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/>

As technology advances, the number of channels for promoting products and services increases. Brands are actively expanding their offline and online presence, choosing suitable strategies to achieve results. Among these strategies, multichannel and omnichannel marketing stand out.

These terms may seem like the same thing, referring to promoting a brand on several platforms. However, despite their similarities, they are different approaches with unique features, advantages, and disadvantages.

In this article, we’ll explore what omnichannel and multichannel marketing are, so you won't confuse them anymore. We’ll also look at the pros and cons of each strategy and help you understand which one to choose to achieve your business goals.

## Omnichannel marketing

An **omnichannel strategy** refers to marketing communications with customers through different but interconnected channels. The user can easily switch between online platforms and even offline locations, with information about their actions being retained, so there is no need to restart the interaction. In other words, the principle of omnichannel marketing is a seamless transition between digital channels for the user.

*For example, a customer places an order on an online store but doesn't complete the purchase. After some time, they receive an email about the abandoned cart, using the email address provided during registration.*

*Or, a person visits a physical store, scans a QR code to learn more about a product, and later adds it to their cart in the mobile app. They then receive a notification about the purchase via push notifications.*


<Img
img="/uploads/dunkin_donuts_push_e6504540cb.png"
alt="Dynamic content use case: delivery app notifications"
src="Image Source: Sendbird.com"
/>

Omnichannel marketing works by collecting data on the customer: their activities, orders, characteristics, and even the devices they use. Information from websites, social media, email, marketplaces, and other resources is gathered on a unified platform. This could be a CDP, where customer profiles with full data sets are created. From there, businesses can send email campaigns, SMS, push notifications, and other forms of user engagement.

<Note>
For more details on omnichannel marketing, see our article "[**Omnichannel, Its Benefits for Businesses & Implementation**](https://altcraft.com/glossary/omnichannel-its-benefits-for-businesses-and-implementation)."
</Note>

## Multichannel marketing 

**Multichannel marketing** is the communication with an audience through multiple channels at once: email, push notifications, SMS, social media, traditional media, and others. The key feature of this strategy is that the messages received by the customer on different platforms may not overlap and convey unrelated information.

*For example, a user might see an ad on social media about a discount on home goods in an online store. Meanwhile, an email marketing campaign announces the start of a brand contest, and an SMS informs them of a new store opening nearby.*

Multichannel marketing is used to reach a broad audience, and this strategy is not focused on an individualized approach but works with specific audience segments.

## Omnichannel vs multichannel marketing: the difference

<Img
img="/uploads/omnichannel_and_multichannel_marketing_e2a545dd03.jpg"
alt="Omnichannel and Multichannel Marketing: Pros & Cons, Difference"
src="Image Source: CCBill.com"
/>

The goal of both strategies is to lead the customer to a purchase or another action. However, omnichannel and multichannel marketing differ in several key aspects.
<Table>
|   | Omnichannel marketing | Multichannel marketing |
| ------ | ------ | ------ |
| **Personalization** | High level. Historical data about customers is collected, and individual offers are made through the channels most convenient for the user. Marketing tools are tailored to the buyer. | Absent or minimal. Campaigns often work on the "everything to everyone" principle with minimal segmentation. The focus is on reaching a broad audience rather than personalizing for each customer. |
| **Focus** | Omnichannel communication sells to the customer — it adapts to the specific needs, preferences, and behaviors of the individual. | Multichannel strategy primarily sells the product or service, emphasizing benefits and advantages. |
| **Channel consistency** | Omnichannel is designed for long-term relationship building with the customer and increasing loyalty. | Multichannel marketing is launched quickly (compared to omnichannel) and focuses on immediate sales and audience reactions. |
| **Time to implement** | Omnichannel is designed for long-term relationship building with the customer and increasing loyalty. | Multichannel marketing is launched quickly (compared to omnichannel) and focuses on immediate sales and audience reactions. |
| **Costs** | For channel consistency, a data collection system (platform) is required, which needs to be set up and maintained. Therefore, implementation is more expensive due to the use of IT tools and the services of highly qualified specialists. | Since there’s no need for extensive data processing, the cost of this approach won’t be as high as with omnichannel. The main expenses will be for the platforms used for sending messages and paying the marketer’s salary. |
</Table>

## Omnichannel and multichannel: pros and cons


There is no perfect approach between the two. Each has its strengths and weaknesses that must be considered when working and choosing a strategy.

### Multichannel marketing

**Advantages:**

- **High audience reach in a short period.** The idea of multichannel marketing is to be everywhere — engaging as many channels as possible. Content is posted on various platforms, increasing the chances of reaching the target audience. <p>
</p>
- **Increased brand recognition.** When a brand is present everywhere, it becomes noticeable to the audience. On a larger scale, it can even become a household name, as happened with Xerox and Pampers. Multichannel marketing, paired with the right strategy, can elevate a brand to this level. <p>
</p>
- **Simplicity of implementation.** Many communication services are intuitive and don’t require special knowledge. Therefore, a small team or even a single marketer (depending on the scale) can launch and maintain the process.

**Disadvantages:**

- **Lack of** [**personalization.**](https://altcraft.com/glossary/personalization-what-it-is-and-why-personalized-marketing-matters) This means the brand is essentially guessing whether it will meet the client's needs or not. There's a risk that all promotional efforts will be in vain. Additionally, inconsistency between channels can sometimes frustrate customers, complicating communication. <p>
</p>
- **Unpredictable results.** Without personalization, it's unclear if the [**offer**](https://altcraft.com/glossary/offer-what-it-is-what-for-it-is-used-and-how-to-come-up-with-it) will appeal to the client. The company then operates on guesswork, trying to find the right communication approach, which costs time and money.

### Omnichannel marketing

**Advantages:**

- **Trust and high loyalty.** This type of marketing is customer-focused and takes into account their needs for products/services. Users respond better when they feel cared for, and they trust the brand more. Trust is also reinforced by the consistency of visual and communication styles across different channels. Users recognize and remember them, helping the brand maintain its reputation. <p>
</p>
- **Improved customer experience.** Seamless communication and the preservation of customer activity history make purchasing and interaction with the company easier. This creates a positive experience and encourages customers to return again and again. <p>
</p>
- **Increased sales.** Personalization combined with convenient communication simplifies the conversion process. The customer is more likely to make repeat purchases and become a loyal client, resulting in stable revenue for the company.

**Disadvantages:**

- **Implementation complexity.** To make omnichannel marketing work, multiple communication channels must be coordinated, large amounts of data collected, and content adapted for each platform. This requires highly skilled professionals and enough time to set up and maintain the strategy.
While omnichannel marketing demands more effort, the results justify the time and financial investment. Convenient CDP systems, such as [**Altcraft Platform**](https://altcraft.com/en), help simplify omnichannel marketing by gathering customer data from various sources into a unified profile. Based on this information, communication across multiple channels can be personalized. With Altcraft Platform, omnichannel marketing becomes easier. <p>
</p>
- **Cost.** Implementing omnichannel marketing requires more tools and possibly hiring a team of employees, significantly increasing the budget for marketing and technical specialists who ensure the system's stability.

## Omnichannel and multichannel marketing: which to choose

When analyzing the pros and cons of both approaches, it may seem like omnichannel is always the better choice, but that’s not necessarily true. Depending on business goals and budgets, different options can be suitable.

Multichannel marketing is ideal for companies with limited resources and is beneficial at the start of a business or a new product/service launch. In such cases, customer data is either lacking or very minimal. To achieve quick results, a strategy of fast messaging across all marketing platforms is chosen.

Multichannel marketing is also used for specific advertising campaigns and testing hypotheses about the effectiveness of different channels and content.

