Why Businesses NeedIntegrated Digital Marketing

Why Integrated Digital Marketing?

Digital technology is fast becoming the organizing principle in our

daily lives. As both consumers and producers, we use the Internet,

social media, and mobile devices at work and play. In this new

“techonomy,” we consumers are demanding more out of brands

than ever before. We expect personalization and seamless online

user experiences. We look for content that informs, entertains, or

otherwise adds value to our lives. Finally, we are on our own

timetable: we want what we want when we want it. Sick and tired of

being talked down to by advertisers and marketers, we have the

power, and we expect to be catered to.

To stay competitive in such a daunting environment, businesses

need a new approach to consumer engagement and conversion:

they need an integrated digital marketing strategy.

A bit of an Anglophile, Chris studied history and philosophy at Oxford University before going on to earn a master’s degree in Mediaeval History from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. Since rejoining the real world 15 years ago, Chris has held a number of management-level positions in sales and marketing. At SyneCore, Chris divides his time between digital strategy and content creation; at play, he divides his time between little-read and long-forgotten history books.

by Chris HortonContent Creator / Digital Strategist

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Why Businesses NeedIntegrated Digital Marketing

Integrated Contents

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The Components of Integrated Digital Marketing ...................................4

Digital Presence Management ...........................................................................5

Content Marketing ..............................................................................................10

Targeted Discovery .............................................................................................14

Online Engagement ............................................................................................18

Social, Local, Mobile ..........................................................................................22

Performance Management ...............................................................................26

Integrated Digital Marketing in Action ....................................................29

Establish ................................................................................................................30

Convey ...................................................................................................................31

Attract ....................................................................................................................32

Promote ................................................................................................................33

Connect ................................................................................................................34

Refine ....................................................................................................................35

The Future of Marketing .............................................................................36

SyneCore: Integrated Digital Marketing Agency ...................................37

Works Cited ...................................................................................................38

The Components ofIntegrated Digital Marketing

Digital Presence Management

Acting as a company’s digital “home base,” on the Internet, a

well-built site can be beautiful and practical, offering simple

navigation and quality content optimized for web, social, and mobile

channels. The best sites provide a convenient, simple, and relevant

user experience, easing the path to the sale.

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Brand MessagingThe most effective brand messaging has three characteristics:

1. It aligns with a company’s goals and values

2. It speaks the right message to the right people at the right time

3. It creates value by helping prospects fulfill a want or a need

Website DesignTo be effective, your brand’s website must accomplish four things: offer a Unified message over Internet, social, and mobile with a Simple design and navigation Engaging prospects with Relevant content that informs, entertains, or otherwise adds value.

Social MediaSocial media is the new promotion, creating a virtuous cycle: sharing web-based content on social media expands a brand’s social reach; greater social reach in turn drives more traffic to a company’s web-based content, multiplying its reach, and so on.

Mobile WebIncreasingly, consumers are accessing the Internet via mobile devices. Brands must now provide contextually relevant web and social messaging to satisfy the real-time demands of the mobile user.

“Time Spent on mobiledevices is growing at

14 times the rateof desktop”1

Content Marketing

In the digital age, online content plays a dominant role in brand

messaging. Effective online content should reflect a company’s

business goals and speak to the wants and needs of its target

audience. With the widespread adoption of the Internet, social, and

mobile, consumer demand for online content is increasing

geometrically.

Online content marketing consists of written, auditory, and visual

media such as blogs, ebooks, whitepapers, social posts, webcasts,

webinars, podcasts, videos, emails and more.

media such as blogs, ebooks, whitepapers, social posts, webcasts,

Online content marketing consists of written, auditory, and visual

media such as blogs, ebooks, whitepapers, social posts, webcasts,

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WrittenBrands use a variety of written content - including business blogs, eBooks, whitepapers, tip sheets, and case studies - to attract prospects to company websites and social media channels.

