All About Omnichannel Marketing
Have you ever felt like your digital communications and direct mail messaging don’t come from the same voice? If you have, maybe it’s time all your channels begin singing from the same songbook.
Donors think of their charitable giving as a singular, interconnected experience. Each direct mail piece, social media post, text, card and email joins together to form a collective part of their journey. In response, people’s perspective on every communication should be the same: donor-centric, cohesive and synergetic. This is omnichannel marketing.
According to a blog by EveryAction, omnichannel marketing “encourages nonprofits to examine their audience, messaging, timing, and channels holistically.” In doing so, it takes all fundraising communications (online and offline) into consideration to offer the best donor experience.
So you may ask, “Currently, I have both digital and direct mail strategies in place. Does that mean I’m taking an omnichannel approach?” The short answer: not necessarily.
To explain why, let’s begin with a simple yet essential distinction.
Digital Marketing uses the internet and other digital tactics to raise awareness, connect with users and inspire support.
Omnichannel Marketing offers a dynamic donor experience, where their interests and preferences remain central to all your digital and direct mail communications. Across every channel, your touchpoints build upon specific donor interactions to provide a tailored journey according to their engagement.
While you may spread your message and mission through digital and direct mail tactics, omnichannel fundraising goes beyond standard marketing methods.
Together, we can obtain valuable donor insights and preferences, offer multiple ways to give, engage with donors throughout their journey and inspire continued relationships and support.
HOW IS OMNICHANNEL MARKETING DONOR-CENTRIC?
A key component of omnichannel marketing is diversifying the platforms used to connect you and your organization to your donors. Donor-centricity thrives on offering dynamic options, allowing donors to learn about, interact with and give to your mission in the ways they prefer.
In addition to your direct mail communications, digital tactics and various giving platforms are each essential to connecting and building relationships with the many supporters of your organization. Several important fundamental digital strategies include:
- Website optimization
- Search engine marketing
- Email marketing
- Social media marketing
- Text marketing and Voice Broadcast
- Display advertising
- Direct mail URLs and QR codes
Utilizing many or all of these strategies ensures your organization is present wherever your donors are, giving them various avenues to get to know your cause and connect with your mission.
It’s crucial to expand your mission to the channels where your donors already are — not where you want them to be. In the words of our Digital Marketing Manager Aaron Robison, the question isn’t “what IS digital?” It’s “what isn’t?”
We can help you identify these key areas to develop your communications. Then we can have our subject matter experts craft your content around the information that interests your specific donors and compels them to give.
HOW CAN YOU GET STARTED?
Implementing an omnichannel marketing strategy ensures your messages will meet your prospects and donors where they are, through the channels they use and at every stage of their decision to support your mission. This approach transcends other marketing strategies to create compelling donor journeys.
At Summit Marketing, we offer those we serve fully integrated, omnichannel campaigns to create seamless donor and volunteer experiences from the first touchpoint forward.
Our strategy serves three main purposes:
- Deliver consistent, compelling messages and information across all channels at each step of the donor journey
- Provide both current and potential donors with a fulfilling and convenient experience during all interactions
- Recognize and appreciate every donor’s contribution and continue an invested relationship with them after they’ve made a gift
We know firsthand the importance of cohesive messaging. We work to fill any of the gaps between digital and traditional tactics so that every communication comes from the same voice, offering the same inspiration that touches hearts and moves spirits to give — and definitely sings from the same songbook!
Our Total Team of experts will help you implement a robust omnichannel strategy that not only aligns with your direct mail messaging but continues the conversation, pursues deeper relationships and increases volunteer, donor and community support.