5 Channels of an Integrated Digital Marketing Strategy

With multiple levers (existing and upcoming) to help with our Digital marketing efforts, it is easy to lose track of the larger picture. Are we ensuring to not miss out on any of the fundamental channels? And are able create an integrated digital marketing program for our product/ brand?

Over the years, while managing various products for multinationals as well as start-up brands, I prepared this framework to keep me sane! It helps give a broad and systematic structure to my marketing programs and ensures it is well integrated to create ‘growth’.

Following are the 5 broad channels under which I strategize and implement my digital marketing levers. I am also touching upon the main levers within each:

Channel # 1 — SEARCH

This channel revolves around audience keywords and the problems they are trying to solve.

Levers:
1. Googe Ad words — Google has approx 65% search market share in US
2. Bind Ads — Bing has approx 65% search market share in US
3. Blogposts (content) — Providing solutions/ information on target audience needs
4. Technical SEO

For e-commerce companies, additional search levers could be Google shopping/ Bing shopping/ Amazon

Channel # 2 — SOCIAL MEDIA

This channel revolves around audience the demographics and behavior.

Levers:
1. Social Media platforms — (Combination of) Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Linkedin, Google+, Youtube — depending upon the industry
2. Content Marketing — 80% Thought Leadership & 20% Promotional
3. Sponsored/Paid Ads

Channel # 3 — EMAIL/ CHATBOTS

Levers:
1. Emails are used to engage with pre-interested audience
2. Chatbots — Chatbots are starting to threaten email marketing. They have higher open rates and can be used to engage with new audiences too!

Channel # 4 — WEBSITE/ APP

These are the owned media of a brand and can be leveraged with more liberty.

Levers:
1. Landing pages
2. Content
3. Push notifications
4. User experience
5. Website design & layout

Channel #5 — DIGITAL/ SOCIAL PR

Here, I am not taking into account the traditional PR as remains the same as a function.

Levers:
1. Mentions & Backlinks from relevant, established blogs
2. Social Media influencers
3. Managing Twitter account for customer support

Hope this was helpful for a top-level structural framing of your Integrated Digital Marketing Strategy — It can be used across industries.