Integration, integration, integration!!! We have all heard this word repeatedly for the last number of years within our industry. It seems to be a term that is completely overused and often misunderstood, but there is certainly a valid reason as to why it’s imperative in the brand communications sphere.

In years gone by, marketing disciplines operated in complete silos and right or wrong, managed to achieve solid results, nonetheless. With the advent of digital communications in recent times however, the approach to marketing realistically can no longer be executed with the same level of robust outcomes for a brand.

For the past few weeks, we’ve learnt about new digital communications channels including content hubs, social development etc. But now that we know how to create those, how do we drive traffic there and what does this have to do with other communication agencies and integration?

Today, we look at why integration with other agencies, platforms and disciplines is key to achieving a digital footprint, that will ensure your brand’s survival for the long run.     

1. Website developers and SEO specialists

As we know, website developers create the ‘mothership’ of all content, by producing an owned channel that contains all the pertinent information about your brand, and gives audiences a user experience (UX), they will keep wanting to come back to.

However, while a website is great, it needs “SEO” in order to help it rank higher in Google and other search engines –  making it easier for users to locate and engage with you.

According to BrainStation’s definition, a “Search Engine Optimization or SEO Specialist tests, analyzes, and changes a website so it is optimized for search engines, and the website subsequently ranks higher in the search results on major search engines such as Google and Bing.”

The other side of these types of specialists’ roles is to ensure that backlinks are delivered from high-ranking websites to achieve credibility and trust with google, with the aim of pushing you up the rankings for search terms that are critical to the success of your business.

So, how do PR and communication agencies align? Simply put, communications agencies must work closely with each brand’s SEO specialists to learn which key words and phrases are most important, and then ensure that these phrases are integrated into all communication pieces, be it via owned, earned or paid mediums.

They must also identify (with the help of SEO specialists), the most relevant platforms and news outlets to place this content (with organic do-follow backlinks wherever possible), again with the aim of achieving high rankings, authority and traffic to the brand’s site.

2. Creative Agencies

Whilst there is so much emphasis from brands on the success and importance of public relations, we can’t underestimate the power of creative agencies and their ability to produce message-rich content that can be placed advertorially across the right channels.

Incredibly creative campaigns with the right copy, images, and video content can truly capture audience attention.  They can also inspire countless earned media articles, social sharing, engagement and ultimately, brand fame.

Again, at the heart of all good creative campaigns should be content hubs, key phrases, and what the brand wants to be known for. And in many cases, this will deliver the traffic and sales each organisation and its brands aim to achieve.

3. Social Media Specialists

Key messages, phrases and words peppered through content hubs are essential as we have seen.  However, critical to forging your way through the rankings journey, is the amplification of this content through social channels.

Google not only values your content being shared by news or high-ranking websites, but it also looks at the online talkability surrounding your brand, the engagement it achieves, and the likes, shares and comments it gains throughout owned, paid and earned social.

So again, communications agencies must never underestimate the integration that’s required with social media specialists to push brands up the rankings, and again drive traffic back to the content hubs that were originally devised.

This also applies to working with influencers and ensuring that the key phrases and words are integrated into all of their briefs as they share their thoughts on your brand within their own channels.

So, as you can see, it is no longer viable to achieve amazing results if you stay within your communication discipline, without considering the importance of all the other specialists around you.

Agencies and brands that are proactive in understanding content hubs, and how to integrate multi disciplines in the race to the top of Google’s page 1, will most certainly come out as winners. 

However, if all of this seems completely overwhelming (which it can!!), please reach out to us for assistance as we’d love to take you and your brand on that journey with us. Just hit us up for a chat and a coffee!

Agent Sharon