Around 500,000 people work in the marketing industry in the United States alone. It is a huge, growing field that is a vital part of every business venture today.
There are so many different types of marketing, too. Many of them are less than 20 years old, and more types will no doubt pop up in the next decade or so.
If you own a small business or are looking for an exciting career path, you need to learn more about marketing.
Not sure where to begin? Here is a simple breakdown of the different kinds of marketing so you can start building marketing strategies or choosing a niche. Click here
Types of Traditional Marketing
There are two main types of marketing: traditional marketing and digital marketing. Traditional marketing refers to the different marketing options for offline audiences.
Forms of traditional marketing have existed for hundreds if not thousands of years, but most developed in the 20th century.
Print Marketing
This type of marketing is the practice of putting advertisements in newspapers and magazines.
Print marketing for businesses with huge budgets (like perfume and car brands) is common, but not so much for small business marketing. This type of marketing can reach large audiences but it is difficult to target specific groups.
Broadcast Marketing
Broadcast marketing consists of television and radio advertisements between programs.
Like print marketing, it works for huge corporations like Coca-Cola and Disney who have a large target market. They also have the budget to spend on eye-catching visual media.
Direct Mail Marketing
This type of marketing is where companies send physical marketing materials in the mail to their customers. These could be catalogs, coupons, flyers, or other mail marketing ideas.
Direct mail marketing is declining in use, as more people prefer receiving emails from brands. And it often only works with existing customers, as you do not have the personal details of potential customers. But, it is worthwhile for companies serving older generations.
Telephone Marketing
Telemarketing is one of the most disliked forms of marketing in today’s world, and you should scrap it from your list of marketing ideas. It is where you call existing or potential customers without their prior knowledge to sell products or services.
It is almost always ineffective. Most individuals see telephone marketing as invasive and annoying.
Outdoor Marketing
Any advertisement that you see outdoors could be a form of outdoor marketing. This includes billboards, advertisements on buses, trucks, and flyers. Yes, even the person dressed as a hot dog standing outside your local diner is a form of outdoor marketing.
The placement, size, and how eye-catching the marketing materials are play a huge role in how successful this type of marketing is.
Types of Digital Marketing
Digital marketing is the opposite of traditional marketing. It describes the types of marketing available that target online audiences.
Many types of online marketing started with the dawn of the internet, but others are much more recent.
Email Marketing
Like direct mail marketing, email marketing is the practice of sending customers emails. The emails are often about new products or services, coupons, or sales.
It is cheaper than direct mail marketing but email marketers need to work harder to grab their customers’ attention. So many people get emails from businesses these days and delete their emails without opening them.
Content Marketing
Content marketing refers to any type of online media like videos, images, or articles designed to boost a brand’s online presence. They are not explicit in their promotion of a brand’s products or services.
Content creators often use SEO techniques to increase the content’s visibility on search results pages.
Social Media Marketing
Brands use social media platforms to promote their business and as a customer service tool. Some big brands use every social media platform out there, but small businesses often only select a few to focus their efforts on.
Social media marketing is non-negotiable for most businesses in today’s world. Customers expect businesses to be on social media and it can look unprofessional when they are not.
Influencer Marketing
This is one of the newest types of marketing and it overlaps with social media and content marketing. Brands enlist the social or online presence of an individual or organization to promote them. The platform they use depends on where they have the most influence.
If they are bloggers or vloggers, they might post a video or written content. If they have a large social media following, they will promote there instead.
Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is also a kind of marketing that overlaps with other types. Businesses can give individuals (often influencers or other outlets) tracked links to place in emails, content, or social media posts. These links give the individual commission when someone buys something from using that link.
Affiliate marketing incentivizes others to promote a brand for them. The best part is, businesses do not have to pay for this type of marketing until they get sales.
Pay Per Click Advertisements
This might be a type of advertisement, but advertising and marketing are very similar practices. Businesses can put Pay Per Click (PPC) advertisements on search engines or social media platforms.
These platforms allow businesses to create advertisements that they only pay for when an individual clicks on them. This type of marketing is more worthwhile than display ads, as it has a better chance of leading to a sale.
Which Types of Marketing Are Right for You?
If you are looking for a new career path, there are so many interesting types of marketing. And you don’t have to choose only one! It is best for digital marketers, in particular, to have a few specialties.
And if you are a small business owner wondering which type of marketing is right for you, start with digital marketing. Then, you can work your way up to traditional marketing when you have a larger budget. Digital marketing is cheaper, lower risk, and it is far easier to track the results.
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