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Think of Integrated Marketing Like Musical Magic

Think of Integrated Marketing Like Musical Magic

Imagine going to see your favorite band and only one member shows up to play. Now unless that lone musician is Yani (ha!), you'd probably be pretty disappointed. After all, what really makes a good band work is the unique collection of musical talent playing well together. When key pieces are disjointed or missing, the notes fall flat.

Marketing is like that too.

At Rhythm, we believe that the most powerful marketing efforts are integrated, and based on insights and strategy. Just like the various members of your favorite band, each marketing component should work together to produce a harmonious experience greater than the sum of its parts. So what does this mean in practical terms? Well for starters, it begins by understanding that the customer journey is no longer linear.

Unlike in the past, modern consumer culture is connected 24/7/365. Today, a potential client or customer can view a company's television commercial or hear a radio ad and then immediately jump online to visit the company's website (likely on their smartphone) or view their offerings and messaging on Facebook or YouTube.

To avoid consumer confusion and maintain brand trust and credibility, it's vital that all imagery and messaging is in sync and working together. Additionally, consumers not only need consistent content, they need to find it consistently – and on their terms. As a case in point, ExactTarget's 2014 Mobile Behavior Report includes a few jaw-dropping stats:

  • More than nine out of ten consumers say that access to content however they want it is somewhat or very important; 59% say it’s very important.
  • 83% of consumers say a seamless experience across all devices is somewhat or very important.

cross-device engagement

Furthermore, according to a consumer behavior study by Google, up to 90% of consumers use multiple screens sequentially to accomplish a task, with 98% moving between devices that same day. And 67% of people have used multiple devices sequentially to shop online. These stats alone spell the death knell for marketing in isolation.

Here are a few 'must-haves' in today’s integrated marketing realm:

- A responsive website - Appropriate messaging for the medium

- Calls To Action to encourage further engagement

- A user experience that meets the expectations of the user's click

- SEO visibility built into each piece of content and technology

- Paid search advertising (PPC) to act as the catcher's mitt for users searching for your brand or your category

- Consistent visual branding, messaging and engagement across social channels

- A strong email marketing program with consistency and valuable content Today it's vital to think holistically when it comes to your marketing efforts.

From print and web to social, video, apps and more, maintaining a seamless experience across all marketing channels is not only important to your customers, it's expected.

Because when key pieces are disjointed, missing or disappointing, the notes fall flat. And just like a rock concert in which a band fails to show up together, your customers will flood the exits and take their money with them.

Sources: ExactTarget / Salesforce Marketing Cloud Google

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