In today鈥檚 world, marketing isn鈥檛 just about being creative or original. It鈥檚 also important to be diversified, particularly in terms of how you鈥檙e marketing your products and services.
Many people talk about the Internet as though it鈥檚 a single entity, but this view couldn鈥檛 be further from the truth for marketers. Digital marketing requires a fully integrated campaign that is spread across multiple platforms. And while online marketing is crucial for companies, you shouldn鈥檛 forget about traditional forms of advertising to round out the campaign.
So, what are the elements of an integrated marketing campaign? Here are key areas you want to hit:
1.听Print Marketing.聽
Even in this digital age, print is an important component of an integrated marketing campaign. After all, you can鈥檛 engage in email or social media marketing without establishing a presence, and print is a great way to be seen.
Print advertising generates brand awareness and can serve as a gateway to more personalized marketing, and it doesn鈥檛 require an Internet connection to read or share.
听2.听Banner Ads.聽
Some feel the banner ad has gone out of style, but if you鈥檙e looking for exposure, you could do a lot worse.
Banner ads create awareness of your brand and help to facilitate inquiries by prospective customers. Additionally, through targeted advertising, you can make sure your banner ads are targeted to certain demographics at certain times so they are seen by those most likely to be interested in your product and when they are most likely to purchase.
3.听Landing Pages.聽
When someone clicks on an ad, you want to make sure they receive the right message. You also want to make sure these people have an easy way to take the next step in building a relationship.
Landing pages give you the opportunity to make a great first impression and to deliver very specific content. If your landing page is powerful enough, you鈥檒l have people signing up for your email list in no time.
4.听Email Marketing.聽
The most customizable, personalized and convenient way to market, email marketing allows you to constantly stay in touch with customers and keep them updated on your latest deals.
Email marketing also enables you to track which recipients click on your links and ultimately make purchases, helping you to understand the tendencies of your best customers.
5.听Social Media.聽
It鈥檚 easy to get social media wrong, and there have been plenty of examples in the news when companies have blundered. But, if you take time to establish guidelines for your organization鈥檚 posts and replies, you鈥檒l reap the benefits.
By creating relevant content for your followers, you鈥檒l also strengthen their ties to your company and you鈥檒l even find that they will market on your behalf. Establishing dialogue with and gathering from your followers is also a great way to make them feel special.
6.听Organic Search Engine Marketing.聽
Search engines rank results based on how relevant pages are to specific search words and phrases. This means you can tailor your pages to become more relevant to popular search words, moving your website up the ranks.
This is referred to as Search Engine Optimization, or SEO. While this is a delicate science, it鈥檚 one that won鈥檛 cost you any money to employ if you decide to do it yourself.
7.听Paid Search Engine Marketing.聽
If organic SEO isn鈥檛 up your alley, you can always buy your way to the top. Paid search means buying the rights to a specific search phrase and having your ad appear before, beside or below the organic search results. For example, you could buy the keywords 鈥渂est digital camera鈥� to ensure that your website is seen when someone鈥檚 search includes those words.
8.听Direct Mail Marketing. Last but certainly not least, direct marketing is important and still brings big results. Taking the time and effort to mail something helps build brand perception.
A well-designed piece in someone鈥檚 home or business is a constant reminder to them of what you have to offer. And direct mail gives you the opportunity to pack in extra goodies, such as magnets, stickers and pens.
These marketing tactics can be effective on their own, but when used together you鈥檒l see real impact. An effective integrated campaign uses the tactics that are most relevant to the target audience and is being monitored closely so that results can be analyzed to identify improvement opportunities.
