While searching for a holistic marketing agency, you will come across some focused on experiential marketing, others specializing in digital marketing, and some doing nothing else but direct marketing. An integrated marketing agency is a whole different flock of sheep.
Imagine Netflix, but replace the millions of movies and TV shows with ‘marketing solutions,’ and you have pretty much got a good idea of an integrated marketing agency. All your needs will be satisfied under one roof when hiring such a company for your marketing goals.
Integrate marketing agencies have the resources, capacity, and knowledge to implement a plethora of marketing strategies in one cohesive effort. These companies claim teams of professionals whose expertise spans across a wide range of communication and marketing disciplines. These teams work together to make sure their clients’ campaigns fall nothing short of hitting the nail on the head.
What is Integrated Marketing?
When marketing is done right, the whole is notably more than the sum of its rights—if we channel Aristotle.
Integrated marketing targets defined audiences and individuals with a strategic approach to incorporating interactive experiences and communication in coordination with all aspects of marketing a brand, including:
- Earned media: organic search as a result of content marketing, online influencer outreach, and PR.
- Paid media: direct marketing, online display, and offline advertising.
- Owned media: social media, customer service, direct messaging via email and texts.
The essence of integrated marketing is getting a brand’s consistent narrative across channels that lead to enhanced brand awareness, favourability, and purchase familiarity when compared to taking a lesser integrated approach. Integrated marketing is one part of omnichannel marketing where multichannel approach to sales is focused including both the online and offline channels.
The marketing landscape has evolved at an unprecedented rate over the past decade, making integrated marketing more essential than ever.
What is an Integrated Marketing Agency – Benefits of Working With an Integrated Marketing Agency
An integrated marketing agency takes a holistic approach to marketing communications and brand strategy, basically becoming an extension of your business. Instead of hiring freelancers in digital marketing field, contractors, and other single-specialty agencies, you can get everything under one roof instead of shopping for different items at varying grocery stores.
The benefits of working with an integrated marketing agency are unmatched. Research indicates that integrated campaigns for more than four channels outperform single or dual-channel campaigns by a behemoth 300%. Here is why:
You get a team of experts
It can be challenging to create an integrated marketing strategy in-house. This is overcome by hiring an agency that comes equipped with specialist personnel who are highly knowledgeable in their field and can be trusted to run your campaign without a hitch.
You receive better results
The combination of messaging and communication tools bolsters marketing effectiveness. When the customer’s journey is unified and focused, the likelihood of sale and brand loyalty is increased multiple times.
It is cost-effective
Creating a single message across all channels saves significantly on creating different campaigns and prevents wastage due to inconsistency.
You get added support
A successful campaign depends on the perseverance of the team behind it. Working alone on an integrated marketing campaign can feel overwhelming. Relying on an integrated marketing agency provides you with the exact support you need. They have the knowledge and skills to create and implement a campaign that aligns with your long-term goals better than expected.
Updated campaign
Market trends keep changing constantly. Keeping up with digital marketing trends and simultaneously staying ahead of those in your own field can be quite taxing. Hiring an agency allows you to keep on top of both these, freeing you up to use your mastery in your own business.
How to Find the Best-Integrated Marketing Agency For Your Business?
It can be somewhat disconcerting for a customer to have a disjointed online and offline experience. If your website doesn’t look anything like your product packaging, then confusion arises; did they visit the wrong website? Is this company legit? This can lead to other products that offer a more cohesive experience across all physical and digital channels.
Finding a company that can accomplish the above for you is critical to achieving integrated marketing objectives. Here’s how you can find one that suits your needs to a T:
1. Know your goals
Establishing your business’s goals is essential before searching for an integrated marketing agency. Your goals must be explicitly detailed before starting a campaign.
Consider the services you may need from them. Is it PPC? Or email marketing or Facebook marketing? You need to figure out who your target audience is and which channels should be optimized to reach them—this narrows down your options for the type of services you require from your chosen agency.
The next step is developing your campaign objectives.
What results are you hoping to achieve, and by when? Setting clear goals will aid you significantly in choosing a company that is perfectly suited for them. Once you know what you want, the search will go smoothly and quickly.
1. Review the services the agency provides
When choosing an agency, the type of marketing services they provide will determine their future partnership with you. If you know what services you need, then finding the best company for them will be a cakewalk.
The many services provided by integrated marketing agencies include the following:
- Social media marketing
- SEO and Google Ads
- Content marketing
- Copywriting
- Video marketing
- Conversion optimization
These merely scratch the surface of the varying services offered by integrated marketing agencies. The companies that don’t offer your required services can be filtered out from the lot hence honing in on the one that’s for.
3. Check out their testimonials
Testimonials are the word of mouth for today’s digital world. Testimonials offer a glimpse into how they fared while working with other clients. You can gauge the type of experience you will have based on their positive reviews.
Consider it a good sign when plenty of people are satisfied with the company’s results. Look for names mentioned, services rendered, and specific results to see how they relate to your own marketing goals.
4. Review their portfolio
Checking out a company’s portfolio is the most efficient way of knowing what kind of work they are capable of. Their work with previous clients offers insight into their process and the level of results they yield.
Look for the specific experience of the company in your particular field. Observe how they run marketing campaigns in the said field to determine how well they fit in with your own plan. In case they don’t have relevant experience in your field, knowing their process of running campaigns still gives a pretty clear idea about their expertise.
Check various platforms to see how they drive results. A seasoned integrated digital marketing agency is aware of how to bring results on the many platforms used by consumers today.
5. Get on a call with potential prospects
Communication is crucial when trusting someone with the monumental task of integrating marketing efforts. When you have a couple of options, take some time to talk to them to feel their vibe and how well they understand your vision. Asking questions is the way to go:
- Do you have relevant experience?
- Any instances of similar success?
- Do you fully comprehend my campaign goals?
- What happens in case expected results are not achieved?
- Is there a communication channel that’s always open?
Only by asking questions will it be evident if your selected company is the one you connect with.
Think Orion – An Integrated Digital Marketing Agency
Integrated communication can benefit your company’s existing efforts in addition to marketing brands across many channels. As an integrated marketing agency, Think Orion dives into your brand, creates audience personas, figures out what they relate to and creates content that fits seamlessly.
An agency that matches your brand’s energy, period. We are accredited by Design Rush, as the top eCommerce digital marketing agency in Toronto.
Familiarity is comforting for people of all ages. You can’t help but smile at noticing a familiar face in a sea of strangers. Similarly, customers want to encounter things they have engaged in the past. The slight change in product packaging can have repercussions leading to loyal customers switching to a different brand altogether.
As an integrated marketing agency, we are trained to face such challenges every time your content doesn’t match brand elements or vice versa.
When a customer switches to your Instagram after visiting your website, do they see the same brand values? Does your Google Ads campaign have any discrepancies that distract from the overall narrative? Consumers are intuitive creatures, especially when it comes to their favorite brand. Any inconsistency will be noticed immediately, making integrated marketing a crucial aspect for all industries.
Think Orion has team members of disparate expertise working together, sharing resources making sure that your vision is realized within the deadline and budget!
Bottom line
The rise of digital media has given birth to diverse marketing channels making the existence of an integrated marketing agency a godsend. You get everything under one roof saving your time and money. Don’t let your marketing dreams rot in hopes they will come true someday. Someday is today!
