Marketing in any form is a challenge. And anyone or any agency who tells you otherwise either isn’t letting you in on the full picture or worse, they do not fully understand the picture themselves!
Digital marketing is as much a science as it is an art, the key thing is consistency and coordination. You might think that coming up with a new campaign is relatively easy, and while this may be true, the idea, the concept is only the beginning. Each campaign has its own touchpoints, which must reflect the overarching message of the campaign, this can mean anything from landing pages to social media posts and images, digital ads, even packaging and signage depending on your industry.
This is true for any campaign, whether you are working in a B2C or a B2B environment. This is where it starts to get complicated for those who do not work with an integrated marketing agency. Coordinating each of these touchpoints across multiple channels, via multiple agencies, in theory, you could have a marketing agency working alongside your web development agency, your social media agency and a team of graphic designers.
Clearly, you’ll have a large, if not impossible, job on your hands. Each outside agency needs to be briefed on their role and what they need to do, when they need to complete each stage, and informing them on how their work will need to integrate into the work that others are doing.
Now that is already complex enough. Now consider the event that any one of the agencies you are working with recommends a late change to the campaign. For example, perhaps one aspect of the campaign, one of the key messages, may not be well received on social media. At this point, you’ll have to contact each of the agencies you are working with, inform them of the changes, and re-brief the campaign. That just sounds like a major headache waiting to happen!
This is where integrated marketing agencies come to the fore.
So what is an integrated marketing agency?
An integrated marketing agency is one that can meet all of its clients’ needs, and more often than not, exceed their expectations. They will specialise in every digital marketing field, from having their own social media department to their own design team, content creators, paid search (PPC) and search engine optimisation (SEO) specialists, web developers, and of course, dedicated account managers.
Essentially, an integrated marketing agency is made up of specialists in every branch of digital and brand marketing, giving you something of a one-stop-shop for all your digital marketing needs. So rather than you attempting to coordinate between several different agencies and manage their tasks, instead, you’ll be assigned an account manager to oversee every step of the campaign, who will coordinate within the internal team.
This ensures that the whole campaign is tightly integrated, with each department working closely together, the messages going out to your customers and target audience and consistent, and that any changes can be easily made.
A major advantage
There is another key advantage that opting for integrated marketing agencies have over opting for several single-channel agencies. By definition, single-channel agencies will only concern themselves with their specialist area, and no matter how many of these agencies you bring on board, the chances are that there will be gaps in your marketing approach.
You might bring on your social media team, your web design team, and your graphic designers, but none of them will tell you that your website isn’t optimised. None of them will tell you that your paid search landing pages have a low quality score, which is affecting how much you are paying per click.
No matter how many agencies you bring on board, the chances are that even between them, there will be gaps in their knowledge. Integrated marketing agencies will take your campaign on board, and rather than just doing A, B and C, as requested, they will identify further opportunities and also recommend D and E.
Adopting an omnichannel approach
There is no denying that we live in a digital age. And the way that we consume information, shop, and interact with one another is constantly changing.
Information will be consumed on multiple platforms, often at the same time, we call these touchpoints. Touchpoints are steps in the customer journey, and each touchpoint needs to convey the benefits of your brand, and convince them that your services or products are superior to the competition.
An integrated marketing approach consists of emails, social posts, landing pages, blogs, outreach, ads, and more. And each of these aspects should reach, and hopefully help to convert or retain, prospective or existing customers.
Why opt for an integrated marketing agency?
- By providing you with all the services you need in-house, integrated marketing agencies are much more cost-effective than opting for several outside suppliers.
- They understand each touchpoint on the consumer journey, from the first interaction to the point of sale, and they ensure the right message is given to the right consumer, at the right time.
- They will be able to give you a complete view of your customers, from where and when they interact with your brand, to what they purchase and the steps that led to this.
- Multiple marketing channels will be used, working hand in hand to achieve one set and defined goal.
- Full use of all available data can boost your campaign, identify what is working, and critically, identify what isn’t working. This is then used to make better, more informed decisions going forward.
What can an integrated marketing agency do for you?
Brands and businesses who opt for integrated marketing agencies can expect to receive the following:
- Performance marketing – Deals with concrete data such as the generation of leads and the number of conversions.
- Digital marketing – Email marketing, search engine optimisation and targetted ads.
- Brand marketing – Motivate buyers, enhance credibility and prompt an emotional response.
- Social media marketing – Making full use of all social channels is key to driving brand awareness and engaging with potential customers.
- Content creation – Creating content for your brands, from videos to blogs and outreach, to web pages.
- Design and creative – From assets for social media to designing the overall look and feel of your campaign.
- And much more.
As Brand and Performance Marketing Specialists, at WilsonCooke we have over 20 years of experience delivering exceptional integrated marketing service. We’re here to work with you, to drive your growth through knowledge, and to drive your brand forwards, through every channel available to us.
Contact WilsonCooke to discuss your need for an integrated marketing agency.
