In part one of this three-part series on digital marketing, we reviewed four key trends reported in the CMO Council’s
The State of Marketing 2012 Report: Given that the digital marketing makeover is a ‘key transformational mandate’ for marketers in 2013, below we offer a roadmap and ideas for undertaking your own digital marketing makeover this year.
‘The Year of Marketing Integration’
According to the CMO Council report, half of all respondents (n=550 senior marketing executives) named integration with sales and channel groups as their most important challenge in the coming year, while a recent article from Search Engine Watch named 2013 the year of marketing integration. Here are the three candidates for better integration, as reported in Search Engine Watch, and our thoughts for optimizing integration in each area.
1. Channels. Multichannel marketing remains a key objective for marketers in 2013. With more CEOs requiring visibility into the marketing spend and metrics, multichannel campaigns coordinated from a Marketing Resource Management (MRM) system, such as direct mailers with a QR code or PURL component, effectively leverage marketing technology to help measure campaign response rates, design follow-up campaigns to improve conversions over time, and ultimately demonstrate campaign ROI. Simply put, multichannel marketing delivers.
2. Campaigns. Marketing technology solutions such as MRM systems can help you to manage multiple digital marketing campaigns, including complex drip and trigger campaigns, across distributed sales channels from under one central campaign umbrella. MRM systems also empower distributed sales channels to personalize campaigns according to their knowledge of local markets, while corporate marketing can quickly approve any customizations via automated workflow approvals.
3. Tools. Your marketing technology solution is central to any digital marketing makeover; however, the toolset is only as good as the effort you put into it. Full-service marketing service providers can help you to maximize the benefits of your marketing technology solution by managing critical tasks such as uploading templates and leads lists into the MRM system and help you to tailor your marketing technology application to best suit your needs: Your marketing technology partner should help you to get the most mileage from your technology investment. If you suspect something is amiss, then it may be time change marketing technology vendors.
Footnote: Collaboration Bolsters Digital Success
According to an August 2012 study conducted by Forrester Research on behalf of Sitecore (n=226 marketing professionals), mature multichannel practitioners have developed better cross-functional relationships with IT and Sales than those organizations who are still developing their multichannel strategies and capabilities. The study also found that, “86% of marketers surveyed either agree or completely agree that successfully integrating multiple channels under a single integrated marketing strategy is critical to their long-term success.” Finally, 24% of mature multichannel marketers report a 15% reduction in average sales cycle length. Do we have your attention yet?
Conclusion
Integration is a top priority for marketing leadership in 2013, and digital marketing technologies such as MRM systems empower marketers in the shift towards integrating multiple channels under a single integrated marketing strategy. Savvy marketers will identify integration opportunities across three focus areas – channels, campaigns and tools – while full-service marketing service providers can help to ensure your marketing technology toolset is configured and optimized for integrated multichannel success.
What critical areas do you need to address in your digital marketing makeover this year? With these goals in mind, stay tuned for our next blog with strategies for Driving Digital Value.
