HAVING AN INTEGRATED MARKETING STRATEGY IS ESSENTIAL
Twitter. Facebook. Snapchat. Video. Content marketing.
With so many platforms available for your digital business to distribute content and develop relationships with customers, you’re probably constantly analyzing which is right for your company.
Beware of missing the forest through the trees.
The goal of marketing – whether through social or traditional means – is to develop an identity consistent across all channels. This doesn’t mean that you have to focus your time and attention on every new social platform.
Instead, take a cue from the rebrand of Domino’s Pizza. Each marketing channel, from TV commercials to email marketing, provided a unique message based around the company using new recipes for their new pizza.
Each message was different and took advantage of the unique rules of the platform. And they added up to one consistent voice.
EVERYTHING USES INTRGRATED MARKETING
In the social media, digital age, every act is marketing.
From website copy to a marketing campaign, an interview with a CEO to a billboard, everything comes back to the core of your digital brand.
The single most important detail unifying these avenues is the consistency of your message. If your website copy discusses how you’ve mastered driving engagement to social media platforms, then you should focus on this topic when writing guest posts or doing interviews.
The simplest step to developing the foundation of your integrated marketing strategy is visual: make sure your logo, company colors, and slogans are the same across your social media platforms.
BRANDS ARE A PRODUCT OF THEIR SMALLER SYSTEMS
The idea of an integrated marketing strategy was first defined in 1989, but has taken off exponentially in terms of importance in the dislocated social and digital age.
The social media age moved the goal posts, with user reviews and online word of mouth becoming a new type of marketing. As a result, much of a digital business’ control over their brand voice is out of their hands.
And guess what? These mediums will continue to evolve. Digital marketing will change again in two years. Put your time into creating a consistent message and brand voice. This way, you won’t be caught up in chasing online trends.
MOBILE IS THE FUTURE PLATFORM
We are living in the age of mobile. And our reliance on smart phones as a source of communication and information has shown no signs of slowing down.
We’ve previously discussed tips for optimizing your website for mobile. But I’d go a step further and say that your website and content should be created for the mobile experience first, desktop second. Users have specific expectations from a mobile site, which must be aligned to your digital voice in its own way.
As the future of digital marketing goes even further into mobile, and a step beyond that into realms of virtual reality, marketing channels will continue to become more and more splintered.
Creating a plan with your integrated marketing strategy is the most effective way to have a strong, consistent brand message across every platform. And it’s also the best way to future proof your digital brand.
