Why You Need to Integrate Your Digital Strategy

There’s a lot to consider when it comes to digital - your website, your Facebook page, your Twitter, your app, maybe an Instagram account and a blog, too. The list goes on. No matter how many platforms you use as a business, it’s essential to ensure that your digital strategy is integrated and cohesive across each and every one of them.

So, what is integration all about? To put it simply, it means coordinating all parts of your customer communications in a way that creates a consistent message. It’s about having a cohesive approach to your marketing, considering all platforms and creating a seamless overall experience. It’s not enough to have multiple marketing channels, you need to ensure your channels work as a team to publicise your message to as many people as possible.

If a potential customer sees a television advert about your product one evening, then when they’re scrolling through Facebook in bed that night they see a further advertisement in their feed, and the next day they spot an advert for your business in the paper they picked up on the train you’ve had three crucial contact points with them. This increases the awareness of your brand, and makes the viewer substantially more likely to remember your company when they need it most. 

But if the advert they see on Facebook isn’t really all that relevant to the other messages you’re putting out there, or even worse is contradictory, they’re more likely to be turned off by the inconsistency. If a potential customer sees you advertising a certain deal on Facebook, they want to be able to see that deal available on your website so they can learn more. It’s all about consistency.

Co-ordinating your marketing communications for repeat exposure at different points of the day helps to increase awareness of your brand as a whole. In the current climate, consumers are bombarded with hundreds of advertising messages each and every day, and as a result they don’t care enough to pay attention to too many varying messages. A consistent message makes it easier for consumers to digest what you’re trying to say, increasing the chances of their intent to purchase and ultimately reminding them about your business.

Integration is about more than having a consistent brand identity – although it helps. As much as your brand needs to be recognisable across each of its platforms, online and offline, the most important thing is having a constant brand message that translates across each stage of your business. You should also consider the timing of your messages – is the post that’s going up on your Facebook page saying the same thing as what’s on your website, or are they contradicting each other? Consumers interact with your business in different ways and through various different touch points, so you should be striving to ensure that they’re all getting the right message, no matter where they may be finding you.

At the end of the day, it’s in your best interest to make your message as easy to understand as possible. You want to avoid confusing your customers, ultimately making their experience with your business as hassle free as possible.