Rule #4: Be Where the Conversation Is
You can’t have a conversation if you’re not in the room.
In today’s landscape, customers don’t limit their interactions to one channel. They move fluidly — from your website to social media, from a WhatsApp message to a support chatbot, from a voice search to an AI assistant.
To earn their attention, your brand needs to be present, available, and responsive wherever those conversations are happening.
The Myth of Channel Ownership
Many brands still operate as if they own the communication channel. Website content? That’s ours. Email campaigns? Controlled. But the truth is: the customer owns the journey — and they expect it to work on their terms.
You don’t choose the channel — your audience does.
The Golden Rule of Channel Strategy
Be present on the channels your customers use — not just the ones your team prefers to manage.
How Channel Expectations Have Changed
| Channel | Then | Now |
|---|---|---|
| Website | Digital brochure | Conversational interface (chat, personalisation) |
| Campaign blasts | Triggered, relevant, real-time follow-ups | |
| Social media | Broadcast marketing | Two-way dialogue and customer care |
| Messaging apps (e.g. WhatsApp) | Rare or support-only | Core to real-time brand engagement |
| Voice and AI assistants | Gimmick or novelty | Discovery, search, and decision tools |
| Search | Page rankings | Summarised answers from AI-driven engines |
Mapping Your Channel Strategy
You don’t need to be everywhere — you need to be strategic.
Step 1: Know where your audience hangs out
Use data from web analytics, customer surveys, social insights, and search trends to find out:
- Which platforms they use
- When they’re active
- What devices they prefer
- How they expect to interact
Step 2: Match purpose to platform
Not every conversation belongs everywhere. A support issue might belong in a chatbot. A product education journey might need a video or interactive guide. A promotion might be best received in a short-form message or personalised push notification.
| Purpose | Best-fit Channels |
|---|---|
| Support | Website chat, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger |
| Product Discovery | Instagram, YouTube, Google AI Overviews |
| Retention/Nurture | Email, SMS, app notifications |
| Feedback | In-app surveys, social polls, chatbot follow-ups |
| Sales/Conversion | Conversational ads, live chat, product quizzes |
Real-World Example: KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
KLM was one of the first major brands to fully integrate WhatsApp and Messenger into its customer experience. Users can receive boarding passes, ask questions, change flights — all within their preferred messaging app. No app download. No long waits. Just conversation, where the customer is already active.
The Omni-Channel Reality
Being “multi-channel” means being on many platforms. Being omni-channel means those platforms work together.
That means:
- A conversation started in one channel can continue in another
- The customer doesn’t have to repeat themselves
- Context is carried through — tone, history, and next steps
The goal isn’t more channels — it’s better coordination between them.
What This Rule Really Means
Go where the dialogue is happening. Be present in the moments that matter. And make sure your presence feels human, helpful, and joined-up.
“Omni-channel is not about being everywhere. It’s about being everywhere that matters.”
— Jonny Bowker