Omnichannel marketing is the path for customer-centric brands that prioritize user needs and build their strategies around them. This approach is also useful for companies ready to grow and develop, while wanting to control and predict that growth through data collection, integration, and analysis.

Omnichannel marketing benefits brands that need to connect offline and online sales points into a single, transparent system. This allows them to see the entire customer journey and improve their experience at each stage.

## Summary

Multichannel and omnichannel marketing are similar concepts that are often confused. In both cases, communication happens across multiple channels, but there are differences. Multichannel marketing involves the uncoordinated use of platforms for promotion. Messages do not consider the customer’s previous experience, and this strategy is aimed at quick sales. In omnichannel marketing, all channels are aligned, the transition between them is seamless, and personalization is present. However, this approach requires more investment and effort.

Multichannel marketing is suitable for businesses with limited budgets and those in the early stages. Omnichannel marketing is chosen by customer-focused companies that want to improve their service and connect all channels into a unified profile. Both strategies are versatile and can help boost business performance.


Multichannel uses multiple uncoordinated channels for quick sales, while omnichannel aligns all channels for seamless, personalized customer experience.

omnichannel-blog.png

About what these strategies mean, what are the pros and cons, and which one to choose to achieve your business goals.

Omnichannel and Multichannel Marketing: Pros & Cons, Difference

Omnichannel and Multichannel Marketing: What's the Difference

<Img
img="/uploads/Pop_ups_e8d206ea92.png"
alt="Pop-ups: Definition, Purpose for Business, Its Types"
/>



A "pop-up" is a graphical user interface element that appears on top of the main content on a website or in a software application. Pop-ups have been around since the early days of the internet and continue to be in use today.

While the opinions of marketers about this tool have always been mixed, pop-ups can be found on hundreds of websites. Pop-ups are used for collecting contacts, increasing sales, and informing users.

We will explain how to create pop-ups correctly to avoid irritating users and provide examples of pop-ups from brand websites.

## What are pop-ups and their benefits for business

A pop-up is a type of window that appears unexpectedly on a website at a specific point during page viewing. Pop-ups offer users the opportunity to subscribe to a newsletter, download free materials, provide information about promotions and discounts, or simply convey important information.


<Img
img="/uploads/image5_afa0d0dd43.png"
alt="Example of a pop-up window"
src="A pop-up window"
/>





### The purposes of pop-ups include:

**Lead generation.** Pop-up notifications encourage users to provide their contact information in exchange for a gift, information, discount, or another [**offer**](https://altcraft.com/glossary/offer-what-it-is-what-for-it-is-used-and-how-to-come-up-with-it). This helps businesses generate leads (phone numbers, emails) and continue communicating with potential customers through email marketing and other methods, ultimately leading to conversions.

**Increasing sales.** Pop-ups inform users about current promotions and discounts that they shouldn't miss. Without such a pop-up, customers might not discover the attractive offers on the website, potentially leading to increased sales.

**User retention on web pages.** Search engines often evaluate websites based on the duration users spend on them. The longer a user stays on a site, the better it is perceived by search engines. To retain users, exit-intent pop-ups can appear when a user attempts to leave the site, capturing their attention and motivating them to stay.

**Information delivery.** Pop-ups are an effective way to communicate changes in a company's operations, technical updates on the website, and other important information. Using pop-ups ensures that information reaches customers, preventing negative reactions from those who were unaware of the changes.

**Conducting surveys and Tests.** Pop-up windows are used to conduct A/B testing for offers, advertising designs, and more. They can also be used to gather user feedback through surveys.

**Sending reminders.** This is particularly useful for e-commerce websites when a user [**adds items to their cart**](https://altcraft.com/blog/how-to-reduce-cart-abandonment-rate) but forgets to complete the purchase. A pop-up page can remind users of their incomplete action, potentially recovering abandoned carts and boosting sales.


## How to create a proper pop-up

Creating an effective pop-up requires careful planning and consideration of several key factors to avoid irritating users and achieve your intended goals. Here are some tips for creating pop-ups correctly:

**Timing:** Choose the right moment for your pop-up to appear. Avoid triggering pop-ups immediately after a user lands on the page, as this can be annoying. Consider options like exit-intent pop-ups, time-based pop-ups, or triggers based on user actions to display pop-ups at more relevant moments. Test different timing strategies to find the most effective one.

**Distinctiveness:** Ensure that your pop-up's design and format stand out from the rest of the content on your site. It should not blend in with other ads or elements, especially if it appears outside the center of the page.

**Clarity and simplicity:** Keep the pop-up straightforward and uncluttered. Use clear and concise text to explain your offer or what you want from the user, whether it's subscribing to content, providing contact information, or taking some other action. Avoid multiple offers in a single pop-up, and make sure the close button is easy to find.

**User benefits:** Clearly communicate the benefits to the user if they take the action you're asking for in the pop-up. Explain what they will receive in return, whether it's a purchase bonus, free materials, or valuable information.

**Device adaptation:** Test how your pop-up form is displayed on desktops, tablets, and smartphones. Nobody likes extra actions or scrolling through a huge pop-up on a small screen—users may simply close the page in such situations. By the way, [**mobile pop-ups deliver 42% better results**](https://getsitecontrol.com/blog/website-popup-statistics/) than desktop ones.

**Placement:** Experiment with different pop-up placement options. The classic center-of-the-page pop-up is not the only choice. Pop-ups can also appear on the sides, top, or bottom of the page. Testing will help you determine the right placement for your specific audience and goals.

**Moderation:** Avoid bombarding users with multiple pop-ups every few seconds or on every page. Moderation is key to prevent user annoyance and maintain a positive user experience.

**Remember** that there is no one-size-fits-all solution for the timing, design, and placement of pop-ups. Test, test, and test again to find what works best for your specific situation.



## What pop-ups can be 
Pop-ups can be categorized based on their **placement on a webpage**:

- **center pop-ups:** these pop-ups appear in the center of the page, covering either the entire screen or a part of it; <p>
</p>
- **sidebar or scroll-following pop-ups:** these pop-ups are located on the side of the page and move along with the user's scrolling; <p>
</p>
- **top and bottom bars:** these pop-ups often take the form of narrow bars that appear at the top or bottom of the screen.


<Gallery>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/popup_center_a08bdf90d2.png"
thumbnail="/uploads/popup_center_a08bdf90d2.png"
/>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/scrool_following_7f9ebb126b.png"
thumbnail="/uploads/scrool_following_7f9ebb126b.png"
/>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/popup_at_top_5fbf023479.png"
thumbnail="/uploads/popup_at_top_5fbf023479.png"
/>
</Gallery>


**By timing of appearance**, there are welcome pop-ups: a user enters a page, and after a few seconds, a notification appears. Other pop-ups "react" to actions or inaction: for example, a person viewed specific content, clicked a button, or left items in their cart. Another type of pop-up is retaining pop-ups that appear when closing a page.


<Img
img="/uploads/image1_85db73ddab.png"
alt="Example of a pop-up that appears when the user leaves the page"
src="A pop-up of leaving page"
/>





**By the content of the information**, pop-ups are divided into promotional, informational, pop-ups for collecting contacts through [**lead magnets**](https://altcraft.com/blog/what-is-a-lead-magnet), and for subscribing to content. Pop-ups may also include surveys and offers for a callback to the customer if they leave their contact information.


## Examples of pop-ups 

### Promotional pop-ups

These are pop-ups with discounts and promotions. They can be simple informational ones, notifying about discounts or offering promo codes. There are also interactive options with gamification.


<Img
img="/uploads/coffeeculture_3b4db20d85.png"
alt="Pop-up offering a 15% discount for subscription"
src="Discount pop-up"
/>





Pop-ups with gamification elements are a distinct type of promotion. Users are often offered the opportunity to spin a roulette wheel, similar to a casino, with the chance to win a bonus that will be sent to their email.