AuditoryThe proliferation of smartphones, iPods, and other devices means users can listen to content anywhere, anytime. As consumers look for more options while on the go, 2013 will see an exponential increase in auditory content offerings such as Podcasts, audio-casts, and audio blogs.

Visual2012 saw the explosion of online video as a content marketing medium: YouTube alone recorded over 20 billion views in October of 2012. However, video is only part of the story; social visual sites like Pinterest and Instagram are also enjoying meteoric growth. Whether it’s a photo collage or a viral video, visual marketing gives brands a chance to tell their story in a more personal way.

Targeted Discovery

The rise of mobile devices and the shift of search engines like

Google in favor of fresh and original content have forced digital

marketers to rethink search. Mobile users are turning to

specific-use mobile apps rather than search engines for need

discovery. Many prefer social apps like Yelp and Foursquare, with

their user-generated reviews and promoted local offerings, over

traditional search engines.

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Organic SearchGoogle’s continued algorithm changes are making search a truly organic experience. As such, brands are first creating fresh and original content that resolves the wants and needs of their target audience before optimizing keywords and phrases users are likely to be “organically” searching for.

Paid SearchPPC is slowly giving way to more sophisticated offerings like ad retargeting. Retargeted ads provide online users tailored advertisements based on previous browsing history. Available on both search engines and social platforms, ad retargeting can be highly effective: recent data from Facebook’s ad retargeting product, Exchange, found that retargeted ads earn businesses 16X what they spend.2

Social, Mobile, & Video AdsSocial, mobile, and video ads are more effective than traditional advertising for three reasons:

Efficiency: Providing a broader reach at a lower cost, brands can micro-target each segment of their audience cost-effectively.

Interactivity: Click-able ads encourage immediate and measurable action.

Proximity: With consumers carrying their mobile devices around the clock, brands can use sophisticated ad targeting techniques to offer the right deal at the right time.

Online Engagement

While content conveys the message, online engagement solidifies

the relationship. Online engagement tools such as social media and

email marketing allow brands to interact with prospects and

customers honestly and transparently, driving home their core value

proposition with deeds as well as words.

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Social MediaSocial media is one of the greatest community building tools in history. Content shared on social media amplifies a company’s online presence; transparent social exchanges project its authenticity, fostering longstanding connections with new prospects and existing customers.

Public RelationsIntegrated digital marketing plays a critical PR function, as brands use content, social, and mobile to communicate directly with their audience. A well-crafted digital marketing strategy builds consumer trust and intimacy by updating, informing, and resolving, often in real time.

eMail MarketingMany businesses are now using highly sophisticated eMail marketing campaigns to nurture new leads and stay in touch with existing customers. Through a series coordinated emails, brands are able to send out highly personalized content tailored to each audience segment and stage of the buying cycle.

“Investment in eMail marketingwill hit 2 billion by 2014”3

Social Local Mobile (SoLoMo)

Today’s sophisticated consumers are using mobile devices to

access social media and business web/ecommerce sites. They’re

roaming the streets clutching smartphones and tablets looking for

things to do or to buy. To compete in this SoLoMo environment,

businesses need an integrated approach. Brands need to get social,

think local, and spend mobile.

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Social Apps & OffersThe future of social is mobile. Smartphone users prefer visual, concise, and contextually relevant content. Social apps that provide user-generated reviews and location-based offers greatly influence mobile consumers.

Geo-Local MarketingCompanies with a brick-and-mortar presence need to ensure they are easily accessible when prospects are nearby. Whether it’s SMS Text Marketing, Geo-Fencing, or local deals, proximity creates top of mind awareness and drives conversion.

Mobile AppsAs mobile device usage increases, users are becoming more dependent on mobile search and discovery. Mobile apps provide a simple and convenient user experience, easing the path to the sale. Along with geo-local search, retail and specific-use apps are expected to proliferate in coming years

Performance Management

In the age of big data, marketers can track, review, and refine

virtually every aspect of an integrated digital campaign. The ability

to quickly compare marketing initiatives with real-world results

allows brands to refine their message to better cater to prospects

and customers.

