Today’s brands are a different breed than those of just a decade ago. The rise of the internet, real-time social media, and an entire generation’s unparalleled addiction to smartphones are all catalysts for this new wave of emerging businesses.
Successful digital companies now not only sell a product, they also make it easy for their customers to sell products. Having a seamless user experience is now intertwined with the customer experience.
Traditional marketing strategies, such as email marketing, don’t cut it on their own anymore. Members of Generation Z, that critical audience born after 1995, are 3x more likely to open a chat message than an email. Marketers are being forced to redefine the tricks of the trade.
This new audience, combined with new emerging business models, has given rise to those who are now affectionately called ‘growth hackers’.
What is a Growth Hacker?
It’s important to remember, however, that there is a clear difference between a marketer and a growth hacker. Growth hackers are traditional marketers who have been altered in a way to be 100% focused on growth. Their sole purpose is to take a startup and scale it to epic heights.
Growth hackers emerged after the Silicon Valley tech boom of the mid-2000’s, after a small group of people helped catapult a few rapid-growth startups from the ‘basement’ stage to IPO’s almost overnight. While these ‘unicorn’ companies are highly rare, even by today’s standards, they still provide excellent context around growth hackers and scalability.
Every decision and choice a growth hacker makes hinges on one question: “Will this help my business grow?”. While traditional marketers have multiple priorities and focuses, growth hackers are solely fixed on taking their business to the next level. Every single email, social post, and demand generation activity hinges on growth, with no exceptions.
Even with these differences, however, growth hackers are not a replacement for traditional marketers. Every business still needs these broader marketing strategists to address overarching issues, one small part of which is growth. The key is for traditional marketing professionals and growth hackers to work together to create a seamless, optimized marketing strategy that elevates a brand and helps it grow.
Why is Omnichannel Marketing Important?
So why should marketers care about omnichannel marketing strategies?
Let’s look back at omnichannel marketing at its core; a strategic approach that means providing a seamless customer experience no matter how or where they are engaging with a brand. Whether through social media, a website, or even a brick-and-mortar store, the consumer is never confused or left asking questions when it comes to the user experience.
For today’s hyper-mobile audiences, omnichannel marketing experiences are a must for any brand. Consumers are constantly moving around and looking for other options. Omnichannel marketing helps cultivate these relationships to capitalize when the timing is exactly right.
This is why growth hackers should leverage omnichannel marketing strategies to truly create loyal brand advocates across multiple platforms, devices, and segments. Growth hackers can leverage these personal 1:1 interactions with consumers to increase brand awareness and growth at every single point of the consumer lifecycle.
For early stage startups especially, omnichannel strategies are a great way, not only to build a very loyal customer base, but also understand the customer audience in more detail. Building and optimizing interactions at every step of the buying journey helps realize growth goals faster.
How Can Growth Hackers Take it to the Next Level?
Once growth hackers have a handle on omnichannel marketing, it’s time for them to take it to the next level. With the right tools and technologies in place, growth hackers can dig deep into data and insights to optimize omnichannel strategies. Growth hackers can see what’s working and what may need a little more help.
It’s also important to look at which brands have had successful omnichannel strategies in the past. While many large corporations may come to mind first, there are plenty of lessons that smaller startups who were looking to scale can also teach. From mobile responsiveness, to attention to detail, growth hackers can take tried and true examples to heart. Brands only have one chance to make a good first impression, and it’s important to make it count.
Final Thoughts
Omnichannel marketing is a strategy B2C marketers can’t ignore in 2017. Growth hackers can take this trend to the next level by honing in on how consumers are engaging with and leveraging the brand.
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