Marketing is an essential part of any business, and there are many different types of marketing strategies that can be used to reach potential customers. Print media, broadcasting, direct mail, billboards and posters, and word-of-mouth are all examples of traditional marketing. Digital tactics such as email marketing, social media promotion, content marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), mobile marketing, and paid advertising are also popular. Business-to-consumer (B2C) marketing is when a company's target audience is a direct consumer of the product or service.
Depending on the type of product, the sales cycle of a B2C product can be very short and the decision-making process that consumers go through is not that complicated. Examples of B2C marketing include direct mail coupons for a store or restaurant. Business-to-business (B2B) marketing is when the company's target audience is another company. B2B marketing typically requires a much longer buying cycle and is extremely strategic in terms of what customers want and need.
B2B purchases also often have extremely high purchase intent, meaning that the target audience will do a lot of research before buying the final product. Many B2B strategies are usually executed digitally, although there are some cases in which B2B marketing makes its way to more traditional platforms. Traditional marketing encompasses strategies that have been used since the invention of marketing itself in the 19th century. These strategies are much more overt and, at times, less specific. Common traditional marketing strategies include outbound marketing, personalized marketing, direct mail, business-to-business (B2B) marketing, partner marketing, telemarketing, public relations (PR) marketing, cause marketing, email marketing, and word-of-mouth marketing. Outbound marketing happens when a company shares its message with an audience.
Billboard ads are a good example of outbound marketing: in the case of a billboard, the company tries to share certain information with people who pass by. Personalized marketing is a strategy in which the company uses historical data to create a personalized experience for you. This could include direct mail that uses your name in marketing materials or grocery stores that offer you coupons for items you regularly buy. Direct mail is when companies send ads to a specific address. This allows companies to focus on a specific area.
A good example of direct mail marketing is a weekly advertisement at a grocery store. The marketing strategy for partners requires two companies to work together to create a coherent message. A common example of this is a company that sponsors something in another company. For example, a coffee shop might offer free WiFi, courtesy of Google. Telemarketing is when a company communicates with people through phone calls.
This is still a common tactic, but since mobile phones and caller ID have become the norm, the success of this strategy has diminished. PR marketing may not directly promote a product but it's a good way to increase brand awareness for your company. This is especially relevant in B2B marketing because some business buyers will make decisions based on their understanding of their company's position in the competitive landscape. Cause marketing is a strategy in which a company chooses to support a given cause as a way to strengthen the core values of its brand. A good example of this is Patagonia. They promise 1% of sales to the restoration and preservation of the Earth's natural environment.
Email marketing is a strategy in which marketing messages are sent to potential customers via email. It's used in B2B and B2C strategies and is one of the most effective ways to ensure that you're reaching your target market. One of the main benefits of email marketing is that it's easy to implement some type of segmentation in your messages. If you want to test which audiences respond to certain messages, this is an effective strategy you can use. Word-of-mouth marketing can take many forms; it can start as a social media campaign, public relations campaign or referral campaign with incentives to spread the company's message. As you've seen, there are many different types of content that can be used for growth and brand building purposes; from blog posts to social media posts and podcasts.
Notion's growth strategy seems to be right in almost every aspect of growth and brand building; it has been analyzed dozens of times making it an excellent example for entrepreneurs and marketers to learn from. Emotional marketing encompasses any effort that primarily uses emotion to get people to buy or interact with a brand; this could mean having campaigns for Valentine's Day or Christmas or even Pride month. As I've already shown two examples of emails - and since you're probably getting plenty yourself - here's an example of an email workflow. Finally, if there is limited quantity available for purchase then companies can promote themselves as one of the few who can buy something; at its most basic level, this type of promotion seeks to match products with customers who want access to them. Outbound marketing is another type of promotion which involves pursuing customers instead of attracting them organically; think about which types you want to prioritize and develop a plan to integrate them into your current strategy. Brand building involves actions that promote products or services in ways that highlight the brand and shape its image; this could include campaigns or events that focus on customer loyalty or even special offers for new customers.
