The days of Yellow Page marketing are gone. Today’s customers are interacting with companies in a multitude of ways and on a multitude of devices. And for the aging care industry, this phenomenon provides a huge opportunity to reach more people and have a more in-depth communication with clients and referral sources. So how do you put all your marketing pieces together for the best results?

Puzzling Out a Successful Integrated Marketing Strategy

A successful integrated marketing approach requires a well thought-out strategy and a thorough understanding of your target market. Ask yourself:

• Who are my potential clients? Adult children of elderly individuals? Senior citizens? Home health care agencies? Doctors/hospitals?
• How do they purchase products/services like mine? Via referral sources? Directly?
• Where can I reach them? What type of media do they use? Online? Via email? Social media? Via a doctor or medical social worker? At industry networking events? Through CEU presentations?

Answering these questions will help firmly establish a marketing plan of action.

Map Out Your Customer Touch Points

Whether through static advertising or through dynamic online interactions, touch points occur every time potential clients come into contact with your company. Mapping out your customer touch points will help you gain a better understanding of your customers’ buying journey, establish an overall visual plan for integrating your marketing, and help you identify what areas of your marketing need more attention.

For instance, these days most clients are likely to find out about your business via your website, so you’ll want to ensure that this very important touch point:

• Is designed in a compelling fashion, so the landing page keeps the visitor on the site and looking for more
• Contains all the information a potential client needs in order to make a decision about whether or not to use your services or products
• Is easy to navigate and use
• Has easy to locate contact information
• Has informative content (perhaps in the form of a blog or resource pages) that showcases your company’s expertise
• Your other touch points should include your static marketing efforts (advertising, direct mail, etc.) and dynamic multi-directional marketing methods (blogging, eNewsletters, web, etc.) as well.

Find the Right Pieces and Learn How to Use Them

Integrated marketing is most effective when you have the right tools to reach the right audience. But the pieces won’t fit if you don’t know how to use them properly. For example, a company Facebook page is a must-have marketing tool, but if you don’t know how or what information to post, don’t interact with other Facebook users, or neglect the page for weeks on end, this fantastic marketing tool won’t be of much help in your overall plan. Taking a bit of time to learn how to properly utilize your social media channels, however, will help establish your company as a leader in the aging care industry, allow you to reach more potential clients than via other marketing channels, and provide a dynamic, interactive way for your business to communicate to your audience.

More than One Way

As with all marketing efforts, there is no one, perfect way to create an integrated marketing campaign. Knowing your target audience and figuring out how to reach those people are the keys that will unlock the door to a successful campaign. If your business needs help putting together your marketing pieces, contact the marketing experts at corecubed for help.