Are you having a hard time attracting customers because they just don't know your business exists? Are you trying to grab the attention of local consumers? Are you trying to get noticed?

If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, you could probably use some help building a solid brand awareness strategy. Luckily, there is a whole suite of multimedia marketing solutions here to help you.

Radio: We Love You

Let's start with the tried and tested solution — radio. You may think of radio as having been dethroned by TV in conventional advertising, but think about how you might turn to one type of media or another depending on where you are and what you're doing. You might get the news on your phone when you're on a break at work, watch your favorite show at home on your TV, and tune into the radio for local news, traffic and weather when you're in your car.

In this hyperconnected world, integrated marketing plays a greater role than ever before. Today's consumers not only appreciate a smooth, multidimensional brand experience across platforms, they expect it — and, as CMO Digital Forum points out, they're quick to turn on brands that get it wrong. An integrated message across multiple platforms is key, and truly integrated marketing campaigns do more than slap a signature color across their media or use the same tagline. Campaigns today must not only consider what's right for various media, but build upon different channels to increase purchase intent. It's both a challenge and an opportunity.

Though it feels like the 2016 election began back in 2012, the "official" election season is finally upon us, which means voters are being inundated with ads across the Web and television, and even on billboards during their morning commute. Whether you're buying media for political campaigns or a marketer who'll be affected by the onslaught of ads in the digital political marketing landscape, here's how you can cut through all the noise and make an impact this political season.

Marketers across industries and specialties share the same goal: to promote their businesses and products in a way that resonates with their target market. However, the way you approach this goal may vary depending on your unique skills and professional philosophy. Though there are plenty of subcategories, there are five major types of marketers — which type are you?

Which Type of Marketer Are You?

Look at the following questions. Which one feels the most true about yourself? Though several of them might ring true, which one stands out more than the others?

A. Are you always experimenting with new marketing techniques?

B. Are you addicted to social media?

C. Do you prefer to stick to your proven marketing formula?

D. Are you a pro at pinching pennies without sacrificing quality?

E. Do you love the challenge of nationwide, multifaceted campaigns?

Businesses in every industry must adhere to certain universal best practices when building a digital presence, but there are differences in how specific companies can effectively deliver certain products online.

For instance, in the automotive industry, consumers often use the Internet to research cars, browse dealership inventories and get more information before making a purchase. To target consumers shopping for cars online, advertisers are refining their strategies and monitoring certain metrics that have a strong correlation to digital advertising success among dealerships and automotive brands.

When building digital campaigns, focus on these automotive advertising trends to uncover the true value of your automotive ad strategy.

Digital marketing trends can be difficult to forecast day to day, let alone for an entire year. New platforms and companies are driven by the changing preferences of the continuing influx of new users. The risk of jumping onto what may be just a passing fad, however, is offset by the knowledge that failing to adapt your marketing tactics is never the strategy for customer retention. These five digital marketing trends will continue to dominate in 2016 and will be an important part of any marketing portfolio.

1. Content Marketing

Back in the day, brands merely posted a few coupons and engaged with any random audience, and then their content would practically share itself. Consumers today are savvier and more discerning than ever. Creating content with a focus on SEO (rather than actual human readers) can cause content fatigue, which makes it tough to attract, let alone convert, potential customers. Particularly when you consider the trends to follow, brands that will break through will be the ones that continue to find relevant ways to talk to their customers. KFC has done this with clever, viral videos, but it also works for smaller brands, like Intelligentsia Coffee.

Americans rarely watch TV alone. While the average U.S. consumer watches more than five hours of television every day, on average, even those people sitting alone on their couch are often accompanied by their smartphones. And those small devices are far from static or deferential to what's happening on TV. Instead, consumers are avidly using second screens to supplement their viewing experience and get answers to questions prompted by the broadcast.

As a new report from Google shows, second-screen searches have quickly come to rise not just for television shows, but even the commercials consumers are watching. Questions related to sporting events, awards shows, even products featured in a commercial are spurring smartphone searches at a stunning rate. This activity is so common that it's actually helping marketers assess the efficacy of TV ads — phone searches are providing instant and relevant feedback.

But that's just one of the opportunities marketing can seek through second-screen searches.

Deciding which media channels to use in your campaign is perhaps the most important decision you'll need to make when crafting an integrated marketing strategy. While many marketers may be tempted to focus on one or the other, data shows that multiple channels working together can produce big results. So let's take a look at how TV and digital, in particular, can drive better results when combined.

Better Together

A 2015 Nielsen study commissioned by Facebook looked at the marriage of TV and digital marketing campaigns and how well the two worked together, and the results were impressive. Campaigns that integrated digital ads on Facebook with traditional TV ads were able to grow their reach up to 15 times more than campaigns that just used TV alone. The digital component of the integrated campaign was especially effective at reaching younger audiences (18–34), who were more likely to be light TV watchers.

Reaching Consumers Where They Are — Literally!

Whereas in the past, dealers had to rely mainly on commercials and flashy billboards to entice customers into their stores, today they have the added benefit of being able to reach consumers in real time right when they're in the neighborhood. As consumers continue to spend more and more time on mobile devices, it's important to reach them where they are — not only where they'll be most likely to see your message, but where they'll be the most receptive to respond to it. That means using geofencing to serve ads in social networking apps, Web browsers and other mobile applications to target consumers who are close by your dealership. You can target consumers while they are out car shopping and serve them a deal right when they're in your neighborhood.

Weatherproof Your Business

Today's retailers can take advantage of weather reporting that's becoming increasingly more precise to help make business decisions, particularly those involving the sale of winter-related products in real time. If you know that a bad weather day is coming, you can plan your special offers accordingly.