Cross-channel marketing strategies boost conversion rates by up to 31%: CleverTap report

Tailoring marketing approaches that resonate with regional audiences is essential while maintaining a cohesive global presence. This was the standout finding of CleverTap’s ‘Unraveling the cross-channel marketing strategy’ report, which also underscored the importance of understanding local and industry-specific nuances to optimise cross-channel strategies as businesses grow. 

The report has looked at more than 600 businesses across the globe and examined factors that could influence or shape the omni-channel strategy such as business growth stage, geographical nuances, industry dynamics, customer lifestyle milestones, and user retention. The cross-channel strategy of a business involves selecting the right number of channels and the right mix—depending on the stage of growth the business will be in at any given point in time and where the customer is in their lifecycle.

A key indicator of the stage of growth a company is at is the number of monthly active users. It is observed that businesses witness up to 49% increase in conversion rates by using four or more channels as part of their omni-channel strategies. 

Jacob Joseph, vice president of data science, CleverTap said that many organisations often dive into customer engagement with a narrower focus, which, while important, can limit their effectiveness. “This report highlights the crucial need for a holistic approach to truly drive impactful results. The findings demonstrate that a comprehensive, all-in-one martech stack is vital for marketers who must navigate the complexities of diverse channels. This approach not only addresses the numerous challenges but also amplifies overall engagement and effectiveness, ensuring that no customer touchpoint is overlooked and every interaction is optimised for success,” he added.

Image source: CleverTap.

While email remains dominant in markets like the US and UK, SMS holds significant sway in regions like China and the US, and WhatsApp emerges as a powerhouse in South America and Asia. The report found that adopting an omni-channel marketing strategy impacted the following key areas: app stickiness, conversion rates, and onboarding rates.

As a communication channel, WhatsApp dominates messaging in South America, boasting 400 million users, with Brazil leading globally, followed by Argentina and Colombia. North America sees over 100 million active users, while Asia commands a staggering 1.5 billion users, led by India, Indonesia, and Philippines.

Although popular in Europe, particularly Italy, Spain, and Germany, WhatsApp is surpassed by Facebook Messenger in countries like England and France. In the Middle East, it reigns supreme in countries like Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Egypt.

Gaming platforms saw an 13% elevated engagement with a combination of email, push-notifications, in-app messages and app inbox with 10% increase in conversion from push notifications and in-app messages. Notably, there was only 6% increase in conversions in ecommerce as a result of a cross-channel strategy, with 26% increase in stickiness if they incorporated more than three channels including in-app, app inbox, email and push notifications.