Types of Marketing: Promote Your Brand for Business Growth

According to you, what is Marketing? Well, In layman’s voice, marketing is anything related to buying and selling of goods and or services. In the golden days/olden days, marketing was the method used to promote products or services. In the modern age, marketing is the process of creating, communicating, and delivering value to customers for building long-term relationships. This upfront shift in the core principles of traditional marketing, is what is now known as a new-age marketing strategy.

“People do not buy goods and services. They buy relations, stories, and magic.” — Seth Godin.

What Is Marketing?

Marketing is about letting people know what you offer. Even if you have the best product on the planet, it won’t sell unless people know it exists. At its core marketing is similar to the art of storytelling, it’s about crafting a narrative that hits home with potential customers. Marketing is constantly evolving, driven by new technologies and creative strategies.

The concept of marketing strategy has existed since ancient times. Since then, there has been a paradigm shift in modern marketing strategy. Since the Industrial Revolution, the industry has evolved at a breakneck speed, rooting in more, many different types of marketing.

Types of Marketing

Businesses can find the most effective marketing strategies that fit their goals, target audience, and budget by understanding every type of marketing. Broadly there are two forms of marketing strategies which are traditional marketing and digital marketing or user-generated marketing.

1. Traditional Marketing 

It refers to the use of marketing strategy, where businesses focus on promoting their brands. It is the primary way companies would market their goods to customers. Think newspapers, TV, radio, direct mail, telemarketing, billboards, posters, and many more.

These marketing channels still play a significant role for some brands. 

Types of Traditional Marketing Strategies.

Print Marketing Strategy

This is one of the oldest marketing strategies, which entails small, easily printed content that is easy to replicate. This type of marketing strategy can help gain attention for a business at either the local or national level.

Using this the companies can promote their services in local communities by cost-effectively channeling their marketing efforts. This strategy involves advertising in newspapers, magazines, pamphlets, etc.

Broadcast Marketing Strategy

This is the electronic marketing strategy, which entails companies conveying information to a customer through visual or auditory media that may grab a viewer’s attention.

As such, broadcast commercials remain an influential marketing method for targeting audiences with specific interests. Broadcast Marketing strategy involves advertising in electronic media such as television, radio, silver screens, etc.

Outdoor Marketing Strategy

This is a type of marketing strategy, which entails public displays of advertising outside of the customer’s house. This form of marketing relies on high visibility within the public domain.

This includes billboards, printed advertisements on benches, sticker wraps on vehicles, advertisements on public transit, etc.

2. Digital Marketing

It refers to the use of marketing strategy, where businesses focus on promoting their brands by leveraging the use of digital mediums and technology. According to the American Marketing Association (AMA), it focuses on reaching customers where they spend most of their time online. 

Digital marketing uses a variety of online channels, including: social media platforms, search engines, email, and websites, to connect with customers. Digital marketing encompasses different types of digital marketing strategies which are discussed below.

Types of Digital Marketing Strategies.

Social Media Marketing

This is a type of marketing strategy that entails building an online presence on specific social media platforms. Social media marketing allows brands to connect and engage with consumers personally while effectively promoting their services. 

The vast reach of social media channels means even the smallest business can amplify its voice, reaching new audiences and building a community around its brand. It seems social media marketing is an ideal cost-effective strategy for small businesses looking to expand their presence.

To maximize the impact of social media marketing, many companies choose to Outsource Social Media Marketing to professionals, ensuring optimized results with minimal time investment.

 This valuable marketing strategy involves promoting your brand via social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn or YouTube, for promoting social media ads and Google ads.

Search Engine Marketing

This is a form of digital marketing that uses Google and other search engines to display business pages, social media pages, and others. The goal of search engines is to make your respective page appear on the Search Engine Result Page (SERP).

 It displays user-generated content for different marketing types by curating landing pages from your website. Search engine marketing can be of two types of marketing Search Engine Optimization and Pay-per-click Advertising.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

This is a type of marketing strategy that entails improving a website’s visibility on search engine results pages (SERPs) to attract more organic (non-paid) traffic. 

Organic search engine optimization (SEO) relies on an understanding of internet traffic patterns and targeted marketing campaigns and keywords to increase a company’s ability to reach users through search engines.

