Integrated marketing is a growing term often used by marketing and advertising professionals, but what exactly is integrated marketing, and how do companies use it?
Integrated marketing is a unified approach to taking a brand's message and broadcasting it across various media formats and channels to optimize results. This can be any mix of print media, digital media, broadcasting media, etc.
An integrated marketing strategy significantly improves the performance of any business.
Benefits of Integrated Marketing
1. Brand Awareness
With an integrated marketing plan you build familiarity and increase exposure to your brand by using utilizing different channels to broadcast a consistent message. In doing so, your target audience is more likely to see your marketing assets and begin to interact with them on different channels.
2. Increased Conversion Rates
Consumers can often be impartial and ignore or simply forget an ad they saw once. By integrating your marketing and remaining consistent, you increase the potency of your message, and thus increase the possibility that your target audience will give you the benefit of the doubt and click on the advertisement you have provided them.
3. Customer Loyalty
When your customers see a repeated, synchronized message they grow to really understand what you're about, as they become aligned with your message this builds trust and increases loyalty. A customer who thoroughly understands your message is not only more likely to stay with you, but more likely to recommend your products or services to others.
Steps to Take to Begin Using Integrated Marketing
1. Determine Your Goal
Before you begin, you should set your goals. What would you like this integrated outreach to do for your company? What's the end result you're looking to achieve?
2. Determine Your Target Audience
With any form of marketing, it's crucial to have an idea of who you would like to reach. This is no different with integrated approach. Establishing a distinct target audience will help you find a way to reach that group of people best. Once you know who you would like to market to, you can decide how to market to them.
3. Decide Which Platforms to Use
Thanks to modern technology, we have the world at our fingertips. As a result, there are various ways to approach your target audience. Traditional media, such as print and billboards, along with digital media, broadcasting media, and product packaging can all be used in integrated media campaigns. Which make the most sense for your target audience?
4. Create Your Marketing Assets/Collateral
Following your organization's brand guide, create cohesive marketing assets for each channel you plan to use. Remember the imaging and copy should be relevant to each channel.
5. Execute Your Plan
Once you've created your assets/collateral it's time to go live! Remember to monitor and analyze your campaign to thoroughly understand your successes and areas for improvement.
How integrated is your marketing strategy? If you're in need of assistance with your strategy, connect with one of our Marketologists today.
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