Often brands go for a digital marketing service provider with a spec saying “We want SEO and we want our brand to be on the first page in so many months” or “We want a social media engagement – our products, our offers should be used for engagement”. These are typical examples of one-off approach to marketing and are still done because this is what the clients require.
This stand-alone pieces approach is like ordering pieces of interiors for your house from different vendors, each not knowing what the other person is doing. Rarely, the work might complement each other but often end up looking garish when put together. Integrated marketing is like doing your interiors with a lot of research on materials, color, size, shape and measurements, the resultant being an appealing and functional space.
Integrated marketing here refers to
- Integrating various channels of digital space and
- Integrating Digital & Traditional Marketing
Integrated Digital Marketing:
Though the channels for digital marketing are numerous, the right mix of channels suited for your brand should be found out through meticulous research.
The Brand’s Digital Presence:
Give the customers a portkey to your world through your brand’s website. A responsive, search engine optimized website is well worth the investment in the growing digital world.
Content Marketing:
Simple, organized, value added content is the best way to your customer’s attention. Don’t force your content on your customers, instead lead them to it and grab their attention with useful content.
Target Marketing:
Get your brand to your customer’s fingertips through search engine marketing. Also utilize the search engine marketing to grow your audience by advertising your brand on the web through paid for tactics.
Engagement Marketing:
Instead of just being a brand in the social media, charter a new path to woo your customers. Keep in mind that this marketing is to cultivate the good will of the consumers rather than chasing leads.
Integrated Digital & Traditional Marketing:
You may initially need a separate digital plan to help you create a strategy and get a buy-in in the digital channels. But it is essential to keep it integrated with your common business goals and keep it consistent with your brand & communication strategy. This will be your short term goal and your long term goal should be to integrate your digital plan in to your marketing plan.
There is a risk of contradicting priorities with separate digital and traditional marketing teams working in competing silos. There is also the same risk with your competing agencies as each has their pressure to show results with a limited budget. Hence you need to have a solid plan to integrate, motivate & reward your internal teams and external agencies to help them work towards a common goal.
Integrate your digital marketing goals with your traditional marketing goals. Blend them in the right proportion for your success. Run your digital marketing channels to aid your traditional marketing goals and vice versa. On ground campaigns run live on social media channels is also a way to attract crowd of both worlds. Always measure your success and strengths through analytics and use this knowledge for your future successes.
