The answer is to integrate multiple channels within an integrated marketing strategy.
86% of marketing decision-makers surveyed believe successfully integrating multiple channels under a single integrated marketing strategy is critical to long term success. –Forrester Study
Picture, for a moment, your online presence as a seamless display of your brand’s culture and strategy that aims to attract new customers while also interacting with existing customers. Sounds pretty great, right? To successfully pull this off, your brand needs to understand the importance of content. Here are a few tips to help you embrace this methodology.
Be consistent
Consistency is key! Customers can quickly identify brand inconsistencies and subliminally develop feelings of distrust, become uninterested, and even doubt the legitimacy of your brand. Avoid these pitfalls, and instead, provide your customers with a positive experience every time they interact with your brand online. It all begins with consistency in your messaging. Now I’m not telling you that you need to consistently use the same words throughout your content—that would be terribly boring for your audience, but I am telling you to promote fresh, relevant content throughout your online channels that remains consistent with your brand’s overall message. How do you want your audience to perceive you? Take some time to consider that question in order to develop a clear brand strategy that’ll ensure consistency across all channels.
Keep your information current
Where customers go, brands must follow. Keep your information current and relevant to your audience; the content you create should answer the questions your potential customers are currently asking. Also, if you keep all of your brand’s information/content current and up-to date, it will make it easier for you to keep consistency across all channels.
In addition, don’t be afraid to newsjack. Newsjacking refers to the practice of capitalizing on the popularity of a news story and incorporating it into your website’s content marketing strategy. Although with this tactic, marketers must act fast. To leverage the true potential of an interesting, amusing, and/or positive current event, you must beat your competitors to the punch. If content is created quickly and effectively, it could yield SEO benefits, improve your brand’s reputation, and drive traffic to your online channels.
Understand the importance of your website
Your website is the heartbeat of your online presence. The end goal of your integrated digital marketing (IDM) strategy should be to funnel customers to your website to make a purchase, contact you, request a consultation, etc. With that being said, leverage both your website and social media channels to work towards your business’s end goal.
You may have other goals you would like to achieve with your IDM strategy as well, such as increasing followers, engagement, brand awareness/loyalty, reach (through Word-of-Mouth), etc. These are all great goals of online marketing, but be sure to remember what the achievement of these “other goals” lead to—your end goal.
Takeaways
Now that you’ve got few tips to successfully pull off a single integrated digital marketing strategy through your content, I challenge you to read the following statement again: picture, for a moment, your online presence as a seamless display of your brand’s culture and strategy that aims to attract new customers while also interacting with existing customers.
Now make it happen!
While doing so, keep in mind:
- Consistency is key! Convey your company’s unique and consistent voice across all online marketing channels.
- Keep your information current and up-to date, and don’t be afraid to newsjack.
- Social isn’t a substitution for your website; your website is the heartbeat of your online presence.
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