Don't weaken your brand by building silos. Boost your campaign's ROI through integration.

Integrated marketing -- the concept is discussed all the time, yet I rarely see it implemented in online campaigns. Sure, an end user may receive a cycle of emails that go through a program, but rarely are the messages fully integrated with the web pages to which they ultimately link. Likewise, few landing pages effectively reiterate the email messaging that got the customer to respond in the first place.

Think of how many times you've called a customer service phone number and had to enter a bunch of personal information -- name, phone number, account number, birthday, etc. -- only to have the live person who eventually fields your call ask all of the same questions. You might not think that calling into a customer service line has anything to do with email, but it all comes down to integration.

Companies that use voice recognition systems to collect information from customers often fail to integrate the data into their workflows. But there are exceptions. Consider, for example, Delta's SkyMiles customer service line. Every time I call in and provide my membership number through the automated system, the person who comes on the line says, “Thank you for calling, Mr. Kollas; how can I help you?” That is one simple example of how a company can use integrated information to its -- and its customers' -- advantage.

Similar to many customer service phone lines, a significant number of companies' email programs lack integration and follow-through. The most basic form of integration within email is simply using the demographic information you have gathered to personalize your emails. I have covered personalization in the past, but I want to take it a step further here to discuss integrating your campaigns and marketing efforts across platforms.

Oftentimes when people receive an email sales solicitation from a company and decide to click the link provided for a given product, they end up on the company's home page. If they clicked on impulse -- which is often the case -- their interest could easily be lost if they have to search for the item that interested them.

Another example of poor marketing integration is when a marketing department spends significant time putting together a great email advertisement and then fails to connect it to a landing page. Providing a landing page that matches the email that is driving people to the site makes good sense. By creating new web pages that match your offers, you can take the ROI of your email campaigns to the next level.

Another aspect of integrated marketing that is often overlooked is the integration of email promotions with all other marketing channels, including online ads, print, direct mail and even in-store promotions. As marketers, we all want people to develop connections with our brands and products -- connections so strong that they won't even consider buying products from a competitor.  By integrating messages across many different channels, you can reduce the amount of time it takes for your customers to achieve that level of brand loyalty.

While working at NASCAR.com, I watched a lot of companies use cross-promotional campaigns to help build awareness and customer loyalty. When you consider the NASCAR marketing environment, the first thing that springs to mind is the cars themselves --  giant billboards speeding around the track for 500 miles. However, the NASCAR marketing environment doesn't end there. The drivers don't just steer their cars around the track-- they participate in all kinds of marketing campaigns, including commercials, print ads and posters, web promotions and others. 

More marketers need to follow this integrated model in their online activities. We should constantly be developing new cross-promotional campaigns that hit every aspect of our respective companies. If you work for a brick-and-mortar company, the items that make your store unique should be drawn into your online advertising. You should be promoting the same sale items both online and offline. End users don't care if your company has five different divisions working on different types of marketing campaigns; they expect to see a clear connection among all of them. By reinforcing your brand at every opportunity, you can develop the type of brand loyalty that leads to profitable customer relationships.

Take a moment to evaluate your current practices and determine how you can better integrate your email campaigns with other marketing efforts. You'll likely find that it's easier than you think. Just think like the end user, keep it simple and repeat the process over and over again. It won't be long before you start seeing the fruits of your labor.

Good luck and good sending.

Spencer Kollas is director of delivery services for StrongMail Systems.