Why a cross-channel strategy is going to be critical in post COVID-19 era

COVID-19 has definitely forced many businesses to accelerate their digital transformations. The virus literally lit a fire under many of our office chairs to spark immediate action into increasing our focus on communicating with customers using the right channel.

Many businesses are now in operation but clients are still preferring to transact remotely as most people are still working from home which has forced companies to learn to talk to customers digitally, with a cross-channel approach to ensure their message is heard.

Businesses need to find ways to create continuous customer experiences and maintain relationships with existing customers in meaningful ways that will last beyond the pandemic. Many digital agencies are recommending an increase in digital marketing budgets during this time to replace face to face interactions. Our challenge is to rethink how we deliver an integrated experience through a more effective mix of channels relevant to the new post-COVID-19 world, and with more relevant and targeted messages.

If you really think about it, marketing messages set the tone for how a brand is perceived by customers in a difficult time. And that is why so many companies are investing in digital marketing and cross-channel communications.

Some insights…

SMS messaging (followed by email) has been the preferred channel in SA in the past 5 months in SA

SMS messages are the preferred channel for many businesses– largely because they are quick and customers get resolution to their inquiries faster than any other channel.  They can also be sent in large quantities in bulk broadcasts and work well with conversational chatbots. But is this medium not already saturated and surely the response is weakened as a result.

It’s less about the sale and more about added value

This is a very important time for companies to develop relationships with customers outside of a purchase or a sale on every and any channel. Many top businesses are holding informative webinars or sending out updates on topics (much like this one) to build a layer or trust that can flourish into a revenue-driving situation in the future.

A highly personalized marketing message is vital

Gone are the forgiving days of organisations having customer data but doing nothing with it. Customers expect brands to know and understand them. They want brands to give them what they are looking for, using the right message using the right channel and to do this, brands need to understand behavioural analysis.

Communication when things go wrong is SO important

Oh my word, how many businesses in SA got this wrong. We all understand supply chain disruptions but then communicate with your people and all will be forgiven. Many times this was not communicated and resulted in slanderous social media posts on retailer sites for poor supply chain and being unresponsive to queries in this regard. The key is to over-communicate on every channel at a time like this.

Omnichannel communications

Being able to communicate with your customers, no matter the medium, is a major need for businesses. Following the SAPO closure in March and April, many businesses who previously relied on direct mail, had to see alternative channels to communicate to their customers. This is just one example of the impact COVID has had on business.

And there is definitely a greater interest from customers as they look to broaden the scope of their customer engagement across multiple channels, including SMS, WhatsApp, direct mail, MMS, mini mailer, Facebook Messenger, and voice.

Retail stores, restaurants, and other physical businesses are slowly recovering, but they must look to digital and omnichannel solutions if they plan on competing with their online competitors in the future.