This weekend, I wanted to do some online shopping… So how did I do it?? I found promotional deals while checking emails at night, I read blogs that included special offers and browsed my favourite influencers on Instagram and Facebook for outfit ideas whenever I was free throughout the day. Once I had a few items in mind, I went to the store to try on clothes that I had viewed from their websites, and once I decided which to buy, I paid with my phone.

I am not alone in my shopping behaviour. In fact, the typical consumer’s path to purchase is complex and happening across all sorts of channels. Because of this new trend in buying behaviour, the traditional one-point marketing strategy is no longer enough. In order to stay top of mind with consumers throughout their journey – you need an integrated digital marketing strategy. Here, we highlight five reasons why an integrated marketing is necessary for your business:

We Are Digital Consumers

The landscape of consumers’ shopping behaviour is definitely changing. Traditional advertising just lost its top spot to online advertising for the first time in 2017. Current technology trends like mobile pay, IoT, AI and algorithms have changed the way that people think, interact, and shop; and in turn, we are seeing extensive activity on smart devices and interactive platforms. As a result, social media channels, online reviews, videos, and blogs play a huge role in consumer decision-making process about whether to choose you or your competitors.

Integrated brand messages across multiple platforms mean not missing your customers at all available touchpoints. This is particularly true for B2C business (like Uniqlo, Taco Bell, Airbnb, Uber, Lululemon) and business that have long product lifecycles (like Porsche). After all, we can’t predict when potential customers will convert, but we can be there wherever they are ready.

Consistency Triggers Trust

Often times, buying is an emotional experience more than a rational one. Consumers expect the same experience across all channels and devices, and they tend to purchase more from brands they trust. The competition is fierce, so it is more important than ever for businesses to build a consistent brand identity to maintain an emotional connection.

Developing brand trust is a long-term commitment and needs to be done through a cohesive online communication strategy if you want customers to “buy in” to your authenticity and trustworthiness. Your marketing methods of communication need to be aligned with your brand image and personality at all levels, that means your logo, website, product design, brand voice, customer service and even company culture should reverberate with your marketing messages. Such consistency can instill relevancy and confidence in your consumer’s decisions.

Cross-channel Marketing = Conversions

A constant message across all channels can improve purchase intent by 90% and brand perception by 68%.

(Source: Econsultancy)

Although a most basic understanding of cross-channel marketing is about reaching a broader demographic by expanding into new channels, the most effective results l always come from a cohesive integrated marketing strategy. A seamless approach to this equals higher success moving potential customers down the funnel.

Prove it…

Consumers are rapidly evolving and so is their behaviour online. The concern about how to better understand your customers and how to adapt requires an “always on” approach to strategy and insights.

(TM Forum’s customer experience survey)

When considered with conversion tracking and data analysis, integrated digital marketing strategies help collect user data from multiple channels and bridge the gap between what you are expected to provide and where you are missing out. Conversion tracking can be done through various devices and channels from mobile, website, social media, Apps to even QR codes. With the right method on data analysis, you will find great insights on the following aspects:

• Identify which tactic is working

• Benchmark performance against competitors’

• Map out your customers online shopping journey

• Optimize executions

Adopting a data-driven strategy means less guesswork in your marketing decisions, and more proactive planning when consumers decision-making process changes.

Being Flexible

In the digital era, changes to search engine algorithm, devices, social media, data tracking capabilities happen overnight. From a business perspective, a stream of new revenue might pop up on some new channel; On the customer’s side, younger generations, in particular, are nimble adopters to trendy platforms and new technologies. All of these require marketing strategies to be flexible and easy to change on the fly – new creative and budgets must be quickly rolled out to keep up, also both brand guidelines and content strategies should be adapted seamlessly.

In A Nutshell…

Diversity is always an asset in marketing, and it means even more for businesses nowadays. We believe integrated digital marketing will be in demand and adopted as it meets our expectations on strengthening brand personality, retaining loyal customers, generating valuable leads, measuring ROI and eventually driving the success of your business.

This strategy requires not just a holistic view of your business, but also a set of strong, versatile skills arranging from creative design, social media, SEO, SEM, email marketing to data interpretation – things we do at BTI Brand Innovations every day.

Contact us to embark on integrated digital marketing today and learn more about how to integrate your digital marketing strategy!