Today’s guest post is written by Leah Nurik

Integrated marketing is the ‘buzz’ phrase of the moment in our industry.

Before it even became part of our lexicon, the integrated marketing professional—a person deeply encompassed in the many avenues necessary for effective lead generation and relationship building – emerged on the scene.

These professionals were the first to embrace email and email marketing. They were early adopters of Twitter and Facebook, and now, Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube, yet maintain a keen understanding of the power of the well-timed phone call.

But in order to be successful as an integrated marketing professional, you need more than just agility and willingness to embrace new tools. You must also…

Speak Up!

This might mean telling a client they need to invest in a whole new website, or abandon a tagline that just doesn’t convey the true message behind a brand. With SEO, PR, and social media in the mix, it can sometimes be difficult for them to see the forest for the trees. It is up to you, the integrated marketing professional to see what part of their marketing program needs to be adjusted.

This is why they hired you, so speak up. Are they missing an integral part of marketing 101—such as a way to capture the contact information of potential prospects? Or are they wasting money on something that may not be helping their business, such as paid advertising without any results, or metrics, to back it up? If so, say so—again, this is why they hired you.

Know Your Audience, Your Targets, and Your Niche

The business world is filled with marketing gaffes. Sure, some of those might have been prevented had there been folks on board who were willing to speak up (see above), but more of these snafus would never have happened in the first place if a professional who makes it an essential part of their job to know everything they can about trends within their industry had been on board; like a PR and marketing consultant.

This also means admitting when you don’t know something. There’s always more to learn in an industry that is changing so rapidly.

Listen and Learn

As I pointed out above, in this business, you can never know enough. The key is listening—to your staff, to your customers, to their customers, to the media, and to the market at large. Did they mention one of their executives spends weekends as a volunteer museum docent? Or that another is training for her first triathlon? Those are yet more angles to take to the press or add to your marketing campaigns. This also includes listening to the media; remember that journalists are individuals, with human interests just like you and me.

The integrated marketing professional is integrated themselves. Sometimes I think the Hindu god Ganesh, with his elephant head and many arms (and his reputation as a “remover of obstacles”), is a great mascot for the many tasks and minds required for our job.

Add parenthood, volunteering and basic self-care into the mix—all important parts of being “integrated” into the world at large—and, well, having eight arms would definitely be a blessing.

Leah Nurik is the founder and president of Gabriel Marketing Group, where she leads marketing and PR efforts for technology start-ups and innovators in the software and wireless markets. She has been named to PR News’ prestigious “One to Watch” list and, most recently, was recognized as one of the “Top 10 Most Powerful Women in the DC Startup Community” by InTheCapital.com.  You can reach her via email at  or @leahnurik on Twitter.