<Img
img="/uploads/wild_93a39beda8.png"
alt="Gamification in pop-up real example"
src="Real example of pop-up"
/>




### Pop-ups with lead magnets

Pop-ups with lead magnets offer users free materials in exchange for their contact information. This approach typically [**increases subscription rates**](https://getsitecontrol.com/blog/website-popup-statistics/) by an average of 155%.

For instance, a bonus might include a free course, some informational resource, etc.



<Gallery>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/lead_magnet_49db7b2cbb.png"
thumbnail="/uploads/lead_magnet_49db7b2cbb.png"
/>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/free_guide_41d0a3a0f5.png"
thumbnail="/uploads/free_guide_41d0a3a0f5.png"
/>
</Gallery>



### Surveys
Surveys are used to gather insights about the audience or as a method to engage users.
For example, a cosmetic website may suggest that users specify their skin type while filling out a subscription form in the pop-up. 


<Img
img="/uploads/surveywittpopoup_6ccb9f7733.png"
alt="Survey within a popup example"
src="Survey within a popup"
/>



Even simple "yes" or "no" responses can fall under this category of pop-ups. In this case, it's assumed that people might feel uncomfortable clicking "no" and potentially missing out, which may lead them to consider the offer.


<Img
img="/uploads/image11_cdfebe11f8.png"
alt="Pop-up with a survey"
src="Survey pop-up"
/>



### Informational pop-ups

Informational pop-ups are used to communicate changes in the company's operations, delivery, technical updates, and more. This category may also include rare and unique approaches, such as using pop-ups with video testimonials that accompany users as they scroll through a language learning service's webpage.


<Img
img="/uploads/infpopup_74afb5230a.png"
alt="Informational pop-up on the web store"
src="Informational pop-up"
/>





### Subscribe to the newsletter

These are the most common pop-ups that encourage users to leave their contact information so that the company can continue to send them content or other information. In this case, the pop-up is located at the bottom right of the page, allowing users to continue viewing website content without interruption and giving them the option to decide on their subscription at their own pace.


<Img
img="/uploads/offertosy_ubscribe_a2a2fc553f.png"
alt="Offer to subscribe in a pop up window"
src="Offering pop-up window"
/>




Popup subscriptions are typically combined with a promotional offer. In many cases, when subscribing, users are often offered a discount on their first order.


<Img
img="/uploads/subsforonlinestore_c836a50250.png"
alt="Popup subscription form on online store"
src="Popup subscription"
/>






### Callback request, registration forms, etc.

Pop-ups with a callback request immediately capture customers. On one hand, they collect contact information, and on the other, they facilitate [**the customer's journey**](https://altcraft.com/blog/stroim-customer-journey-map), as not everyone is comfortable making the first call.

However, registration forms in pop-ups are more common. They collect basic user information, which is then added to the subscriber's profile.


<Img
img="/uploads/registrationform_fe094f9b8c.png"
alt="Popup registration  form"
/>





## Summary

A pop-up is a website element used for lead generation, information delivery, and boosting sales through discounts and promo codes. Pop-ups can appear as a greeting when a user enters a website, after a certain time of viewing, or triggered by user actions. There are also exit-intent pop-ups designed to retain users who are about to leave the site.

To avoid irritating site visitors and make pop-ups noticeable, it's important to consider the timing of their appearance, allowing users to explore the page's content. Design should be distinct from standard advertising and not get lost in the content. Additionally, the placement of the pop-up matters, whether it covers the entire screen, appears in the center, on the side, or at the top of the page. There is no one-size-fits-all solution for pop-ups, and their effectiveness is often determined through A/B testing.




Website pop-ups generate leads, deliver info, boost sales with discounts, after a delay, or based on actions. Exit-intent pop-ups aim to retain departing users.

Pop-ups.png

Pop-ups: Definition, Purpose for Business, Its Types

Pop-ups: What Are They, Their Purpose for Business, and Types of Pop-Up Windows

<Img
img="/uploads/loyalty_program_trens_in_2022_a7fe7a8f10.jpg"
alt="Customer Loyalty Program Trends For 2022"
/>

Building customer loyalty is the key to driving repeat business, increasing profits, and developing a customer base of long-term, satisfied clients. A well-designed loyalty program can help you build brand loyalty and increase the lifetime value of every customer.

Yet, many programs fail to take off because they're not relevant to their intended audience. Customer loyalty will likely fall when you offer subpar reward programs that fail to meet the target group’s needs or expectations. Some people like getting discount coupons, others love free gifts, while some customers prefer to get early or exclusive access to new products or services.

It’s up to you to understand your customers and tailor your loyalty program strategy accordingly.

Let's break down the loyalty program trends that will shape 2022 and the coming years so you can build better relationships with your customers.

## 1. Gamify the Shopping Experience

As far as loyalty program trends go, gamification is leading the pack by a considerable margin.

By definition, gamification is the incorporation of game design elements, like point scoring, leaderboards, and competition with others to non-gaming contexts. As a marketing strategy, it can be used to create an immersive, engaging, and fun experience for your customers. Gamification works exceptionally well as a tiered loyalty program where customers have to earn a certain number of points to move up a level.

When you gamify a loyalty program, it creates an incentive for customers to interact regularly with your brand. They provide a sense of accomplishment by associating each repeat action that’s valuable to your business with a reward. As a result, customers’ purchase more frequently, spend more money, and are more likely to use their loyalty points to get rewards.

Gamification helps to [**grow brand awareness**](povyshayem-uznavayemost-brend-ustanavlivayem-avatar-email-otpravitelya) and loyalty while increasing user engagement. Plus, it creates an interactive community around your brand that’s key to growing your business.

Duolingo is a good example of how to use gamification in loyalty programs. The app has a free and paid version. In the free version, the user has only five hearts. If during the day he makes five mistakes, he will have to postpone classes until tomorrow. This way, they encourage users to upgrade to a paid Duolingo Plus version. 

<Img
img="/uploads/duolingo_gamification_0a21f22030.png"
alt="Duolingo gamification"
/>

## 2. Make It Mobile

As dependency on mobile devices increases, so do the opportunities for mobile-based loyalty programs. [**Mobile apps**](mobile-app-as-a-marketing-channel) allow you to track in-app customer activity and reward them accordingly. Through advanced analytics, you can understand your customers better to deliver more personalization and increase your sales.

When designing mobile loyalty programs, do not limit your rewards to purchases. The purpose of a loyalty program is to show customers that you care about them. For this reason, design your loyalty to focus on participation so customers can feel valued.

<Img
img="/uploads/subway_3ef9c5d271.png"
alt="Subway loyalty program"
src="Subway loyalty program"
/>

## 3. Focus on Multiple Touch Points

Developing a mobile loyalty program is a crucial step towards creating an [**omnichannel loyalty program**](omnichannel-vs-multichannel) that offers consumer rewards for any actions taken on any channel – online, in-app, in-store, or otherwise. An omnichannel program covers all touchpoints, whether customers promote a product on social media, leave an in-app review, or refer a friend via email.

Hybrid loyalty programs are the future and the key to prolonged customer engagement. Merge scannable loyalty cards with digital avenues to create a seamless experience for consumers. Your loyalty program should be adaptable, no matter how your customer chooses to engage with you.

## 4. End-to-End, Customized Loyalty Programs

Consumers want to choose how and when they engage with their favorite brands. End-to-end loyalty programs offer both traditional points-based programs and subscription loyalty programs, where customers opt-in by paying a membership fee to access enhanced benefits.