Email Marketing

This is a type of marketing strategy that entails businesses communicating directly to consumers right in their inboxes. The method of email marketing is both cost-effective and highly personalized. 

Businesses can segment their email list to tailor messages to specific segments of their audience. Through these targeted emails, small businesses can promote products, share news, and build a community inbound marketing. 

Email marketing platforms also allow marketers to track and analyze the success of each email, which offers insights into your audience’s preferences.

Video Marketing

It refers to product marketing, a type of marketing strategy that entails incorporating fun and engaging videos into your marketing assets which can be a great way to creatively display your brand—and it gives you ample time and space to convey your message. 

Many marketers prefer to include video marketing as part of their marketing strategy for a higher return on investment. There are several social media video tools in video marketing to improve marketing efforts.

3. Content Marketing

It is a type of marketing tactics or strategy that entails creating content in the form of Blog Posts, White Papers, Case Studies, E-books, Infographics, Webinars, and others. This is the essence of content marketing to build relations with customers by providing consistent valuable content and ultimately driving profitable customer action.

The companies use this as marketing tactics to create a product, share information about a product, obtain customer information, and encourage customers to continue with the company beyond the content. 

Types of Content Marketing Strategies

Blog Posts Marketing

This refers to the use of written blogs or content to educate and or inform while improving SEO score. Regular blog content builds authority and drives organic traffic to your website. It is long-form content that taps the target audience’s needs, interests, and pain points that allow you to tailor your content that resonates with them.

 Various Social media management companies, construction companies, and digital marketing agencies use this as a marketing effort to do market research. Some examples are RecurPost etc.

Infographics

It refers to the use of market research methodology in content marketing that presents data, and statistics in a visually appealing and easy-to-digest format. It is highly engaging and people absorb information quickly. Infographics combine texts, images, charts, and diagrams to convey a message quickly and effectively.

• E-books and White Papers- It refers to the long-form content marketing tool used to provide in-depth information on any specific topic, often used in B2B companies.
• E-Books are digital books designed to offer valuable, comprehensive information. It typically ranges from 10-50 pages. It is used to provide solutions to problems and deep insights on specific topics. 
• White Papers are more formal and research-driven documents that provide companies with detailed information for analysis, solutions, and decision-making.

Podcasts

Podcasting is a new marketing tool used in content marketing that lets small businesses talk directly to their target audience. Podcasts can help nurture customer relationships by creating a personal connection with listeners. 

When done properly this in turn can help supplement a brand’s content strategy by driving increased website visits, lead generation, and conversions. Have a look at this:

4. Inbound Marketing

It Is an umbrella term used for all types of marketing. Inbound marketing strategy pays close attention to consumers’ requirements, and all resources focus on strategies to encourage customers instead of disrupting their lives. 

The basic foundation of inbound marketing is based on attracting, engaging, and delighting the audience. The inbound marketing funnel includes Blog Marketing, Viral Marketing, and others.

Blog Marketing

 It refers to marketing types in inbound marketing which uses a blog to promote a business, brand, product, or service over time to build potential customers and drive traffic for broader marketing campaigns. 

The target audience of this type of marketing can be marketing professionals, management companies, etc.

Viral Marketing

It refers to the types of marketing inbound marketing that encourage marketing agencies to share their message rapidly to achieve exponential growth in doing business online or offline. 

The message must be engaging, entertaining, or emotional. This could be in the form of videos, memes, or social media posts. Platforms like Facebook,  Instagram play a vital role in this marketing effort.

5. Outbound Marketing

It refers to the use of marketing strategy which involves chasing after prospective customers rather than organically attracting them. The imperative is to build both short-term and long-term awareness so that people convert. 

In this type of outbound marketing, the most effective marketing strategies are direct mail marketing and cold emailing.

• Direct Mail Marketing: This is a type of outbound marketing that involves sending physical materials in postcards, catalogs, letters, and brochures to a target audience based on demographics and purchase history. These are curated as personalized for the target audience so that it has a higher response rate. Direct mail is a slower service and can take weeks or days to reach potential customers.
• Cold Email Marketing: It is a type of outbound marketing emphasizing making the first move which involves sending unsolicited emails to new customers to promote a product or service. The steps involved in this type of marketing are to Identify your target audience such as company size, job title, etc.

