ROCKS DIGITAL  BLOG

Moss Clement

5 Proven Ways to Develop a Successful Integrated Marketing Strategy

Developing an Integrated Marketing Strategy

Before we get into the concept of a truly integrated marketing strategy, let’s acknowledge a truth or two. In today’s marketing world where digital marketing is taking over the landscape, marketers and brands are having a hard time creating sustainable marketing plans for their businesses. Why? Because the choices they have in front of them are overwhelming – making it difficult for marketers to decide on which marketing channels to best promote their products and services.

What Choices Do Marketers Have to Make?

There are lots of choices for marketers, such as web-based marketing, social media marketing, mobile marketing, email marketing, direct marketing and of course, traditional marketing.

With these marketing channels available, it’s not always easy to develop a successful integrated marketing strategy, because what works for Warren Buffett might not work for Mark Zuckerberg, so to speak. So let’s find out what integrated marketing is all about.

What is Integrated Marketing?

Integrated Marketing is a method or process of establishing a unified and flawless experience for communicating with your prospects and customers.

It encircles all areas of marketing communications, which includes sales promotion, advertising, public relations, social media, etc.

Thus, creating a unified communication strategy with your consumers is paramount to your marketing success, because it will ensure that all work together as a team.

Further, it will also make certain that all messages and communication campaigns are consistent across all marketing channels, and are centered on your consumers.

How Can You Develop a Successful Integrated Marketing Strategy?

Here are 5 amazing ways to develop a sustainable integrated marketing strategy and take your business to the next level.

1. Have a Clear Understanding of Your Target Audience

It is of great importance that you clearly pinpoint your targeted audience in terms of geo-location, demographic, and so forth.

  • Where are they located?
  • What are their interests?
  • Their attitudes and behaviors?
  • How do they approach business?

These are some of the areas you want to look at when trying to identify your target audience.

Addressing these questions will help you figure out who makes up your ideal target audience and prospective customers by understanding their wants, needs, interests, etc.

The collected information is key to helping you develop outstanding messages that are tailored to your prospects, as well as enabling you to figure out the best medium for communicating with your clientele and audience.

To back this up, here’s what the Digital Marketing Manager of TranslateMedia said:

Ask yourself, or your marketing team: “Who are your target customers? What are their motivations? How do they like being communicated to? Which newspapers or magazines do they read and which sites do they visit regularly? Which channels are they using? [And] if they’re using social media, what are they talking about? All these questions need to be answered before developing your integrated marketing strategy.” – Yusuf Bhana

2. What are Your Objectives?

Another area to look at when creating an integrated marketing campaign is to identify your objectives. Just as you identified your targeted audience in section one, you also need to figure out your objectives for an integrated marketing campaign.

Specifying your objectives will enable you to have a clear goal for a successful marketing campaign.

So, what are your objectives? These could be:

  • To create awareness
  • Reach a wider, more targeted audience
  • Increase engagement
  • Generate leads

The concept is for you to have a clear goal and focus on that which will help you determine the “who, when, where, and how” for sharing your content for maximum reach and exposure.

Remember, you’ll have to measure your objectives at the end of the day to know what worked and what didn’t! This will help you create a more effective marketing strategy.

3. Choose the Right Channel of Communication

When you analyzed your audience, you might have found that they’re in various marketing channels. A consumer may be using a number of avenues to communicate.

In social media for example, some might feel comfortable with Twitter, while others prefer Instagram, and yet others, Facebook. Therefore, you must find out where they like to be and choose your communication channels accordingly.

When choosing your marketing channels, first be sure to find out its strength:

  • How effective is it to your marketing strategy?
  • Is it going to help you achieve your goals?

Ensure that you do not spread yourself too thin, but rather, pick the best channels that are most effective for your marketing strategy.

4. Map Out Your Strategies and Tactics

The objectives you established earlier (as discussed in section two) enable you to have a focus that helps you create an effective integrated marketing communications strategy (IMC).

In a similar way, you have to devise your strategies or tactics that will help you realize and achieve your goals. These are simple and specific actions on how you intend to implement your campaigns.

5. Have a Consistent Message Across Channels

Consistency is essential to the success of all business strategies, including IMC strategy. So, make sure that your content and messages align, or are consistent with all channels of communication.

Here’s what Andrew Stanton, president of Altitude Marketing, said about having a consistent message across channels:

“Every piece of content you develop – a blog post, case study or video – [should be able to be] used in as many places as possible.” For example, you could craft a case study and “use it in your newsletter; post an excerpt on LinkedIn; tweet a series of informational nuggets from the piece.” – Andrew Stanten, President, Altitude Marketing

This sort of integrated marketing strategy can be extremely effective.

Put an Integrated Marketing Strategy to Work for Your Business

When you successfully develop integrated marketing tactics, your business will be recognized, because you were able to establish a consistent brand message across channels.

Take time to study the marketplace, your audience, and set goals and objectives. This way, your brand message will definitely attract more prospects.

Ensure that you follow these tips, because they will help you establish a unified and stable marketing strategy that will take your business to greater heights.