An end-to-end loyalty program creates a complete loyalty ecosystem that incentivizes new and repeat customers. Point-based systems allow new customers to experience all the benefits you have to offer with a low barrier to entry, while a premium loyalty program provides loyal customers with a VIP experience that keeps them hooked to your brand. Such programs emphasize the value of loyalty without alienating those who aren’t familiar with your brand.

## 5. Amazing Experiences Remain Essential

Going forward, customers expect personalized experiences from companies, be they a social media giant or a small business. Consumers are inundated with thousands of marketing messages every day making it challenging to break through the noise. One way you can do that is through [**loyalty partnerships**](customer-loyalty-program). For instance, developing a product line with an influencer or another brand will expand the reach of your brand and create new engagement avenues like contests, sweepstakes, and rebates.

Also, there’s an increasing demand for authenticity and social justice, which means customers are more likely to work with brands that have a conscience. By incorporating a charitable or sustainable aspect to your loyalty program, you can increase brand loyalty and attract customers whose views align with your values. It’s a great rewards program for small businesses that allows you to build a loyal, engaged community while creating opportunities to partner with other like-minded brands.

## The Future of Customer Loyalty Programs

For the next few years, the leading loyalty program trends will focus on mobile apps, paid memberships, and gamification.

Most loyalty professionals recognize the importance of getting actionable insights to predict consumer behavior. After all, the key to executing successful loyalty programs lies in hyper-personalization and creating frictionless omnichannel customer experiences.

Let's break down the loyalty program trends that will shape 2022 and the coming years so you can build better relationships with your customers.

loyalty program trens in 2022.jpg

Top 5 Customer Loyalty Program Trends to Watch in 2022

Customer Loyalty Program Trends For 2022

<Img
img="/uploads/telegram_v_biznese_f662aed4e8.jpg"
alt="Telegram for business"
/>

[**52% of the Russian Internet audience**](https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/ru/Documents/technology-media-telecommunications/russian/mediaconsupmtion-russia-2021.pdf) use Telegram and [**500 million people**](https://telegram.org/faq#q-who-is-telegram-fork) around the world use the messenger every month. Telegram is the second most popular messenger after WhatsApp, but it is currently catching up with the competitor. In October 2021, Telegram [**grew by 70 million**](https://t.me/durov/170) users per day due to WhatsApp and Facebook outage. In the same year, Telegram became the most popular app in 50 regions of Russia.  
 
Speed, simplicity and security are considered to be the advantages of the messenger not only by regular users. Using Telegram for business is convenient and profitable: it is free and its functionality meets the needs of many companies. Telegram as a corporate messenger, cloud storage and a tool for communication with customers are just some of its features. In this piece, you will learn how to use Telegram for business purposes.

## What is Telegram

Telegram is a free cloud messenger developed by the founder of VKontakte Pavel Durov and his brother Nikolai. It is popular in Russia, in the CIS countries, China, India, Iran and some other counties. The app emerged in 2013 and was called Telegraph. It is based on MTProto encryption technology, which increases the degree of data protection. Telegram works on mobile devices and in the desktop version with instant synchronization.

Private and group chats are not the only features of Telegram. The following features are available:

- voice messages and broadcasts in the groups;
- video calls and video messages;
- file sharing (documents, audio, video, archives);
- secret chats that can be deleted after a certain period of time;
- channels.

The messenger was blocked by Roskomnadzor in Russia in 2018. It happened due to the refusal to provide the encryption keys to FSB. However, in 2020, the restrictions were lifted, and Telegram became legal again.

## Telegram audience

The core audience of Telegram is users from 25 to 34 (30,6%), all other age groups are approximately equal. Except for teenagers, only 7,7% of them use Telegram. In other words, the audience of this messenger is quite adult.

More men than women (only 39%) use Telegram. As for the fields of activity, IT representatives predominate in this messenger (77%), 22,5% are engaged in manufacturing and 10,6% are engaged in the sales business. Marketers, specialists from the fields of education, healthcare, finance and others also use Telegram. 46% of Telegram users are employees, 11% of them are executives. There are few business people in Telegram — only 5%. There are more self-employed people and freelancers - 15%.

Telegram is used by an educated audience: 60% of users have a higher education, a quarter of them continue to study, for instance, at graduate school. About 11% of users are university students.

The audience of the messenger is solvent. Every fifth Telegram user earns more than 90 thousand rubles a month. Therefore, Telegram is a promising platform for sales and product promotion.

## Telegram tools for business

### Channels

Channels distinguish this messenger from its competitors. A telegram channel is a feed that consists of text messages with emojis or attached media files. Comments and polls are also available in channels. Subscribers get [**push notifications**](mobile-marketing-101-push-notifications) about new posts.

There are [**more than 300 thousand channels**](https://tgstat.com/) in the Russian-speaking segment alone. The most popular channels are news ones. 82% of users read news in Telegram. 43% of users are subscribed to channels connected with their fields of activity, 59% of users consume entertainment content and the same percentage is the audience of political channels. 55% of users use the messenger for educational purposes.

Some people promote their business in their channels, others order advertisements in bigger channels.

### Group chats

Group video calls and file sharing are available to a Telegram group chat users. Two-way communication distinguishes group chats from channels: each user can write a message to the chat, while in the channel users can only leave comments (if this option is enabled). In group chats, users can respond to a specific person or mention them using @.

**Types of Telegram group chats:**

- **Basic** - up to 200 users, each of them can add new members and edit a group description.
- **Supergroups** more than 200 people in the chat. A group admin assigns roles and sets restrictions on user activity. Such groups are convenient to use as business chats or channels of communication with a group of customers.

### Bots

[**Telegram bot**](updates-telegram-bot-facebook-ads-manager) is a Telegram chat that responds to certain actions of users and automatically provides the necessary information. Simple bots perform only one function. For example, they can check texts, put spaces, search for music, etc. More complex bots communicate with users and answer their questions. Bots are an alternative to mobile apps for companies. It takes fewer business resources to develop them, and users do not need to install one more app on their smartphones. Robots will take over communication with customers and even place orders with payment.

<Gallery>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/mephbot_accf530afc.png"
thumbnail="/uploads/mephbot_accf530afc.png"
description="Telegram bot"
/>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/skeddy_fd1994ab30.png"
thumbnail="/uploads/skeddy_fd1994ab30.png"
description="Telegram bot"
/>
</Gallery>

## Advantages of Telegram for business

Telegram is suitable for internal business needs and for working with customers. Business advantages of the messenger:

- Free use without limitations.
- Fast speed of information delivery to other users and colleagues.
- Channels and groups are easy to create.
- Automation of some work processes by bots. No need to create separate apps.

### How to use Telegram within a company

Telegram chat is a replacement for a paid corporate messenger. 41% of users communicate with colleagues in Telegram. This messenger is also suitable for chats with customers.

Sharing and storing files in Telegram is also an advantage for business. There are several file categories in the messenger: media, documents (and files of other formats), links and voice messages. It simplifies the search inside the chat.

### How to use Telegram to work with customers

**User support**

Telegram support is an addition to email and phone communication or a replacement for it.

Pros of such a channel:

- Speed — it's faster to send a message in Telegram than communicate via email. There is no need to waste time during a phone call: a specialist will answer when the problem is solved.
- Automation bots distribute requests and answer standard user questions.
- 24/7 support — bots work instead of employees during non-working hours.
- It is easy to share files: the user takes a photo or makes a video and immediately sends it to support. So the problem may be solved faster than over the phone.

### Telegram channel instead of a corporate blog

The advantage of a Telegram channel is that the user does not need to create a certain layout as in a blog or a website. This messenger is suitable for short notes. There is an extended version called [**Telegraph**](https://telegra.ph) that allows users to post articles. It is a simple text tool using which one can insert photos and videos into the text. If you add a link to some post from Telegraph to a channel or chat, users will be able to read this text in messenger.