 In this type of outbound marketing campaign, digital agencies or any other company can create engaging content for their new and potential customers by mentioning them personally to increase brand awareness.

6. Guerilla Marketing

It is an unconventional marketing effort that aims to promote a product or brand through innovative and low-cost tactics. That generates high profits. It relies heavily on creating marketing materials that are creative and original to stand out in a crowded marketplace. 

These are designed to catch the public’s attention creating a buzz and encouraging word-of-mouth promotion. Jay Conrad Levinson coined the term in his 1983 book called Guerilla Marketing.

Following are the types of marketing strategies in guerilla marketing.

• Flash Mobs: This is a type of marketing strategy that involves spontaneous gatherings of people who come together in a public space to perform a predetermined action for entertainment or to promote a message. These events are usually for a short duration and are often organized through social media marketing strategies using Instagram, Facebook, etc.

• Stealth Marketing: It is a type of marketing that uses a covert approach to promote a product or brand. These are not immediately recognized as advertisements, it aims to engage customers without them knowing that they are being marketed. Stealth Marketing uses mouth marketing strategies to create a buzz amongst prospective consumers.

7. Brand Marketing

This is a strategy that focuses on building and promoting a brand to create loyalty and trust among the target audience. Effective brand marketing helps build brand equity, boost brand awareness, and have a strong market position. Brand marketing tactics involve Digital Brand marketing, Co-Branding, and Personal Branding, etc.

• Digital Brand Marketing: This involves the use of digital marketing channels such as social media, websites, and search engines to build a brand’s online presence. It includes digital advertising, influencer marketing, and content marketing.
• Personal Brand Marketing: This strategy is used by individuals (influencers, celebrities) to create a unique personal identity that resonates with their audience. It often uses the person’s expertise, values and personality to build a loyal following.
• Co-Branding: This strategy involves collaborations between two or more brands to create a combined product or experience that is beneficial to both. The aim is to reach new potential customers.

8. Event Marketing

 It is a promotional strategy where brands create or sponsor events to engage with their target audience like in direct marketing. The goal is to build awareness, generate leads, and foster deeper customer relations with potential customers through unique experiences. These events can be conferences, webinars, and trade shows.

• Seminars: This is a smaller and more focused form of event marketing aimed at educating participants on a particular topic and skill.
• Webinars: This is a virtual version of seminars where the topic is presented virtually, allowing a wide range of participation from anywhere and everywhere. Both of these are types of event marketing which is popular for reaching a specific niche of target audience.
• Trade Shows: This is a way to network with people and business professionals, where businesses showcase their products or services to other people or businesses. This type of event marketing is popular for generating leads and getting business.

9. Influencer Marketing

 It is a form of social media marketing, where people who are influencers are experts in a particular niche and promote the products and brands of companies to their target audience. The different types of marketing are Affiliate Marketing, Sponsored Content, and Brand Ambassadors.

• Affiliate Marketing: It is performance-based marketing where the affiliates earn a commission for generating traffic or sales through their influence. It is a more effective type of marketing for social media users. Here both the parties involved are at benefit, the affiliates (influencers) and the merchants (businesses).
• Sponsored Content: It is a form of influencer marketing tactic in which brands pay the influencers to promote their products on their posts, stories, reels, or videos to influence their target audience. This is a great form of paid advertising method to maximize the reach to the company’s target audience.
• Brand Ambassadors: It is a form of influencer marketing where there is a long-term partnership between influencers and brands, where the influencers promote the brands for an extended duration. This type of marketing campaign is popular in recent times.

10. Referral Marketing 

This is one of the forms of many different marketing strategies that encourage existing customers to recommend a product or service to others. This is the quickest way to gauge new customers as these types of marketing build trust and personal relations with their family, friends, or colleagues. This form of marketing campaign involves mouth marketing, customer loyalty programs, etc.

