Aligning Your Traditional Marketing with Digital

As a recent participant of DrupalCon 2015 in Los Angeles, California, I walked away from the conference with a fresh perspective on the link between traditional and digital marketing processes. There’s no denying that time and technology has allowed marketers to fine-tune their focus on targeted consumers; however, targeting based on online consumer behavior still shows signs of guess-work within today’s marketing applications. This begs the question: Why are we ignoring the data?

Featured presenter, Gus Murray, explained the imperative link between traditional marketing and the management of our brands and companies via online mediums. Murray’s Enough with the Pretty Brochures screening illustrated examples of successful digital marketing techniques paired with concepts to consider when evolving your own.

Here are a few thoughts to consider when evaluating your digital marketing approach:

How personal is your “personalization targeting” strategy?

In the world of digital marketing, personalization is key – much like it is within traditional marketing. Take a look at your brand’s campaign from your target’s perspective. After all, marketing professionals are consumers too! When you receive an email from a brand that recognizes and draws-in on your specific interests, would you be more willing to engage with content the email had to offer? The answer to this should be a resounding “yes” across the spectrum.

In Murray’s presentation, he argues that today’s brands are limiting their sales potential simply because they fail to incorporate basic consumer profile data within their marketing strategy. Throwing random content at a consumer in hopes they will sort through and take interest in some portion creates unnecessary risk within your campaign. Consumer data and target profile information is vastly attainable in today’s marketing – especially within the digital domain with internet browsing cookies and reports. Use the data available to you regarding each of your target consumers and present applicable products, services and information to them. You’ll begin to notice a steady rise in engagement and sales. Need a brilliant testimonial of this? Check out Amazon!

Are you focusing your consumer’s destination, or their entire journey?

For the longest time, marketing strategies have been caught up in selling, selling and more selling. While campaigns are ultimately implemented to influence growth in sales and consumer interest, there are other, more valuable, contributing factors within a marketing campaign which many brands fail to acknowledge. Murray explains a sale produced via marketing campaign should not be the final destination for the targeted consumer. Rather, the campaign should correspond with the consumer on a long-term basis for optimal effectiveness.

We’ve all heard the saying, “Life is journey, not a destination.” Well so is your marketing campaign! Tailor your campaign to accommodate your targets regardless of which phase of the purchase decision they’re in. Use personalization data to create a fluid consumer-brand relationship which may result in loyalty and repeat consumerism. The goal of your campaign should be to not only influence your target to lock-in on your brand, but to lock-ON for some period of time.

How are you integrating your on and offline consumer experiences?

Let’s face it: marketing campaigns of this generation are not complete without a strong digital presence. The more digital our generations become, the stronger the need for corresponding on and offline marketing strategies. It is just as important to consider how your target will engage with your brand and products in-store as they will online. So what steps have you taken to integrate your online strategy with your print and broadcast materials?

Try setting up forums on your website to include social media log-ins and permissions in order to obtain the user profile data. Not only will this allow you to better your understanding of the users wishing to interact with your brand, but it will assist in developing a consumer-brand relationship and familiarity. In order to bridge the on and offline gap, Nordstrom retailors have begun “tagging” their products which are most-pinned on Pinterest within their store. As consumers make their way through the store and recognize the social media tag, a sense of validation is generated within that consumer which may ultimately effect’s their purchase decision. Social media and online applications open a variety of doors within marketing strategy optimization. Be sure to consider the in-store and online opportunities you can foster with your own brand.

For more tips from Gus Murray, click here to check out the full recorded session from DrupalCon 2015.

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