A Telegram channel can act as an additional tool for a company's blog: the user can post short versions of blog articles, main points of articles or announcements with a link to the main blog. Posts in channels are similar to social media posting. However, there are certain pros and cons.

- Disadvantage: posts have no organic growth, only subscribers of the channel can see them.
- Advantage: there is no «smart» feed that sometimes does not show posts to the users. Channel subscribers can see all posts.

### Newsletters

Dozens of requirements have to be met in email and SMS newsletters in order not to get into [**the list of spammers**](how-to-send-millions-of-emails-and-avoid-spam-filters). In Telegram, everything is simple — no layout is needed, no restrictions on stop words in texts, and communication is free. Telegram newsletter options for business:

- company and industry news;
- information about promotions and discounts;
- user order statuses;
- event reminders and other information.

### How to send out newsletters via Telegram

Manual method. However, it takes a lot of time. You will have to enter contact information yourself and use third-party analytics systems to check the effectiveness of your campaigns. The solution to this problem is sending out your newsletters via omnichannel platforms.

[**Altcraft Platform**](/en) aggregates all user data from different sources and collects analytics from available channels. The platform is compatible with bots and Telegram groups. Send information to users individually via a bot or to a certain segment of customers using a group. In a few clicks, you can create a message for a broadcast, regular or trigger newsletter. You can add a bot to your group or channel.

Send text messages, photos, audio and video files, gif images, documents to Telegram via Altcraft Platform. Also, add buttons with a link to your website.

## Telegram for sales

A Telegram channel is the same as content marketing. You post content for your subscribers and embed advertising of your product in it. If a company develops its channel, it gets a community of [**loyal audience**](customer-loyalty).

Advertising a company's products through other channels is another way to sell via Telegram. There are two types of advertising: direct (when you approach channel owners) and official targeted messenger ads, which emerged in 2021.

Telegram ads are short messages marked «Sponsored». However, a company must have at least two million euros on its account to join Telegram advertising network.

### Autofunnels in Telegram

Autofunnels are automated newsletters for warming up users and selling products: core and additional. They usually start with a lead magnet — a free product to get which users leave their contact information and allow newsletters. Then users receive emails (messages) that depend on their activity. Autofunnels in Telegram work via bots.

### Telegram bots and channels as a business

A promoted channel generates income from advertising. A telegram bot itself, which performs certain functions instead of a person (e.g. sends messages at the right time, collects tasks and feedback), can act as a product.

*Example. Eddy Travel chatbot helps users find hotels, explore tours and search flights. The bot is powered by Skyscanner and attracts free referral traffic to the service website.*

<Img
img="/uploads/eddy_travels_3537c38734.png"
alt="Eddy travel bot"
/>

## Conclusion

Telegram is a promising ever-growing platform for business. Adult, educated and solvent audience uses the messenger. The following Telegram tools are available for business: bots, channels and groups for both internal needs of companies and communication with users.

Telegram user support speeds up problem solving and simplifies communication. The bot will answer frequently asked questions, record a request or inform a specialist about the customer's question.

Sales in Telegram are usually conducted through newsletters, autofunnels with bots and content-marketing channels that replace corporate blogs. There is also an advertising function in Telegram to promote your product: direct through channel owners and official targeted ones.

Learn how and why to use Telegram for business. What audience prevails in the messenger, its advantages and tools.

telegram-v-biznese.jpg

Telegram as a corporate messenger, cloud storage and a tool for communication with customers are just some of its features.  In this piece, you will learn how to use Telegram for business purposes.

Telegram for Business: Advantages and Tools of the Messenger

Telegram in Business: How to Use Messenger Tools to Increase Sales

<Img
img="/uploads/Omnichannel_vs_Multichannel_854eb0a5f6.jpg"
alt="Omnichannel vs Multichannel"
/> 

Marketing communications in the digital age evolve by the day. Getting and retaining customers is all about providing a great customer experience from first interaction throughout the buyer's journey. Today, consumers wield all the power, and with just a quick skip, swipe, or scroll, they determine whether a brand stays relevant or not.

As marketers explore strategies to drive the right kind of engagement online, one critical discussion that always comes up is whether they should opt for multichannel or omnichannel marketing. But, there's one thing everyone can agree on: consumers expect a quick and seamless experience across all digital marketing touchpoints.

That said, let’s discuss multichannel vs. omnichannel marketing to determine which of the two can provide a better customer experience. After all, great customer experience yields a competitive advantage.

## Omnichannel vs. Multichannel – What is the Difference?

«Multi» suggests «many» while «omni» suggests «all». However, the fundamental difference between multichannel and omnichannel marketing has little to do with whether you’re engaging customers in several [**touchpoints**](marketing-attribution-models) or all touchpoints as they move down the sales funnel. Rather, it has to do with integration.

In multichannel marketing, the goal is to guide a consumer towards a particular goal. It focuses on getting them from one stage of the [**buyer's journey**](stroim-customer-journey-map) to another by sending a standard message through individual channels. Let's say you're issuing a promo discount code for new users; multichannel marketing involves you advertising the same promo code on several channels like your blog, social media pages, and email newsletter.

Multichannel marketing segments direct and indirect customer interactions. Direct communications are where the company proactively reaches out to the customer through direct mail or message. Indirect interactions include content pushed through blogs, websites, or social media.

Even though the marketing channels belong to the same entity, they’re inherently isolated from one another. Each channel works in a silo, with its own strategy and goals. As a result, brands that rely on multichannel marketing tend to run into miscommunication and style inconsistencies between channels.

For customers, multichannel marketing can create a confusing, impersonal experience that leaves them feeling frustrated.

Now, unlike multichannel marketing, omnichannel marketing has the customer at the center. It involves the seamless integration of branding and messaging across all touchpoints to create a more impactful customer experience. An omnichannel communication platform allows customers to determine how they’ll interact with your brand by offering:

- A consistent, identifiable brand voice
- [**Personalized messaging**](/features/personalization)
- Content that is informed by past interactions with the brand

In other words, marketers take a step back and let users define the journey for themselves – but the trip is tailored to their likes and preferences. For example, a user might get an email announcing a new product that goes perfectly with another they'd previously bought. Instead of relaying the same message through other channels, your strategy might involve offering them a [**promo code**](/features/loyalty-programs) for that exact product on Twitter and having them see a video of someone using the product on Facebook.

In both cases, the goal is to get customers to take a desired action (using a promo code). The difference is in the journey options you provide.

<Table>
| **Multichannel marketing** | **Omnichannel marketing** |
| ------ | ------ |
| Reach a user through a maximum number of channels | Gives users a seamless experience across every channel | 
| Brand is on every channel, but each channel may have different messaging | No matter which channel is used, the message is consistent |
| Doesn’t use the advantages of using multiple channels in tandem | Must be used with analytics to individualize experience to each user’s needs |
| Fragmented, inconsistent experience | Seamless, consistent experience |
</Table>

## So, Which Is The Better Option?

Brands that choose multichannel marketing do so for one reason; it's pretty straightforward. All you need is one main message and a call to action. However, this can be alienating to customers as it doesn't take their needs, preferences, or stage in the sales funnel into consideration.

