“Marketing is everything a brand, business or organization does to sell its goods, services and values.” – Deborah Weinstein
Marketing is better when it creates genuine connections.
Every day, your business is doing everything it can to sell its products and services. And marketing is the way to make sure everything works together.
What types of “marketing” you utilize should depend entirely on your overall strategy and goals, but exploring the general types and tactics is a good way to make sure nothing is left off the table.
Let’s review:
General Marketing Categories
There are many thoughts on marketing as it relates to the four P’s (price, product, place and promotion). In fact, a Google search will quickly fill you in on what is not considered marketing.
Despite the rich amount of information that deep dives into all things marketing, for simplicity’s sake, we’ll stick to the most common types of marketing – branding, public relations and advertising.
Marketing Types
Branding
The easiest way to explain branding is that it is marketing for the business as a whole. At the very least, branding establishes your reputation and gives you control over how the public perceives your business.
“If people believe they share values with a company, they will stay loyal to the brand.” – Howard Schultz
Branding tactics include:
- Corporate Identity (logo, print collateral, packaging, “look & feel”)
- Corporate Culture & “Voice” (networking, awareness, employees)
- Digital Footprint (website, social media)
- Corporate Communications (email, newsletter)
Start with a mission statement and a strong company culture and much of branding can trickle from that.
Public Relations
Public Relations is the marketing of your company’s story.
If you work hard on branding and cultivating your company’s image, further it with a strong public relations strategy.
Public Relations tactics include:
- Media Relations (press releases, interviews, social media)
- Telling the Your Story (editorial content, blogging, seeking PR opportunities)
- Reputation Management (crisis communications, customer service)
Don’t underestimate the importance of telling your story.
READ: Why Storytelling Will Be the Biggest Business Skill of the Next 5 Years (via Hubspot)
You work hard to do a good job and are proud of your team. Make sure those seeking a connection with you know it too.
And when your reputation is on the line, a good public relations strategy will include preparations and responses to handle the inevitable crisis.
Advertising
In 2015, more than 180 billion U.S. dollars were spent in advertising in the United States.
Marketing your company’s products and services through advertising is a necessity to stay competitive and increase your bottom line.
Advertising tactics include:
- Market Research
- Traditional or Legacy / Old Media (print, television, radio, billboard)
- Digital Advertising (email, social media, SEO optimization)
- Analytics & Tracking (ROI, customer demographics, campaigns)
When most people think of marketing, they think of paid advertising.
Advertising’s job is to make your audience want to buy your product or service. Done right, it can also make customers fans and brand advocate who will recommend your product or service.
How Digital Fits
94% of B2B buyers report that they conduct some form of online research before purchasing a business product according to Accenture Digital’s 2014 State of B2B Procurement Study.
If you’ve made it this far, you’ve probably noticed that in each of the three broad categories of marketing discussed above, some form of digital is found. Based on the statistic above, your digital footprint will likely be a customer’s first impression of your business.
With adults spending 1 in 5 minutes of their time online engaged in social networking, being found where your audience spends their time in crucial.
Final Thoughts
Products and services and the companies that provide them, need marketing to make connections.
Move Digital believes that digital marketing is one of the most important parts of any branding, public relations or advertising effort. Don’t leave anything off the table when it comes to developing your marketing strategy.
Schedule a 15 minute phone call to say Hi and see if we can work together to grow your business.
It’s all about making genuine connections.