Multichannel or Omnichannel - what provides more value?

Multichannel vs. Omnichannel: What should you choose in your B2B sales strategy?

In an age where digital presence is paramount, it's important to understand the difference between multichannel and omnichannel - two terms that are often used interchangeably. Although they sound similar, they cover very different strategies. If you work in a technical B2B company with complex sales processes and a target audience that requires both precision and consistent customer communication, the choice between the two strategies can make a real difference.

In this article, we dive into what multichannel and omnichannel really mean, their pros and cons, and which strategy is best for those aiming for growth through measurable results and tailored digital marketing.

What does multichannel and omnichannel mean?

Before we dive into the pros and cons, it makes sense to define the terms:

• Multichannel: A strategy where you are present on multiple channels - e.g. your website, email, and LinkedIn - but where those channels work in relative isolation. Each channel has its own function and there is rarely integration between them.
• Omnichannel: A strategy where all your platforms and touchpoints are connected. Here, the customer experiences a coherent and consistent experience - whether they've first seen an ad on LinkedIn, opened an email or visited your website multiple times.

The difference is not in the number of channels, but in how they work together.

Multichannel: Good reach with risk of fragmentation

The multichannel strategy is still popular, especially among B2B companies that want to be visible on multiple platforms without necessarily tying them together. It allows you to reach potential customers on their preferred channel, without a major technical setup or backend integration.

Benefits of multichannel

• Quick to implement: You can easily set up campaigns on different channels such as LinkedIn, email or Google Ads without having to think about integration.
• Greater channel diversity: You reach different audiences on each platform.
• Flexibility: You can adjust your communication across channels without impacting the overall setup.

Challenges of multichannel

• Channel inconsistency: Customers may experience different messages depending on which channel they use.
• Hard to see the middleman: It can be difficult to follow the customer journey across channels and identify what works.
• Fragmented data: Each channel has its own dataset, making it difficult to get a comprehensive overview.

The question is: Is that enough? Or do your customers (and leads) expect more than just cross-channel communication?

Omnichannel: One unified ecosystem around the customer journey

The omnichannel strategy offers a deeper and more complete user experience. It ties all your channels together so that they talk to each other - both technically and content-wise. This means you can, for example, target email communication based on previous website behavior or automate social media content based on CRM data.

Benefits of omnichannel

• Customer-centric experience: The customer experiences the same language, the same messages and a consistent strategy - regardless of platform.
• Cross-channel data: You get access to holistic data that provides a better basis for optimization.
• Higher engagement: The cohesive experience typically leads to higher conversion rates and longer customer engagement.
• Automation gets smarter: Integration between CRM, CMS and marketing automation platforms allows for tailored communication.

Challenges of omnichannel

• Technical complexity: It requires integrations between systems and a good understanding of digital infrastructure.
• Higher initial investment: Omnichannel is not plug-and-play. It requires time and resources to implement.

But once you get started, you can achieve a far better output than with a traditional multichannel approach. Especially in a B2B context, where decision-making processes are often longer and involve multiple stakeholders, omnichannel can help ensure consistency throughout the decision journey.

How do you choose the right strategy for your business?

Here are some practical considerations you should take into account:

• Are you already working with multiple systems - such as CRM, CMS, newsletter and Google Ads - without them "talking to each other"?
• Is your sales process so complex that your customers often need to be kept warm for long periods of time?
• Do you have many touchpoints in the customer journey, such as product sheets, technical webinars, offers, follow-ups, etc.

If you can answer yes to the above, then you should strongly consider moving from a multichannel strategy to an omnichannel approach.

How you can get started with omnichannel

1. Data is your best friend

Start by figuring out where your data lives - and how it can be connected. Are you using a CRM? Do you have tracking and attribution in place? Only when your systems can share information can you build an omnichannel strategy.

2. Create consistency in your communication

A consistent tone and visual style across channels builds trust with your customers. Your LinkedIn campaign, newsletter and pitch deck should tell the same story.

3. Use customer insights for automation

When you know what your customers are interested in - and where they are in the decision journey - you can use marketing automation to send the right message at the right time.

4. Test and optimize continuously

No omnichannel solution is perfect from the start. Use A/B testing and ongoing data analysis to constantly improve the customer experience.

Multichannel or omnichannel - a strategic decision

For many B2B companies, the road to omnichannel feels like a tall order. But in an industry where competition is fierce and the decision journey long, it can be worth the leap. With an omnichannel strategy, you don't just get better control of your communication efforts - you get better customer relationships, more accurate data and better bottom-line effects.

Then ask yourself: What is the goal of your digital presence? Do you just want to be visible - or do you want to improve the perception of your business, streamline sales and drive bottom-line results?

We work with both the technical solutions and the strategic considerations around omnichannel. If you need advice on how to unify your channels and create a common thread in your communication, reach out. We're happy to help - whether you need advice, platforms or specific integrations.