An omnichannel customer experience could be the brand differentiator you need. An [**omnichannel marketing platform**](/features/omni-channel-marketing) nurtures leads and user engagement by offering audiences a diverse set of messages, incentives, or buying options, bringing the following benefits:

- **A better user experience** – Omnichannel communication focuses on the individual customer experience instead of the channel. It allows for a cohesive customer experience no matter how or where a customer reaches out.
- **Increased revenue** – Focusing on omnichannel customer engagement ensures a seamless experience for shoppers, making them more likely to buy from you.
- **Creates a consistent brand image** – Integration means you can create a cohesive brand strategy and identity across all channels, which leads to increased loyalty as customers will trust your brand more.
- **Better attribution data** – With omnichannel marketing automation, you'll be able to identify which channels work best for your brand and when customers are more likely to engage with you on their journey. Such data can be used to improve brand strategy and build more targeted campaigns.

<Img
img="/uploads/omnichannel_marketing_facts_6f9ee5c0d6.jpg"
alt="Omnichannel marketing facts"
/>

## Support Customer Engagement Across Every Channel That Matters

Customer experience is an asset to your brand – make it work for you. As mentioned, many brands opt for multichannel marketing because it's easier to execute. But, if you're looking to captivate and engage your customers on all channels, you have to leverage insights and create messages tailored to their interests and where they are on their journey.

The [**Altcraft**](/en) omnichannel marketing automation platform allows you to do this and more. You can create more targeted, effective campaigns and put your customers' needs front and center. Use data insights to drive campaigns and aid in journey planning, all while executing effective omnichannel communications from one place.

Altcraft also provides game-changing marketing automation workflows enabling you to take a more targeted approach towards marketing. You can implement various marketing processes like working with customer loyalty, cart abandonment reminders, and welcome emails. This way, you can easily create consistent yet personalized marketing messages across all channels.

Let’s discuss multichannel vs. omnichannel marketing to determine which of the two can provide a better customer experience.

Omnichannel vs Multichannel.jpg

As marketers explore strategies to drive the right kind of engagement online, one critical discussion that always comes up is whether they should opt for multichannel or omnichannel marketing.

‎Omnichannel vs Multichannel: Which Is The Better Option?

Omnichannel vs Multichannel: Which One Should You Choose?

![The-new-Clubhouse-social-network .jpg](/uploads/The_new_Clubhouse_social_network_3048e631f4.jpg)

In the last week of January 2021, more than a million people joined a new social network — Clubhouse. Even the fact that the only door into it is a special invite didn’t stop them. Users began to ask for invites from friends and to buy at various sites. Now we’re going to tell you why this social network caused such a sensation and how to use it in your marketing strategy. 

## What is Clubhouse

Clubhouse is a new social media whose users communicate with each other only by voice messages. As mentioned above, you can become a member only by a unique invite.

Сlubhouse consists of «rooms» and «clubs» of interest, where people communicate in real time. By the way, there is no recording of conversations — it’s forbidden by the service rules.

Every person signed up for Clubhouse has the opportunity to create a public «room» for a conversation on any topic. After that, his subscribers receive a notification with an offer to join the conversation — kind of a ticket to read Clubhouse. Then the same offer is sent to subscribers of those who have just joined. This is how a chain is triggered and brings new participants to the «room».

In a chat room, all people are divided into speakers and listeners. Each participant can speak, «raising his hand». If the user has created discussions in the «rooms» three times, he can launch his own «club». However, his registration requires the approval of the app moderators. «Rooms» in a Clubhouse can be public, private, or available to members of a specific «club».

<Gallery>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/Clubhouse_room_58e86cc502.png"
thumbnail="/uploads/Clubhouse_room_58e86cc502.png"
description="Clubhouse room"
/>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/Calendar_with_scheduled_discussions_on_Clubhouse_7b142de22f.png"
thumbnail="/uploads/Calendar_with_scheduled_discussions_on_Clubhouse_7b142de22f.png"
description="Calendar with scheduled discussions on Clubhouse"
/>
</Gallery>

The popularity of Clubhouse shot straight through the roof after Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg joined it. When the Tesla founder popped up in a Clubhouse room, he brought this audio-based social media app a lot of attention and a great number of new users. 

Russia is one of the five countries where Clubhouse is gaining momentum right now, and it doesn’t matter that app downloads have dropped 3.5 times lately, and registrations — 17 times. 

<Img
img="/uploads/Number_of_Clubhouse_downloads_in_different_countries_907334a6cd.jpg"
alt="Number of Clubhouse downloads in different countries"
src="Clubhouse downloads in different countries"
/>

## How Marketers Can Use Clubhouse in Their Business

Marketers could not just ignore the excitement around the Clubhouse. The specialists drew attention to the new social network and came up with some ideas on how to use it in their marketing strategy. So, how to use Clubhouse and benefit from a popular app:

### 1. Create your own club community

If you are a professional in a particular field, start a club and expand your sphere of influence. Create conversations on hot topics and give people valuable information. This way, you’ll never have to ask how to get people to join your club. They will look forward to your new content, so you'll acquire the reputation of an expert before you know it.

All this let a large number of people know about you, and those people can turn into [**loyal customers**](customer-loyalty). By the way, don’t forget to collaborate with colleagues to develop business relationships.

<Img
img="/uploads/Clubhouse_club_81215a2778.png"
alt="Clubhouse club"
src="Clubhouse club"
/>

### 2. Follow the news in your industry

Join the rooms of influential figures or competitors in your industry and listen to what they’re telling about. This will make you one of the first who knows about trends and let you stay on top of the news or even spy on rivals' ideas.

### 3. Announce product release

As soon as you get an audience wide enough, use Clubhouse to announce the top news of your company.

For example, you are planning to release a new product. Create a room and talk about the features and benefits of the product. If you do this, you can not only stimulate interest but also get potential buyers.

Have you decided to change suppliers? Share with your audience why you’ve done this. It is a good way to demonstrate your brand values.

### 4. Get user reviews about your company

Feedback plays an important role in a marketer's job. By relying on customer feedback, you can make your marketing strategy more flexible, so feel free to create a separate room and listen to the opinion of consumers about a product, service or a new idea. The point is you don't have to wait long for feedback: you just get it instantly.

### 5. Communicate with investors

If you are just planning to start your own business, Clubhouse can be the very place where you meet investors and establish business connections. Don't miss this social media opportunity.

## Cons of Clubhouse

Like any social network, Clubhouse has its drawbacks. Every user should be aware of them if he wants to understand whether the platform is right for him or not.

**Firstly**, there is no content moderation in Clubhouse. Users have already encountered people who insult listeners and provide misleading information. On February 8, it resulted in a ban on the social network in China, where it was initially unallowed, but local residents got around that ban. In addition, the National Commission on Informatics and Liberty has launched an investigation against the social network. There is some evidence Clubhouse violates European law.

**Secondly**, the app is only available for Apple iPhone, so now owners of Android smartphones can’t use it.

**Thirdly**, deaf and hard of hearing users are deprived of the opportunity to use this social network. Since Clubhouse is an audio-based app, people with hearing impairments will not be able to participate in the conversation.

**Fourth**, hackers managed to hack the application several times and get access to audio files in order to upload them to third-party platforms. Web security experts have already sounded the alarm about the vulnerability of the Clubhouse system.

<Note>
Recently, we’ve published an [**article**](how-to-win-the-data-battle-in-today-world) in our blog where we talked about the importance of data protection and two laws that cannot be ignored when it comes to this topic — the European GDPR and the American CLOUD Act. Recommend you to take a look.
</Note>

**Fifthly**, Clubhouse has worthy opponents — they look more reliable and inspire more trust. For example, Twitter launched its new voice chat service — Spaces. Now it’s kind of a test, but by April it will be available to all users.

<Img
img="/uploads/Twitter_Space_e2e3f2adc7.png"
alt="Twitter Audio Spaces"
src="Twitter Audio Spaces"
/>

Telegram made its move as well. Now in groups and channels, administrators can create a voice chat and a main chat at the same time. The great thing is the audience does not need to agree on the time of the chat: the voice chat will always be open to them.

