Ultimate Guide of Integrated Marketing Communications (What, Why & How?)

Integrated Marketing Communications is a collaborative, strategic, and promotional function of marketing.

Through this, a target audience can receive reinforcing, reliable, and consistent brand messaging. It occurs in a manner that is comprehensive and integrated to move buyers through the process of decision making.

As per the stats, Marketing leaders as well as Mainstream Marketers are1.5 times more inclined towards having an Integrated Marketing Communication Strategy and advertising technology stack.

In this form of marketing communications, all forms of marketing communications and associated messages are linked together for the effective and result-driven promotion of the brand, product or service.

Integrated Marketing Communications integrated all the promotional tools to let them work in harmony and in a productive fashion.

Now, as you are well aware of what is Integrated Marketing Communications, let us have a look upon the associated process-

Integrated Marketing Communications Process

After understanding what is Integrated Marketing Communications, the next thing that comes in the line is the Internet Marketing Communications Process that revolves around 4 key steps.

So that you may develop an integrated marketing communications strategy, consider the four steps below. It will help to implement and develop a unified and cohesive digital marketing strategy. It is a sure way to give your success in the market a boost.

Let us unfold those steps right away-

1. Identifying Different Methods of Marketing Communications

It is a crucial part of your integrated marketing communications strategy.

You must determine the numerous marketing communications methods that you want to make use of as part of your plan. You have to keep your target audience in mind and determine how they’d like to receive information and what channels will be most relevant for them.

From there, you have to learn the most popular channels for your campaign. Some examples are-

Content Marketing

You may make your content available through blog content, marketing automation, premium content, or through the dynamic website content.

This will be done to help potential buyers learn and connect with you before they begin the process of decision making.

Email Marketing

You may use emails to engage your existent audience through helpful and unique content. Consider how you’d like to re-engage your new and existing contacts through content.

It is not always about getting new leads; sometimes, the most impactful marketing efforts are rooted in delivering the needed content at the right time to existing subscribers.

Social Media Marketing

The world of social media continues to open doors when it comes to building relationships and generating website traffic while increasing brand awareness.

When you combine your plans of email marketing and content marketing with online marketing campaigns- social media brings some exceptional results. It helps you connect with your target audience on a platform that they already use very frequently.

2. Developing a Communication Plan for Marketing

After you determine the marketing methods that will resonate with the audience, you need to establish some comprehensive plans for the execution of the marketing initiatives that you have in mind.

To do this, you must focus on the following-

Audience

You must determine the persona of the buyer for each product you are trying to market.

For instance, if baby boomers make most of your buyers, then you can consider email marketing as well as Facebook for your marketing plans. If millennials make most of your buyers, you have to use Instagram and texting.

Content

You have to define the kind of content that might speak with your audience in an effective manner.

For instance, if you want to generate a large number of new contacts in your database, then you may want to keep offers that are top of the line, such as downloading a checklist or subscribing to newsletters.

If your motive is re-engagement of your database to convert leads into possible opportunities, then you must use methods like video testimonials, case studies, and so on.

Cadence

You have to keep in mind the rate of flow of information and how often people receive your content.

It is possible to get this date from several automation programs for marketing. For instance, HubSpot allows us to see how often people engage on social media, websites, and go through their email.

This information can be used to determine the frequency with which we send out content. It should be enough for promotion but at the same time, not be overwhelming for the viewers. The date can be used for efficient decision making.

3. Understanding The Decision Making Progress of Customers

You have to identify the reasons which make your customers buy any service or product.

You have to discover why they would like to buy a product only from you. Some customers may have extended forms of decision making. Some use low-level involvement to make nominal and spontaneous decisions.

The decision making by customers follows a particular pattern which further goes on to create a sale in a particular situation. This is known as the process of decision making. Here is a common example-

(i) Customers recognize problems

(ii) They look for relevant information

(iii) Products and services which might solve the problem are identified

(iv) The customers consider the various alternatives that they might buy

(v) The customers consider the experience they shall have after-sale

Once you understand the complexity of consumer behavior, you can enhance how effective your communication with them is. All you have to do is relay the desired message to your buyers.

4. Implementing The Marketing Communication Strategy

It is time for us to achieve the desired strategy and obtain results.

Make sure that by now, you have a calendar to keep track of how much information is being sent out to your customers on desired channels. It is a great help in organizing the campaign assets and making sure that you communicate with your prospects at the right time and in the right place to help their decision making.

It is essential to create an Integrated Marketing Communications system that is customer-focused. This system has to bond and communicate with your prospects and your customers in a way that will establish the name of your company. You must come out as a brand that can satisfy the needs of your buyers.

You have to choose the marketing strategy which allows you to reach your audience effectively in a way that provides seamless, consistent, and integrated messages. This way, you will be able to bond with various customers at different levels of the buying cycle.

To make sure that your integrated marketing communications strategy is comprehensive and result-driven, you to have to monitor the requirements of your prospects. You must focus on the capability of your product, which allows it to solve problems.

It will increase people’s trust in your brand. You can stay ahead of other companies by finding new ways to implement your integrated marketing communications strategy.

Integrated Marketing Communications Examples

There are various reasons for you to consider the Integrated Marketing Communications process.

Good leads happen to be foremost. Several brands have benefited from their Integrated marketing strategy. Let’s have a look at a few of them below:

1. Smell Like A Man- Old Spice

This fantastic brand has integrated its content with creative ad videos and astounding social media marketing.

There has been some solid copywriting, which makes it the best example of marketing strategies. Their campaign worked by gaining someone’s attention first and selling to them later

2. Like A Girl – Always

Always is a feminine hygiene brand. The best marketing technique which they applied was in the fact that they were not only promoting a product but a cause. Always catered to an opinion that motivates most females in the society, thus gaining a strong base of followers for its product. The videos caused many heated discussions and actively engaged the buyers.

3. Be A Hero- GoPro

This brand has used several campaigns for its promotion, such as sponsorships, ads, and an original video by firefighters.

It is one of the most wonderful Integrated Marketing Communications Examples of a start-up that was first small but later took off owing to its fantastic branding and marketing.

4. Condoms for Pets- SFPCA

This brand followed a rare but straightforward Integrated Marketing Communications process.

It did not beat around the bush or try to create something very creative and catchy. The power of the brand lay in its innovation, and it used it for the better by creating a tagline that endorsed its cause thorough and through.

5. Mikehacks- Mike’s Hard Lemonade

It was a classic case of user-based promotion.

The brand focused on the experience of after-sale and paired the barbeque in a can of the drink with retail displays. It worked great for the development of the brand and significantly boosted the involvement of the buyers.

Importance of Integrated Marketing Communications Process

(i) Integrated marketing communications are the most effective way to communicate the message of your brand to a broad audience. You can incorporate all the components of marketing and deliver your use and purpose to end-users.

(ii) The goal of the integrated marketing communications process is to engage as many people as possible at minimum cost. It helps to speed up the process of reaching an audience, while at the same time, it creates a sense of trust among all the users.

(iii) Integrated marketing communications combine the traditional as well as the new methods of marketing. It ensures that you can reach a more substantial majority of buyers over different platforms.

Conclusion

Integrated marketing is a beautiful bridge between the modern means of marketing and the traditional PR and print methods of brand promotion.

It is a perfect method to make sure that you get maximum results at minimum efforts and cost!

Want to learn the right Integrated Marketing Communications Process for your business? Enroll in the Digital Marketing Course now.

In case of any doubts about what is Integrated Marketing Communications, feel free to ask us in the comments.