They include: 

• Poor customer experience 
• Low lead conversion
• Decreased engagement 
• Lost revenue

To stay competitive, businesses must adopt a mobile-first strategy, prioritizing mobile users when choosing communication channels, building websites, and creating content. When optimizing your omnichannel strategy for mobile use, consider the following tips: 

• Implement mobile channels like SMS or smartphone apps 
• Ensure website pages shared in messages have a responsive mobile design
• Develop mobile-friendly contact forms and CTAs 

<h2 id="Benefits">4 benefits of omnichannel messaging</h2>

Let’s take a look at four key benefits of omnichannel messaging. 

1. Enhanced customer experience and retention rates

When customers receive consistent and reliable messaging from brands on their preferred engagement channels, satisfaction and retention rates increase. 

In fact, businesses that adopt an omnichannel messaging strategy retain 89 percent of their customers. When compared to the 33 percent retention rate of companies that don’t adopt omnichannel messaging, it’s clear that customers value an integrated and streamlined approach to communication. 

With centralized data, customers also can expect any representative they interact with to have the most up-to-date and relevant information. This further increases customer satisfaction and streamlines the buyer’s journey. 

2. Consistent brand messaging 

Omnichannel strategies combine messaging into one unified platform. This method ensures that customers receive consistent messaging, eliminates repetitive outreaches, and builds trust. 

Additionally, consistent messaging reinforces brand identity and recognition while emphasizing a business’ specific values and qualities to customers. 

3. Competitive advantage 

With customers expecting a seamless and personalized experience across all touchpoints, brands that embrace omnichannel messaging stand out from competitors and provide exceptional customer experiences. Plus, an omnichannel approach presents a more unified, reliable brand image to the public, boosting visibility. 

4. Better data 

Omnichannel messaging strategies provide businesses with a holistic view of their customer’s behaviors and preferences by combining data from multiple sources. With better data, businesses can improve customer experience, increase retention rates, and ultimately boost revenue. 

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<h2 id="Key">Key channels in an omnichannel messaging strategy</h2>

The following channels should all be considered when developing your omnichannel messaging strategy. 

Live web chat

Incorporating live chat into your omnichannel strategy effectively resolves customer issues in real time, increases satisfaction, and provides seamless customer communication. 

Unlike voice or email options, customers can ask questions, request product recommendations, or connect with a sales representative without waiting on hold or for an email response. In fact, adding a live chat feature to your website can increase conversion rates by up to 20 percent.

Pro tip: Combine live chat with AI-powered chatbots and provide customers with 24-hour instant assistance. 

SMS and MMS

SMS and MMS text messaging offers businesses an unbeatable 98 percent open rate, making it a reliable way to reach customers. Whether you’re sending customers abandoned cart notifications, sharing appointment reminders, answering questions, or offering special discounts, SMS is an effective way to get your brand’s message read.

Email

Email is still a powerful tool for connection. Think of email as the place to share longer-form content or updates with your customers. You may not want to use email simply to send a discount code, but perhaps include a discount code in a longer email to update customers on your new product release. Plus, email messaging is cost-effective and is easy to automate, schedule, or personalize.  

Social media

Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X (formerly Twitter) are the powerhouse platforms you should consider adding to your current channels. 

Social platforms engage customers at all stages of their buyer’s journey while enabling brands to deliver consistent visual content. Integrating social media channels into your omnichannel strategy can help ensure customers have an accessible, relevant, and unified experience with your brand. 

Even further, direct messaging allows your business to communicate directly and naturally with customers. 

Chat apps

Chat apps, like WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger, are essential platforms to include in your omnichannel messaging strategy. Currently, WhatsApp is the world’s leading messaging app, and Facebook Messenger has over 1.3 billion users globally. 

Embracing chat apps makes your company more accessible to individuals and extends to regions where SMS may not be available. Plus, they’re cost-effective for both businesses and customers to connect on. 

In-app messaging

If your business has a mobile app, in-app messaging is an effective way to engage customers. In-app messaging allows customers to ask questions without navigating to a separate messaging platform, effectively removing purchase barriers. Further, it keeps the customer on your app longer, increasing chances of conversion. 

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<h2 id="How">How to create an omnichannel messaging strategy</h2>

To build an efficient omnichannel strategy, you must combine market and customer research elements to understand which channels will be most effective for your business. Let’s look at the four key steps to developing a winning omnichannel messaging strategy. 

1. Do your research 

First, understand what platforms your customers and competitors use to ensure no missing messaging channels. Further, you’ll want to analyze the channels your business uses to understand performance and improvement opportunities. 

Try to approach your messaging strategy from a customer’s perspective. How can customers interact and engage with your product? Is your business easy to find and understand from an outsider’s perspective? Is your brand voice consistent across channels? 

Developing a holistic view of your current practices and those of others in the industry will allow you to build a base of channels on which to concentrate your efforts. 

2. Identify your ideal customer 

Use any data you can access, like website analytics, social listening tools, or transaction data, to outline an ideal customer and a target audience for your business. Once you’ve collected enough customer data, you’ll want to answer the following questions: 

• Does your ideal customer usually shop online or in stores? 
• What time of day do they usually shop? 
• Where do they go for customer support?

Answering these questions for your ideal customer will help you determine which channels to invest in.

3. Select your channels 

Consider the insights you’ve learned thus far and select messaging channels that you think will help you best reach your target audience. For your strategy to be effective, it should contain a mix of digital and traditional platforms to reach a wider audience base. A few examples of effective channels to consider include: 

• Email 
• SMS or MMS
• Social media (LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, X) 
• In-app messengers
• Chat app (WhatsApp, Viber, Facebook Messenger)
• Voice calling
• Web chat 
  

4. Set goals and objectives

Without setting goals or tracking metrics ahead of time, it’ll be nearly impossible to tell if your messaging strategy is effective. To ensure you’re maximizing ROI and reaching as many customers as possible, set goals for your teams that are compatible with the overall goals of your business. 

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<h2 id="Platform">How to choose an omnichannel messaging platform</h2>

Digital tools make omnichannel messaging possible. Selecting the right omnichannel platform for your business will be determined by the specific needs and channel preferences of your teams and customers. Overall, an effective omnichannel messaging tool should allow your business to: 

• Share  data between different channels and platforms
• Centralize communication to capture all customer interactions
• Scale your messaging as needed 

On a more granular level, your platform’s features should offer:

• Personalization 
• Security 
• A shared inbox 
• Efficiency features 
• Automation 
• Customer relationship management (CRM) integration

Power your omnichannel messaging strategy with Textline

Investing in omnichannel messaging can help businesses increase retention rates, boost brand recognition, and streamline customer experience.

The right omnichannel platform for your business will change depending on your use case and customer base.

If you’re looking for a platform that helps businesses coordinate communication from multiple platforms, look no further than Textline. Textline offers a unified inbox for messages from popular channels like web chat, Facebook Messenger, and Instagram. Plus, it has a pre-built integration with CRMs like HubSpot and Salesforce, which helps teams centralize communications with customers further.

Start building your omnichannel messaging strategy today with Textline’s 14-day free trial. 

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