<Video
url="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uOUVw13xiEo"
/>

## Conclusion

Will Clubhouse be able to become a worthy player in the market or will major competitors stop its growth? Anyway, the success of the social network is impressive, and at the very least, it needs to be monitored. The next steps of those who created the app will show us in which direction it will move. If the direction is straight up, the companies that have already joined the platform will get a head start on their competitors.

In this article, we'll tell you about the pros and cons of Clubhouse and give some practical tips on how to use this new social media in marketing.

The-new-Clubhouse-social-network .jpg

We'll tell you why the new social media platform Clubhouse is breaking the Internet and how to use it in your marketing strategy.

How Marketers Use Clubhouse In Their Marketing Strategy

What is the New Social Media Platform Clubhouse and How to Use It in Marketing

![features_marketing_banks_blog.png](/uploads/features_marketing_banks_blog_948979b181.png)

Banking has always been a highly competitive market - making advertising costs never less. How to preserve your budgets and get great results from online marketing at the same time? Just follow this article to get insights!

## Digital marketing efficiency

Internet marketing is getting dramatically different when speaking about banking - as opposed to the retail sector. The instruments are quite the same, but the primary focus in strategy is on building trust-based customer relationships. One of the main fears now and ever is to lose money. Financial business here is the least transparent of all - save maybe stock trading. And, no trust - no deals. Thus banks have to explain their actions in greater detail and grow customers' financial literacy to be understood and trusted. Inbound marketing tools, such as email digests and whitepapers in a blog can pretty much do the trick.

<Note>
![features_marketing_banks_russian_stat (1).jpg](/uploads/features_marketing_banks_russian_stat_1_dd0066be01.jpg)
**Some statistics**: [**We Are Social и Hootsuite**](https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2020-global-digital-overview) reports 4,5 billion internet users by the beginning of 2020, as much as 118 million in Russia which makes 81% of the country's population. An average user spends 6 hours 43 minutes online: chatting with friends, browsing for news or other entertainment. That is more than 100 days per year! For Russians, the timing is 7 hours 17 minutes.
![features_marketing_banks_russian_stat_2 (1).png](/uploads/features_marketing_banks_russian_stat_2_1_fee0f9668e.png)
In 2019 Russian online audience above 16 years old made 94,4million people - as much as 79,8 percent. The rate for users above 65 increased from 26 to 36%. And for those between 50 and 64 - from 63 to 66%.
</Note>

People's life is now bound to the Internet: friends, education, news, online shopping, entertainment - and more. This becomes a challenge for traditional businesses to turn to network users and start communicating. For just to offer your products and services you need to engage people's attention. Where to start, you might ask. The first thing to build trustworthy communications - set your goals and define marketing tasks.

## Goals and tasks of digital bank marketing

We got used to receiving vivid selling emails from online shops, timely announcing stock sales or new product collections. We go to social media to know the latest tourism business news. Through targeted advertisements we get personalized offers, meeting our needs and desires. The meaning behind these activities is to draw, engage and retain customers - so they buy from you and not your competitors. All these are equally important for banking.

And the goals will look like:

- drawing and engaging potential customers;
- making deals - sure;
- retaining your customers.

Banking has always been something more than just sales. If a bank fails to be trusted - it loses customers forever in most cases. This is where customer loyalty management gets really crucial. Engage, mentor and nurture your audience - and only wisely specified marketing tasks will help you here. One does not simply attract customers' attention - not without analyzing your potential audience first. And it gets really tough to sell something when your audience cares not. Furthermore, only customers loyal to a bank will remain actual customers.

All the above thus underlines the top tasks for bank marketing:

- study needs, interests & priorities of your potential audience;
- draw people's interest to your bank's services;
- build and nurture customers' loyalty;
- convert potential customers into actual buyers.

We have even made a simple checklist for you to make it closer to reality:

1. First, we are getting acquainted with our future audience: running social and market studies, questionaries, polls, and quizzes for potential customers. Thus we get to know them better: the needs and desires, maybe dreams, - all by analyzing their responses and actions.
2. Then we use this data to draw customers' interest: content marketing, targeted ads and social media marketing are quite of help at this point.
3. The big fish biting? Time to focus his or her attention on a specific product or service - we are now trying to close a deal of course. Personalized emails and short messages, encouraging promotion codes - all these means are worth their salt. As soon as your customer gets what he or she wants - and you actually get a new customer - continue with retention.
4. And this is just the beginning - address your customers regularly by composing engaging loyalty programs, defining customer journey. Periodic [**inbound marketing**](inbound-marketing), [**chatbots**](the-benefits-of-chatbots-for-businesses) and [**social media**](self-marketing-how-to-promote-yourself-on-social-media) will not let you down as well.

*The picture of a perfect customer*:

Getting to know your audience try to visualize the picture of your perfect customer - a charachter with a name, gender and a pull of interests. Painting such a portrait mind the following:

- Demographics data - it helps greatly to foresee reactions to different offers.
- Location - knowing the country and city where your customer lives will cut costs in SMM - and skyrocket your targeting efficiency.
- Psychology - helps to gather a loyal audience by lifestyle, personal qualities and preferences.
- Social and economical data - this one is crucial for banks in audience segmentation and risk management.

You can gather the information you need by running surveys for your audience. Here you can use dedicated services, your website, polls and quizzes in social networks - or questionaries in emails. As soon as this data gets analyzed - proceed with building [**omni-channel communication strategy**](omni-channel).

## Communication channels for online marketing

### Good old Email

Email messaging is a good way to personalize your offers and present them in greater detail. Thus it is one of the best channels to build trust in customer relations. The main points here are to determine a sound strategy, finely tune sending frequency - and to compose your unique offer message. Mind that network users get rapidly bored with just accounting notifications and extra services promotions. Add a bit of what our competitors can't offer - and of what your audience wants. Use transactional mailings for important and urgent information - most of all, focus on your messages being useful.

Tinkoff bank employs Email to deliver partner marketplaces promotion codes to its customers. It also organizes interactive events and sends useful information. Messages are sent once or twice a week: this way customers don't get irritated and stay retained at the same time.


### SMS and instant messengers

Both SMS and IM messaging help you get closer to your audience. Their great feat is the ease of subscription. Actually, there is no classic subscription at all. A user doesn't need to open your website or install your app to start receiving messages from you. One simply gives you a telephone number. Notify about accounting operations, plastic cards deliveries - or verify financial operations. Not only transactional messaging: flavor these channels with updates about featured products and personal offers. Not too much though - be useful, not irritating.

### Push notifications

Push notifications pop up on network users' device screens - these can be desktops or mobile phones. They are similar to short messages: you can inform customers about new services, notify them about transactions - or verify operations. Their three big advantages - compared to SMS - are:

- low or no costs at all - push notifications are mostly free to send, as opposed to SMS;
- more information - you can add images, for example, your company logo - when verifying transactions. SMS look far less attractive delivering only text data.
- higher Open Rate - users need open no extra application - be it a messenger or a native SMS app - everything is in front of their eyes.

Push messaging helps you stay in touch with your customers, increase their engagement and loyalty towards your company. Thus a chance of further deals increases as well.


### Social Media Marketing

People come to social networks mostly to relax. They look through stories and updates while having a coffee break, in public transport or going to bed. The content here has to be extremely delicate - and catchy, at the same time. One will just miss your message if it looks the same as your competitors'. One of the great examples in Russia is HTML5 game mechanics in [**Delivery Club**](https://vk.com/video_ext.php?oid=8355063&id=456239063&hash=81c578637af2d878&hd=2) VK group. It demonstrates a good example of overall marketing gamification for social networks.

