The Importance of an Integrated Marketing Strategy
When promoting your products and services, the marketing and advertising tactics you choose to employ will have a significant impact on your business. In a highly competitive retail industry, strategic advertising campaigns and marketing materials are crucial in generating both new and loyal customers.
A highly effective marketing plan will ideally include a mix of both digital and print materials to obtain the greatest reach to prospective customers, including a strong online presence and continual promotion that keep to consumer trends. By using an integrated marketing strategy as outlined below, you'll be on the fast track to capturing a wider audience and developing long-lasting relationships with consumers.
Use Traditional Marketing Tactics
To maintain a well-rounded marketing strategy, it's important to remember to use all avenues of communication with consumers — that includes traditional direct mail and print elements. According to a study from InfoTrends, millennials are the most likely of any age group to read direct mail, making this form of communication more relevant than ever.
Actively Engage on Social Media
Revamping your social media platforms so that they work in conjunction with your print advertising is a good way to appeal to younger consumers. To successfully manage your social media presence, you must post engaging, personalized messages relevant to the consumers you want to attract. This includes a mix of promotional and educational posts revolving around the products and services you offer, as well as interaction with your followers. For example, a clothing retailer should share special promotions and offers via social media while also creating posts featuring images of newly stocked seasonal clothing items.
Update Your Online Presence
Part of a strong digital marketing plan is having a notable online presence. If you don't already have an established, updated website, you may want to consider a web refresh. In addition, make sure that your site is mobile friendly. In many cases, this ends up being a minor additional cost with major benefits to the end user. Remember, consumer perceptions and reactions to a well-designed website can be the tipping point in their decision to buy from your company, especially for millennials. More than aesthetics, your website should have well-planned search terms embedded into it to enable search engine optimization that will bring consumers to your site.
Create Promotions Based on Consumer Trends
Additionally, your marketing strategy should consist of continual consumer promotions that reflect changes and trends within the industry. It's important to always stay ingrained in the wants and needs of your targeted consumers to stay ahead of the buying trend and plan your promotions accordingly. A promotion that aligns with local consumer trends can help boost business. For example, if your business is noticing a shift in the popularity of a certain product or service, offer a discount to capitalize on the heightened interest.
To be as effective as possible, the coupons associated with each promotion should offer broad-based choices that appeal to a wide variety of customers. A buy one pair of shoes, get another half off offer on all shoes purchased in-store is a relevant deal for consumers of any age or gender, which will increase return on investment.
By implementing upgraded online elements and direct mail marketing materials to their overall advertising and marketing strategy, retailers can capture a wider audience while creating deeper relationships with consumers.
Mike Tinz is the vice president of franchise sales at Money Mailer, a direct mail marketing consulting franchise.
