In today’s online world, the face of marketing is constantly changing. In order for businesses to stay competitive, it’s important that they stay up-to-date on the latest marketing tools, trends and strategies. Perhaps one of the most important marketing strategies a business can use is integrated marketing communications.
A this point, you may be wondering, “What is integrated marketing?”
Well, integrated marketing is a strategic approach to achieving your company’s objectives that combines and integrates different promotional methods with the goal of increasing the overall impact of your marketing campaigns. This includes the use of consistent brand messaging across all of your marketing platforms and an overall focus on the customer’s wants and needs. Essentially, integrated marketing is about presenting customers with a relevant and unified image of your brand, whether they are watching an ad on television, following you on social media, reading your blog, or driving past your billboard.
Here are a few tips to help you integrate your marketing, so your business has a clear, consistent message that will grab your target audience and ultimately, grow your sales.
Finding the Right Channels
Social media is, in many ways, a free landscape where we can post content without having to spend much, if any, money. It’s an easy and effective platform to use for marketing your business, but it’s important not to spread yourself too thin. As CIO.com points out, the key to running a successful social media campaign is finding the right channels for your target demographics. Realistically, the majority of your customers are not using every social media platform available, but rather, engaging in one or two that resonate with them.
In order to target the best social media channels for your business, study the audience you are trying to reach and where that audience is most likely to gather online. With a bit of research, you might be surprised what you discover. You may have initially thought Twitter would be a good place to market your business, but then find that your audience is more active on Facebook or Pinterest. Take that information and use it to optimize your social media efforts.
Keeping Your Message Consistent
The most important part of successful integrated marketing communications is applying a distinct, consistent brand message across all of your marketing channels. This means honing in on your brand’s voice and style and then using it in every communication you have with your customer.
In today’s world, we are constantly being exposed to different types of media and advertisements, so much so, that many consumers have become desensitized to the messages they see and here. If your brand messaging lacks consistency and integration, it is likely to fall by the wayside.
Using consistent brand messaging gives your customer a seamless, multi-dimensional experience, and as a result, all of your marketing efforts are made stronger and more effective.
Integrating Marketing Offline
As Inc. Magazine pointed out last year, integrated marketing needs focus both online and off, in order to be most successful. Research shows that there still remains a high percentage of consumer trust in print media. This means that offline marketing can be a powerful way to persuade people to buy products.
However, the integration of offline and online marketing channels is key. It’s not enough to use one or the other disjointedly. Fortunately, integrating online and offline marketing can be as simple as including your website, social media handles, or contact emails in your print ads, or offering a promotional discount to your online product in the weekly paper.
Remember that your customers are consuming media of all types, and that to truly create an integrated marketing campaign, you need to present a consistent message in all of those places.
To maximize your marketing efforts and master your integrated marketing strategy, contact Lori Jones.
