360 Marketing: Guidance and Tips
Date Created: 20/11/2020
A 360 degree approach can be classified as a comprehensive and holistic approach regardless of topic. Who wouldn’t rather take into account multiple scopes simultaneously to face challenges? One-sided approaches at least cannot be as inclusive in this regard.
When we talk about marketing, a 360 degree approach combines different strategies that all together constitute one inclusive strategy. It is about coordinating many seemingly unrelated actions as opposed to doing one-off actions that cover one component of marketing. It gives you the opportunity to use almost anything in your repertoire, such as digital tools, physical interactions, media relations and so on and so forth.
Since the term is becoming broad and vague lately, 360 marketing may include all types of actions related to marketing. At the same time it can primarily be focused on providing insights on all stages of the customer journey and then communicating messages based on those insights.
To make a complete strategy come to life you need to combine the separate pieces with the bigger picture.
Using 360 marketing tactics in a consistent manner is what makes the real difference. It is not about creating a single campaign and then letting competitors stay ahead.
To get right to the point, let us provide some detailed guidance.
Here are tips on what to do strategic wise:
1. Take a deeper look at what successful companies do
Many big companies are well known for their innovative advertising and their out-of-the-box communication. However, simply reading articles about what Coca Cola and Nike have done lately is not enough to understand those tactics. It takes a much deeper analysis; from facial expressions of people portrayed in their print ads to colors used in call-to-action buttons.
When analyzing 360 marketing, it is crucial to map out digital ads you are exposed to and study them both from the point of view of the consumer as well as the brand. At the same time, you can check on engagement and reactions on Social Media platforms.
Good practices from others provide a trigger for ideas generation especially for smaller companies that have little or no experience at all.
2. Study your target audience
A message is effective only when it reaches the right people. To send multiple sub-messages that all together constitute one bigger message takes studying your target audience extensively.
One of the reasons 360 marketing exists is because target audiences are broad or are consisted of many sub-parts.
Since Millennials use different media from Generation X to entertain themselves, using different content to reach any of those two categories looks necessary.
This is not where it ends though. Even people of the same age may seek completely different types of information over the Internet. This can similarly be solved through targeting.
Knowing your target audience(s) plays a key role.
3. Define your objectives
There is a difference between the objectives of the overall 360 marketing campaign and the objectives of each of its sub-parts. To make this tangible, social media advertising objectives would differ significantly from PR objectives; they both should be connected in a way.
When you get to clarify the meaning of each specific part, you’re ready to connect micro objectives with macro objectives.
Overall goals are broad and more about the overall mission, whereas objectives are specific, on point and measurable.
4. Plan out your funnel
Timing makes a big difference. You need to make sure that you’re reaching the right people at the right time. Some messages take months to be communicated and others only a blink of a second. It all comes down to the strategy.
The key may be about generating an instant reaction from people or about making long term impressions.
5. Ensure there is cohesiveness
Before all different actions are planned let alone be completed, cohesiveness should be assessed. Synergy and Consistency are both important.
Specific media, channels and tactics to use:
- Website
Websites are the media through which most people instantly recognize and identify brands. Since they are at the forefront, it is essential to make a very good impression through a well designed official presence.
- Content Creation
Content creation is about creating a brand personality with which people can relate and engage. In a way, it is a brand’s “voice” which addresses target audiences through articles, videos, photos, questionnaires, contests and so on and so forth.
- Social Media
Social media are diverse enough to give brands multiple choices as to how they can engage with audiences. They should not be used in one particular way. They serve different purposes and consumers use them for separate reasons.
- Grassroots Marketing
Grassroots marketing is perpetual. As its title implies it is a component of marketing that utilizes original communication, namely, through face to face conversations with people. The main focus here should be developing bonds and long lasting relationships that will make the difference.
- Co-Branding
Two is usually better than one. In 360 marketing, collaborating with other companies helps combine different ideas and conceptions. This should not necessarily be limited to simple projects of campaigns; you can expand to creating new products and services with potential partners too.
- Public Relations
When it comes to PR, there is a lot you can do. Sometimes just paying is not a prerequisite. By highlighting benefits for both sides, you can reach out to bloggers who write reviews about businesses, influencers to promote new or existing products, and you can form relationships with journalists to shed light to positive news, and so on and so forth.
OneTeam is consisted of experienced professionals with a lot of experience in collaborations with other companies, and, also with young creative executives that stay up-to-date with anything that surrounds marketing. Through our 360 approach, we provide strategies to help organizations promote their core strengths and Unique Value Propositions.