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Data AnalyticsAdvancements in marketing technology give companies the ability to track the progress of each digital marketing initiative. Integrated marketing automation software platforms like that offered by Hubspot help companies track key performance indicators in real time, offering digital marketers a chance to nimbly tweak campaign elements to respond to consumer demand.

Strategy Review & RefinementSophisticated data analytics are worthless unless acted upon. By reviewing internal campaign metrics and eliciting feedback from sales teams, brands can improve upon existing strategies and formulate new ones. Integrated digital marketing is disruptive and dynamic, constantly shattering the status quo.

Integrated DigitalMarketing in Action

ESTABLISHThe primary objective of integrated digital marketing is to build a foundational online presence across web, social, and mobile that properly reflects a company’s business goals and values. This begins with a powerful brand message that is clearly communicated over a well-built company website, shared on relevant social channels, and optimized for mobile devices.

CONVEYIntegrated digital marketers understand the importance of delivering contextually relevant content to new prospects and existing customers through web, social, and mobile channels. Various content media are used to inform and entertain each segment of a brand’s audience, kindling reader interest, attracting targeted prospects, generating relevant leads, increasing direct sales, and fostering brand loyalty.

ATTRACTCompanies use paid and organic SEO to help facilitate targeted discovery. Shifting the focus to user intent, integrated digital marketers are always trying to attract those actively looking for solutions their brands provide. This is done by creating quality content first and optimizing it for contextual relevance (on search engines, social media channels, mobile devices) second.

PROMOTEIntegrated digital marketers use social media to expand a company’s reach and engage its audience. They deploy eMail marketing campaigns to nurture new prospects down the sales funnel and to stay connected with existing customers. They recognize the power of social and eMail to form meaningful connections and strengthen brand loyalty.

CONNECTContext leads to connection and drives conversion. Today’s consumers expect to find easy solutions where and when they need them. By integrating web, social, and mobile marketing into one seamless digital presence, brands are able to offer their audience real value.

To get there, companies must tear down marketing silos, eliminate fragmented messaging, and fully integrate their marketing efforts. By doing so, businesses can provide simple, convenient, and relevant user experiences that foster connection and increase conversion.

REFINEIntegrated digital marketers rely heavily on data analytics to track campaign performance over website, social, and mobile channels. To ensure each initiative is achieving the desired effect, they may track metrics such as website bounce rate, keyword performance, ad campaign ROI, eMail response, landing page conversions, visitor-to-lead and lead-to-customer ratios, and customer retention rate.

Using big data to compare marketing initiatives with real-world results, integrated digital marketers strive for perfection.

The Future of Marketingis Digital and Integrated

In our post, post-modern techonomy, consumers expect

personalization and seamless online user experiences. They are

looking for content that informs, entertains, or otherwise adds value

to their daily lives.

To stay competitive in this brave new world, you must form

meaningful connections with the people who matter most: those

who find value in your brand.

Your business can do this by producing large quantities of original

content that is exceptional, personalized, and relevant. It should be

optimized for any platform or device on which it could potentially

be viewed or consumed via social sharing.

Engaging with your audience in real time over multiple channels,

you must then rely on user feedback and data analytics to adjust

your message to fit the ever-changing demands of each segment of

your target audience.

To stay relevant in today’s fast-paced techonomy, you should

consider integrated digital marketing.

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We Help Brands Form Connections That Matter

At SyneCore, we believe the seamless integration of digital marketing channels fosters deeper and more meaningful connections with the people who matter most: those who find value in your brand.

SyneCore incorporates proven inbound marketing methods into our Integrated Digital Marketing process, which is customized to the meet the needs of each client.

Works Cited

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1 eMarketer, “Trends for 2013: Making Mobile-First a Priority”2 TechCrunch, “Initial Trials Show Facebook Exchange Retargeted

Ads Deliver Massive Return On Investment, Up To 16X”3 Hubspot, “Your biggest marketing opportunity is to create

effective EMAIL MARKETING”