The pros and cons of omni-channel marketing

There are pros and cons of any marketing tactic or strategy. But to make sure your brand is confident when implementing and monitoring the strategy for your omni-channel marketing, you need to understand both the pros and cons before you begin.

The pros outweigh the cons in our opinion, but we’ve selected an even number of both, so here are some of the pros and cons of omni-channel marketing!

P.S. Check out our step-by-step guide to omni-channel marketing here: 

Pro: Omni-channel marketing helps you remain competitive

With the consumers adopting an increasingly demanding attitude to pretty much every aspect of any retail brand, businesses can’t afford not to implement an omni-channel strategy. According to Lithium Technologies, 53% of customers who ask a brand a question on Twitter expect a response within one hour, so in order to retain loyal customers, your brand has to be present across a multitude of channels whilst offering unrivalled customer service.

Con: Omni-channel marketing isn’t simple

Unfortunately, an omni-channel marketing strategy isn’t as straightforward as your normal marketing strategy. This strategy is comprehensive and takes all channels into account with the aim of delivering a seamless customer experience regardless of device or channel. You have to understand each customer touchpoint before you even begin building your strategy, understanding your customers’ behaviour is key to getting this strategy off the ground.

Pro: You’re making your products more accessible to the customer

According to Facebook IQ, 54% of omni-channel shoppers say they are more likely to shop with a retailer that makes it easy to buy on several devices. It’s simple, your brand needs to be where its customers are, and if that’s several devices and a variety of channels, your brand needs to explore all relevant avenues in order to capitalise on this retail shift.

Con: True omni-channel marketing requires open communication

If your back office systems and teams don’t speak to each other, you’ve got a problem. Research conducted by Forrester Consulting found that conflicting priorities and organisational silos still remained a key challenge for retailers. Omni-channel marketing involves your entire fleet of employees, from the marketing department, right through to the customer service teams and shop floor assistants. Everyone needs to be on board and working towards the same objective to make your omni-channel marketing strategy a success.