Omnichannel Communication and Your Business

With the rise of smartphones and social media, communication channels have never been more open and easily accessible. You probably use multiple channels a day without even realizing it: calls, emails, texts and social platforms.

It isn’t just you that is now easier to contact than ever - your business is as well. This is great for lead generation because you are casting a wider net for potential customers, but it’s important to ensure you’re utilizing these channels to their full potential. Without a solid strategy, it’s easy for some channels to slip through the cracks, resulting in your customers having a poor experience on one channel versus another.

Managing these channels as a unified strategy is called omnichannel communication, and both you and your customers rely on it to stay connected in today’s world. Consider this: Your team may be great at remembering the customers who come into your store, including their needs and past experiences, but could be losing out on other leads by taking days to respond to direct messages on your social platforms. Maintaining brand consistency and being responsive on of all your communication channels is key to making sure no lead is left behind.

Here are two of the main channels that are central to creating an omnichannel presence:

Texting

Americans under the age of 50 say that their most common form of communication is texting (1). This may seem impersonal, but texting allows customers to have real-time conversations with your salespeople while on the go or multitasking.

Utilizing this form of communication allows your business to connect with customers on the channel they want to use most, as well as amplify your customer service by promptly addressing inquiries. Some conversations that easily take place over text with customers are:

● Sending past and current customers promotions or offers to bring business back in

● Scheduling appointments virtually

● Requesting customer feedback and sending post-visit follow-ups

● Sending reminders for upcoming services or linking to payment portals

Texting will continue to reign as a popular way to communicate with customers in 2022, so it is highly important for your business to integrate text into your communication strategy to help build and maintain customer rapport.

Social Media

Social media such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. is becoming more popular for customers to connect with a business. In fact, 63% of customers expect companies to offer customer service through their social media – and 90% of social media users have already connected with a brand or business through their chosen platform (2).

This means your company's social pages are crucial avenues to interact with potential and past customers. If you are not maintaining those inboxes and ensuring communications are handled quickly and correctly, you could be losing business. We encourage you to monitor your direct messages and post comments regularly and respond to any messages as quickly as you would an email or text.

Optimizing Your Channels

It can seem daunting to stay active on all the channels shoppers use to communicate with your business, but devising a plan can help keep those avenues operating smoothly for your business:

● Have a plan: Make sure your team knows where and how to engage with customers on these various channels by implementing digital customer service protocol.

● Be where the customers are: Notice the preferred channels your customers are using and utilize these channels to connect with prospective leads.

● Track interactions: Utilize a platform to track a customer's buying experience with your business from start to finish. For example, if a lead visits your website and then transitions to a text exchange with an employee, each of these interactions if captured in your database. You can make sure nothing is missed in their journey and they have a streamlined experience.

Omnichannel communication is a way for your brand to grow and to deliver an exceptionally unified experience for shoppers. It won’t happen overnight, though, as it takes time for your brand to find exactly what works for you . TCS Technologies can help your business create a successful omnichannel communication strategy. We invite you to reach out today and learn how.

(1)  Podium

(2)  Asset Digital Communications