## Content marketing

Content - also inbound - marketing helps in building brand awareness and loyalty. Use your company blog to tell subscribers about trending banking products, share financial news and educational content. This way your audience will be able to make decisions that are efficient and profitable for both parties. The thing to avoid here is making boring press releases or posting irrelevant rewritten articles. Storytelling will do much better: you really have a lot of interesting and useful to say about your business, don't you? A great example here would be Tinkoff Journal. Articles there tell about financial ups and downs in an entertaining way, educating Tinkoff customers on a variety of common topics as well.

### Targeted advertising

Targeted social media advertising allows you to address different groups of your audience based on their preferences, lifestyle features, demographics or behaviour. This is where you need as much information about your customers as possible. Make a segment and compose a precise offer. Say, you want to sell more automobile loans. Then you need working men and women above 25 years old, who have been interested in buying a car during the last month. These are your potential customers, now it will be easier for your bank to address them personally and thus increase conversion.

### Technological difficulties and peculiarities

After some time, banks gather even more information on their customers than other businesses. Working with modern digital communication channels requires external services to be used. The latter include email, SMS and push sending platforms. And by many banks' security regulations it is strictly prohibited to pass any customer data to 3rd parties: the risks of leaking are too high. That underlines two major show stoppers for engagement and retention strategies.

**1. Strict security requirements.** Using external services increases the probability of personal data fraud involving third parties. This is why many financial companies prohibit messaging platforms usage. Marketers thus have to go with tools developed in-home. And these solutions often lack necessary features compared with modern online marketing software. It is rarely possible to orchestrate good-looking personalized mailings at all.

**2. Irrelevant data.** Customer' personal data is typically gathered within 24 hours from all available channels (online resources, bank offices and partners). Then it is transferred into the bank's storage or a data lake. And most online marketing platforms do not support custom integrations with data lakes or ETL middleware. So marketers request information they need beforehand - and then upload it to external services or homemade tools. These extract and load operations usually take quite a time: another 24 hours or sometimes more. As a result, some of the customers' data gets irrelevant - and that dramatically limits banks to just the basic marketing scenarios like registration confirmation or statements delivery. And this content just cannot engage or retain customers.

Online marketing has to be secure and its communication channels - available and easily accessible. This puts restrictions on banks and financial companies. If those are overcome, an effective content strategy becomes possible and you can start engaging and retaining your customers. And only an omnichannel (at least email, SMS and push) solution that can be deployed inside company's network can do the trick. It will not let any personal data leak out and can be easily integrated with company's data storage. One of these solutions is Altcraft Marketing. You can learn about it [**here**](https://altkraft.com/capabilities/en/?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=statya&utm_campaign=osnovy_im_bank2).

### To sum it all up:

- No trust - no deals. If one does not trust a bank - one just won't use its services. So it is important not only to draw your potential customers' interest - but to constantly increase their loyalty towards your company.
- Before considering which digital communication channels to use define your goals and marketing tasks. The basics here are draw, engage, sell - and retain your customer. Get to know your potential audience first to get useful insights.
- Combine digital communication channels into effective scenarios. Draw attention through targeted ads, encourage sales by means of email and SMS, nurture loyalty with content marketing.
- Overcome technical challenges and automate communications with omnichannel on-premise marketing platforms.

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Internet marketing for banks has its own features. Learn how to apply internet marketing to finance.

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How to preserve your budgets and get great results from online marketing at the same time? Just follow this article to get insights.

How to Use Internet Marketing in Banking

Smart Online Marketing in Banks

![ak-case-omni-channel.png](/uploads/ak_case_omni_channel_982624d298.png)

We’ve already told you about an omni-channel approach to marketing in [**our previous article**](omni-channel) our previous article</a>. Now let’s talk about how global companies put it into practice. 

Remember we’ve told you about Bank of America who closed hundreds of its branch offices in 2016. So on the next stage they launched the project “Wells Fargo”. It was a new way for their clients to withdraw cash from ATMs. Near Field Communication Technology (NFC) is built in a mobile application and enables clients to withdraw money from an ATM by using their mobile phones during a transaction. Launch an application on your smartphone near an ATM with NFC and enter your PIN-code for transaction. 

![ak-primer-ispolzovania-NFС.png](/uploads/ak_primer_ispolzovania_NFS_07a79c1d2c.png)

BankOn Mobile Video is a company that creates interactive video solutions for banks. The developers consider this technology as revolutionary in interactive services. ITM gives an opportunity to interact with a bank via video.

![ak-primer-ispolzovania-mobile_video.png](/uploads/ak_primer_ispolzovania_mobile_video_247e293f83.png)

Citi Quick Lock service enables clients to block and unblock their cards right from a mobile application without waiting and filling in additional documents. What’s more it can be done from anywhere in the world. One more technology for investment banking is a robo-advisor. It is an automated algorithmic financial planner, that increases functionality of digital channels that are available to a client. This technology analyses client’s financial situation and uses this data for valuation of client’s assets, for receiving future services and financial planning. 

## The entertainment industry. Disney as an example of customer-oriented service

*The source - [**blog.hubspot.com**](https://blog.hubspot.com/)*

![ak-interfeis-saita-disney (1).png](/uploads/ak_interfeis_saita_disney_1_e57818d3f6.png)

Disney has planned its omni-channel approach down to the last detail. Its web-site is filled up with entertainments. Besides, Disney has a special web-resource for trip planning. It is available on a web browser and mobile application. After the booking this resource helps to plan details with My Disney Experience tool. People can choose a place for lunch or can get in line for the most popular rides.
 
![ak-interfeis-saita-my-disney-experience-tool (1).png](/uploads/ak_interfeis_saita_my_disney_experience_tool_1_85df43c424.png)

Mobile application helps to find all popular sightseeings, check waiting time for rides. Another step forward is Magic Band’s release. This bracelet is a key for a hotel room, a device to store any photos with Disney heroes made by a visitor and a tool for food order. More than that, it can be integrated with Fast Pass, so you can walk freely in the park and don’t miss anything interesting.

## Augmented reality in Retail

Lego placed AR kiosks in their retail shops. So customers can scan their Lego box before buying and show their children 3D animation of their set.

![ak-lego-dopolnitelnaya-realnost.png](/uploads/ak_lego_dopolnitelnaya_realnost_bbe0e1c9fb.png)

The most important thing for any company is to give your clients what they are looking for: provide them with instant and relevant information no matter where they are and what device they use. 

Ultimately the overall objective is the same: *to attract customers offering them relevant items or services when they need them without hard selling*.



Let's talk about the successful practices of using omnichannel marketing in business by the world's leading companies.

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How global companies put omni-channel marketing into praсtice? Read more

How Global Companies Integrate Omnichannel Marketing

Omni-channel Marketing in Practice

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Reduced push notification opt-out rates, increased OR, saved working hours

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The open rate for automatic Viber messages is around 60%, and MAU growth for the year is +19%

All user information is systematically collected in a unified customer data platform

Distributing messages across various communication channels: email, SMS, push notifications, messengers

Promo codes, bonuses, and points for building long-term customer relationships

You can create and edit any HTML template, as well as save your own custom blocks

Personalized distribution of messages to clients through communication channels

Conducting experiments and optimizing marketing strategies

Tracking the effectiveness of marketing campaigns to make informed decisions

Connecting external systems to the platform and synchronizing data with company databases

Creating questionnaires, surveys, and feedback forms of any level of complexity

The ability to communicate with your clients anytime and anywhere

Increasing user awareness of your company's offers

Customer Data Platform

Omnichannel Marketing

Loyalty programs

HTML Email Builder

Personalized mailings

A/B/n Testing

Real-time analytics

Integration and WebHooks

Forms and Surveys

Messenger Communication

Pop-Up Windows

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