Please read this article on A Look at Integrated Marketing Communications in the 21st Century if you haven’t already. It’s the perfect companion piece to this one.

How will you use these tips to develop or complete your own integrated marketing strategy? Have thoughts or questions about the process? Please share in the comments!

Moss Clement

Moss Clement is a blogger and freelance writer who delivers high-quality content via writing services such as: blog post writing, article writing, ghost writing, etc.

More Posts

Download Our SEO Guide

Created in a joint partnership with Advice Local, this guide — What You Need to Know About SEO — provides an introduction to SEO concepts, strategies and best practices for optimizing a website. Complete the form below and get instant access.

    ROCKING DIGITAL SERVICES

    Web Design & Development

    Your website needs to be aesthetically pleasing and functional. We build websites for desktop and mobile that are both.

    LOCAL SEARCH & SEO

    Your website needs to attract search engines and consumers. We are experts in local search and SEO, and can make that happen.

    CONTENT CREATION & MARKETING

    Anybody can write words on a page, but can they write content that integrates SEO best practices and converts? We can.

    PPC & Paid Search

    PPC & Paid Search

    Need more customers? We create paid campaigns to reach your target audience and increase sales.

    Tracking & Optimization

    You need a solid foundation for success online, and our tracking & optimization services get it done.

    Graphic Design Services

    Graphic Design Services

    From logo design to your business card, brochures – and everything in-between for print & web – we can help!

    Here’s What Our Client's Have to Say

    Their Local Business Websites Rock

    ★★★★★
    Rocks Digital knows how to build local business websites that convert prospects to customers. Not only do I recommend them to work on my reputation management client’s websites, but they work on the Reputation Sensei brand, too.
    - Chris Snellgrove

    They Customize Their Solutions

    ★★★★★
    Rocks Digital customizes to meet their client’s needs. We needed our existing website optimized for search. We are now placing for more industry keywords and continue to improve. They consult with our in-house team on content optimization, manage our GMB listing & more.
    - Greta Valenti

    Highly Recommend

    ★★★★★
    Rocks Digital manages not only the Association of Directory Publishers website, but our Trusted Local Directory. From helping us get our event information on the website to producing guides, blogs and new content, they have what it takes.
    - Cindi Aldrich

    Rocks Digital Is the Best Choice

    ★★★★★
    As a long-term client, when it was time to change the primary focus of my real estate business, and my website, I knew Rocks Digital was the way to go. They took my existing website, gave it a complete new look, and still managed to keep my existing content.
    - David Dorum

    Brought My Ideas to Fruition

    ★★★★★
    Rocks Digital came highly recommended. Once I started working with them I knew why. They took my ideas for a beautiful website and brought them to the screen. From the design phase to content creation, each component was thoughtfully considered and addressed.
    - Clay Adams

    Conversions Are on the Rise

    ★★★★★
    Rocks Digital manages two of my websites. They produce our blogs, our service pages and manage our paid search campaigns. Conversions are up and new patients are coming in the door. I highly recommend their digital marketing services.
    - Dr. Thomas Chacko

    Agency Services Are Top Notch

    ★★★★★
    We shifted to Rocks Digital agency services earlier in the year. We are so glad we did. Our website sessions are up, page views are up, and bounce rate is down. Now we can easily see how many form fills we have had at any given time through their real-time reporting.
    - Kristin Schafer

    Their Local Business Websites Rock

    ★★★★★
    Rocks Digital knows how to build local business websites that convert prospects to customers. Not only do I recommend them to work on my reputation management client’s websites, but they work on the Reputation Sensei brand, too.
    - Chris Snellgrove

    They Customize Their Solutions

    ★★★★★
    Rocks Digital customizes to meet their client’s needs. We needed our existing website optimized for search. We are now placing for more industry keywords and continue to improve. They consult with our in-house team on content optimization, manage our GMB listing & more.
    - Greta Valenti

    Highly Recommend

    ★★★★★
    Rocks Digital manages not only the Association of Directory Publishers website, but our Trusted Local Directory. From helping us get our event information on the website to producing guides, blogs and new content, they have what it takes.
    - Cindi Aldrich
    Name
    Email
    Review Title
    Rating
    Review Content

    LATEST BLOG POSTS

    Hire a digital marketing agency.

    Why Hire a Digital Marketing Agency

    Staying ahead of search engine updates and marketing trends is a constant challenge, so it’s no surprise that businesses frequently turn to digital marketing agencies.

    Content writing services.

    How to Select a Content Writing Service

    From increasing local search presence to attracting new customers, businesses need quality content to thrive online. The leading content writing services consistently make life easier

    LOCAL VISIBILITY REPORT

    Is your Google My Business listing helping or hurting you? Is bad data causing consumers and search engines to lose trust in your business? This is information you simply must know.

    To get these answers right now, just enter your business name below to run our FREE
    visibility report.


    Need a facelift
    for your website? More search traffic? Need to blog, but don’t have time?

    Our Digital Services Could Be For You
    Get a Free Local Visibility Report Now