Top 5 Ways to Integrate Your Digital Marketing Channels

Many businesses have a unique strategy for each of their digital marketing channels. They think about their website, social media, SEO, advertising, and email as different buckets that each has its own strategy, goals, and objectives. Offline media is entirely separate.

The real key to true digital marketing success is to think about integrating digital marketing across touchpoints. But what does that mean? Sounds a little jargony maybe?

Here is what it means to think about integrating your digital marketing strategy.

1. All digital marketing channels should work together and build off each other

When planning your marketing strategy think about how all of the channels can work together vs. planning each channel independently. For example, if you have a contest on Facebook think about how every single other touchpoint (digital, offline, physical, etc.) can drive the contest. Even though the contest is on Facebook, every touchpoint should support the same strategy. It shouldn’t just be a “Facebook Contest” – is should be a contest run on Facebook supported by all your marketing touchpoints.

2. Strategies should connect across channels

The strategy should also connect across channels. Consumers don’t think in channels – they think about your brand or business. Make sure that your strategies connect seamlessly across channels. It isn’t a campaign with digital added. Bring the campaign to life organically in each channel.

3. Ideas should use multiple touchpoints

Every idea can be bigger and better with multiple touchpoints – both digital and traditional. We know that campaigns work better when we connect with consumers across all of the channels that are meaningful for them. Studies show that digital campaigns that use multiple digital touchpoints perform better vs. campaigns using only one touchpoint.

4. View your business like a customer

Think like a customer. They don’t see you as silos or that the ecommerce team is different from sales which is different from marketing and different from customer service. They see you as a single organization or brand. Present yourself to them in that way.

5. Consumers don’t have a linear path

We often design interactions as though the consumer has a linear path. The reality is that they don’t. Each consumer has a unique path that leads them to do business with you. People don’t start their interaction with their business on your home page. Design your digital strategy remembering that customers don’t follow an exact process from A to B to C.