Introduction: Taking a Bite Out of a Great Story
If you’re like 86% of people, you’ve enjoyed potato chips at least once this year. For some of us, it’s a daily snack, for others, an occasional guilty pleasure. But did you ever wonder who invented the epic potato chip (and what this has to do with digital marketing!?)
George Crum, a chef at Moon’s Lake House in Saratoga Springs, New York, was facing a challenging customer one evening in 1853. The customer kept sending back his fried potatoes, complaining they were too thick and soggy. Frustrated and acting out of spite, Crum sliced the potatoes as thin as possible, fried them to a crisp, and added too much salt.
He intended to annoy the customer, but instead, the customer loved the crispy potatoes, and kept asking for more. Soon, news of Crum’s crispy potatoes had spread far and wide.
Recognizing the potential in his unintended creation, George Crum decided to refine and intentionally make these thin, crispy potato slices. He began serving them regularly at the restaurant, where they became an instant hit with other customers. Embracing the success of his creation, Crum eventually opened his own restaurant, Crum’s House, in 1860. He prominently featured the potato chips, attracting a large and loyal customer base. Eventually, his potato chips would become a beloved snack across the United States – and the world – securing Crum’s place in culinary history.
Today, the global potato chips market is worth $63.51 billion, and is projected to grow to $100 billion by 2030. Not bad for an act of revenge!
In this case, Crum got lucky. The customer could have hated the chips, and the story would have ended badly for all involved.
Too many businesses rely on a stroke of luck like this one for their growth. They hope that things will just “happen,” and that new clients or customers will somehow find them.
Today, with so much competition and so much noise, this strategy – or lack thereof – is a recipe for disaster.
Why Your Marketing Isn’t Working As Well As It Should
Do you have a system in place that generates new customers consistently?
If you’re like 84% of business owners, the answer is likely a sad “no.”
But you’re probably doing (at least some of) the right things: social media posts, blogs, emails, SEO work; maybe even ads and outbound prospecting.
The problem here is that the individual pieces might have a “check” next to them, but the overall system is not set up for success.
This is where an integrated marketing approach comes in.
What Integrated Marketing Means
Integrated marketing is creating a unified digital marketing system that involves seamlessly incorporating various marketing channels and strategies to work together towards common business objectives.
This turbocharges your marketing efforts, attaching jet engines to your previously propellor-driven marketing processes.
Sounds good, you might be thinking, but what does that mean?
Here’s how it could look for you:
1. Content Marketing as the Foundation
Content should be the core of your digital marketing strategy. High-quality, relevant content (blogs, videos, infographics) attracts and engages your target audience.
- Integration with SEO: Content is optimized with relevant keywords to improve organic search rankings. This makes it easier for potential customers to find your business through search engines.
- Social Media Amplification: Once content is created, it’s shared on social media platforms to increase reach and engagement. This drives traffic back to your website, improving SEO rankings further.
- Email Marketing Support: Content can be repurposed in email newsletters, providing value to subscribers. Emails also serve to drive dormant leads back into your ecosystem, and keep you top-of-mind.
A typical user might find you through a Google search, then check out your social media channels to see if you’re legit. They might see a piece of content they love and download it, in exchange for their email address, after which they’ll receive curated content from you demonstrating your value. Add in display ads to nudge the user along, and you’ll soon have a high-value client who feels they absolutely need what you’re offering!
2. SEO and PPC Working in Tandem
SEO and PPC should not be viewed as separate entities but rather complementary components of a unified strategy.
- SEO: Focuses on long-term growth by optimizing content for organic search. It improves visibility and attracts users searching for relevant information.
- PPC: Provides immediate visibility and traffic through paid ads. Keywords used in PPC campaigns should be aligned with those targeted by SEO efforts. This synergy ensures a comprehensive coverage of search engine results pages (SERPs).
3. Social Media Engagement and Email Nurturing
Social media and email marketing work together to nurture leads and build relationships.
- Lead Generation via Social Media: Social platforms are used to promote content and special offers, encouraging users to subscribe to your email list.
- Email Nurturing: Once leads are captured through social media campaigns, email marketing nurtures these leads with targeted content and personalized messaging. Automated email sequences guide leads through the sales funnel, from awareness to conversion.
4. Analytics and Reporting: The Glue Holding It All Together
Data analytics is the backbone of a unified marketing system. It provides insights that inform and optimize all marketing activities.
- Integrated Analytics: See a holistic view of how each channel performs. By tracking KPIs, you can understand how different channels contribute to overall goals.
- Data-Driven Adjustments: Regular analysis of data allows marketers to adjust strategies in real-time. For instance, if a particular type of content performs well on social media, similar content can be created and shared across other channels.
Example Scenario: Launching a New Product
- Pre-Launch Phase:
- Content Marketing: Create blog posts and videos highlighting the product’s features and benefits.
- SEO: Optimize this content for keywords related to the product.
- Social Media Teasers: Share snippets and teasers on social media to build anticipation.
- Email Marketing: Send a series of emails to your subscriber list, building excitement and providing exclusive pre-launch information.
- Launch Phase:
- PPC Campaigns: Run Google Ads and social media ads targeting keywords and demographics identified during the pre-launch phase.
- Social Media Blitz: Use all social media platforms to announce the product launch, share user-generated content, and engage with your audience.
- Email Blast: Send a launch announcement email with a call-to-action to purchase the product.
- Post-Launch Phase:
- Content Follow-Up: Publish case studies, testimonials, and reviews to reinforce the product’s value.
- Retargeting Ads: Use PPC retargeting campaigns like display ads to reach visitors who showed interest but did not convert.
- Customer Feedback Loop: Gather feedback through email surveys and social media polls to refine and improve the product or campaign strategies.
How To Implement Integrated Marketing
Assuming you’ve already researched your ICP, personas, and have set objective and goals, your next steps should be the following:
- Trace out the buyer journey, and ensure you have relevant content on the right channels for each stage
- Develop powerful key messages that will be used across all marketing materials; don’t worry about repetition, the more you hammer this message home, the better.
- Content: produce high-quality, engaging content such as blog posts, infographics, and social media updates that address your audience’s interests and needs.
- Plan and schedule content across all channels to maintain a steady flow of communication.
- Update your SEO approach, including keyword research, on-page and off-page SEO
- Set potent email sequences in motion – leverage automation as much as you can, just make sure not to sound robotic
- Regularly review and optimize
- Explore PPC and other forms of paid marketing – and make sure this works with each element of your strategy and not in isolation
- Always be conscious of the next step you want the Future Customer to take, and where they are in their journey
Conclusion: Be Intentional
Unlike George Crum, who stumbled upon his success with potato chips by chance, be intentional about your business growth.
Integrated marketing is crucial for achieving sustainable success. An intentional approach involves consciously planning and executing a cohesive strategy that unifies multiple marketing channels—content, SEO, social media, email, and PPC—ensuring they work together seamlessly to amplify your brand message and drive results.
Using this methodology, you can systematically attract and engage your target audience, convert leads into loyal customers, and build a robust brand presence.
