Holistic marketing has become somewhat of a buzzword in marketing and business management circles and yet it has also become one of the most touted means to a successful business. The buzzwords have thus become actual useful strategies to develop and improve business marketing. Here are some of the most useful holistic marketing tips that will go a long way to making your business more successful.
What is holistic marketing?
Ensuring that all aspects of the business are seen as one and that all are fully involved in the marketing process is the basis of holistic marketing. It’s essentially the process of viewing all the business functions and sectors as a whole and that these are striving towards the same goal within which marketing plays a key role. The philosophic idea of viewing the whole as more than just the sum of its parts has been around for a while as Holism. It’s about using all the tools and avenues at your disposal to create a clear brand message for your target market and to secure new customers as well as retain existing ones.
Why holistic marketing?
Many businesses may ask why they should change their current marketing plans. Here are some clear reasons why a holistic marketing plan is what every modern business needs:
A clear and concise message
Holistic marketing implies that all aspects of the business will have the same clear understanding of the goals and aims of the business as well as understanding and buying into the brand. Understanding the brand will make for a much clearer and concise message about the company to others on the outside as well as those within the company. It’s this brand message that when disseminated and widely shared will form the basis of repeated purchases and customer loyalty.
Brand-building
Holistic marketing aims to build the business brand, by sharing the aforementioned clear and concise message as widely as possible. Having your brand message on as many platforms as possible is one accepted means of spreading the word and building any brand. Just as important as using a Los Angeles billboard if the business operates in the California region, the business also needs to ensure that its processes and people express the same messages within the business. There needs to be a determined and clear mix between traditional and modern marketing, as well as a wide coverage both within and outside the business.
Makes business sense
Holistic marketing has proven to be a more efficient and effective marketing strategy for businesses than any other separate marketing initiative that may be focused on one specific aspect. If all sectors of the business are making the same effort and pushing the same marketing message, the business is more likely to succeed and thus it just makes good business sense to set up a holistic marketing plan.
Creates cohesiveness
A holistic marketing strategy allows all marketing messages and themes to be dealt with as a whole. All marketing and advertising throughout the business is dealt with under one banner so to speak and this creates a seamless and efficient way of developing and then selling the brand. There is no conflicting information both within and outside the business and there is instead a clear and cohesive message that is developed over time. This marketing cohesiveness is essential for a specific and concise message to be presented.
How best to implement holistic marketing and what to consider for your specific business
Internal marketing
This is about promoting the benefits, objectives, and products of the company to employees and those who work in the company. The main aims of internal marketing are to increase employee engagement as well as make them lifelong advocates for the brand itself. Brand advocacy is all about the employees and those within the business actively promoting the business and its products extolling the virtues and benefits of using such products. Employee brand advocates work for sales and recruitment as they will be able to convince others that the business is a great place to work as well as the products and services being second to none in the sector. It’s one of the best holistic marketing techniques that will serve to build the brand both internally and externally.
Relationship marketing
This is all about building lifelong relationships with your customers and clients. As a form of marketing, relationship marketing is all about building a customer relationship, based on customer retention and customer satisfaction, and then increasing the overall lifetime customer value. The preferred customer relationship is one of loyalty and this can only be established with long-term interaction and engagement with your customer base. It’s just what it says on the can and all about building strong relationships built on the trust that your customers have in your business and the products that they buy.
Integrated marketing
Integrated marketing uses different forms of media and all the channels that you need to tell a specific story. Using multiple marketing channels that are available in today’s digital marketing world is the ideal for integrated marketing. However, it can be quite difficult to keep the message consistent on all these channels, and as such, a clear strategy or plan will be required. Whether the customer accesses and reads a message on their mobile, desktop, or a billboard, the message needs to be the same and the brand promoted in the same way. Lastly, integrated marketing also means that any automated responses from a chatbot should be exactly the same as the response to customer queries provided by a customer service advisor over the phone.
These are the holistic marketing tips and strategies that will serve to make your business a whole lot more successful. The holistic marketing trend must however be seen as a process and one that may take a while to perfect and implement correctly. It isn’t a one-off activity and will require a series of changes and improvements to occur throughout the business to be genuine holistic marketing that affects all aspects of the business.