• Word of Mouth Marketing: It is a promotional strategy method that is dependent on existing customers’ experiences, opinions, and recommendations to attract new customers. It is a natural way of marketing because of the involvement of factors like trust that influence the purchasing decisions of new customers. Some of the different types of word-of-mouth marketing include buzz marketing, organic marketing, etc.
• Customer Referral Programs: These programs recognize existing customers for referring new customers. This form of marketing skills has been very famous in history and is still trending in the present. Recognition includes cash bonuses, discounts, and loyalty points.

11. B2B Marketing 

This refers to types of marketing where companies sell their products or services to other businesses rather than customers. In this marketing industry marketing professionals target small businesses, corporations, etc. There are two approaches to b2b marketing, these are lead-based marketing and account-based marketing.

12. B2C Marketing

This refers to a type of marketing where businesses sell their products or services directly to potential customers or target audiences. In this marketing type, the marketing teams create content that is needed for deep analysis of their needs, preferences, and behaviors. 

The marketing teams collect data using social media channels through polls, Q&A, surveys, questionnaires, etc.

13. Conversational Marketing

It refers to a type of marketing that is customer-centric and uses real-time, one-on-one interactions between businesses and customers to build relationships and increase engagement. It creates a personalized experience using tools like chatbots and WhatsApp messaging.

• Chatbots: These are marketing automation systems that use artificial intelligence to chat with customers. They can handle basic questions, collect information, and guide customers.
• WhatsApp Messaging: This refers to using a social media messaging platform to promote products, and services, or converse with customers. It allows businesses to send messages in bulk to multiple contacts with its Broadcast Lists feature. It is a two-way communication application that allows seamless conversations between businesses and their customers. This is the most commonly used social media channel for interaction.

14. Behavioral Marketing 

It is a type of strategy focused on its target audience and targeting customers based on their behaviors, rather than just demographics or general preference. It involves collecting data on how users engage with a website, email, apps, and ads and uses this data to deliver personalized content more of their interests and actions. Some examples of companies using behavioral marketing are

• Amazon: Uses behavioral data extensively to recommend products based on users’ past purchases and browsing history, which increases the likelihood of additional sales.
• Netflix: Suggests shows and movies to users based on their viewing patterns, ratings, and previous interactions on the platform.
• Spotify: Creates personalized playlists like “Discover Weekly” based on the songs users listen to and like, improving user satisfaction and retention.

Choosing the appropriate Marketing Channel- Factors and Considerations

Choosing the right marketing channel involves understanding several key factors to ensure your efforts are effective and aligned with your business goals. Here’s how you can decide:

1. Target Audience:

Start by identifying who your audience is and where they spend their time. If your target audience is young adults, platforms like Instagram or TikTok are good options. If you’re targeting professionals or educators, LinkedIn might be more suitable. Knowing where your audience is will help you choose the best platform to reach them.

2. Cost and Budget: 

Some marketing channels are more expensive than others. Paid ads on Facebook or Google might require a higher budget, while organic content on Instagram or LinkedIn could be more cost-effective if you have the time and resources to create quality content. Be sure to balance your goals with your budget.

3. Goals and Objectives:

Different channels are better suited to different goals. If you want brand awareness, visual platforms like Instagram or YouTube can help you showcase your content. For lead generation or sales, Google Ads or email marketing might be more effective.

4. Content Type:

Consider the type of content you’ll be creating. If you’re producing articles or blogs, LinkedIn or Medium might be the right place. If you’re making videos, YouTube or TikTok could work better. The channel should align with the format your audience prefers.

5. Competition: 

Check where your competitors are active. If they’re gaining traction on specific platforms, it might be worth investing there. However, if it’s too saturated, finding less crowded channels where your content can stand out may be smarter.

By considering these factors, you can choose the marketing channel that best fits your strategy and maximizes your return on investment.

Conclusion

Understanding the different types of marketing is essential for any business aiming to grow and succeed in a competitive market. Each marketing strategy, whether it’s traditional methods like print and broadcast or modern techniques like global marketing, acquisition marketing, user generated marketing, relationship marketing, offer unique ways to reach your target audience.

The world of marketing is ever-evolving, and staying updated on the latest trends and techniques can help you stay ahead of the competition. So, embrace the types of marketing that resonate best with your audience and continuously refine your approach for maximum effectiveness.

Frequently Asked Questions