There are dozens of marketing categories out there; enough to make anyone's head spin. And what's more, many of them overlap depending on your strategy. To make things easier to digest, I am breaking it down, starting with the basics.
1. Outbound Marketing refers to "intrusive" marketing such as commercials, print ads, and e-blasts from purchased lists. This method involves pushing a message out to consumers, regardless of their level of interest. Don't get the wrong idea though! Outbound tactics are useful and necessary, depending on the project. For instance, if your goal is to raise awareness in your community about an upcoming event, outbound tactics can be appropriate because the goal is simply to "get the word out." Public safety campaigns like "Click it or ticket" is an example of impactful and valuable outbound marketing!
2. Traditional Marketing involves using offline mediums that have been around since before the rise of the internet. Think billboards, flyers, bus stop benches and radio spots. The majority of traditional marketing strategies are outbound simply due to their physical presentation. Despite the lack of targeting, traditional marketing still flourishes today. Direct mailers, for instance, can be effective for small businesses to put themselves in front of the local community. A small plumbing business, for instance, could be doing themselves a disservice by targeting their audience too much. Their target market is typically anyone that owns a building with plumbing, therefore direct mailers to an entire community can be very effective.
3. Inbound Marketing is focused on attracting customers rather than interrupting them. Most inbound marketing falls under the digital umbrella since it requires user data to attract a specific audience. I believe inbound marketing has three key facets: 1) quality content 2) audience touch points 3) customer service.
The overall goal should be to create quality content that resonates with your target audience and peaks their interest about your products or services. Next, you should create touch points or points of interaction with your audience such as interactive social media posts and recurring (but not bothersome) e-mail marketing. This keeps your business front of mind with your customers and encourages repeat purchases. Last but not least is customer service, which ensures your existing customers become loyal customers.
4. Digital Marketing covers all marketing that lives online such as social media, search engine marketing, e-mail, and even a clever tactic called “voice marketing.” Yes, I’m talking about you, Alexa. The three facets of inbound marketing I mentioned above require various digital tactics to be successful. There are dozens of digital strategies out there, which can be overwhelming for business owners. This is where I come in. 👋 My goal is to help business owners navigate the world of digital marketing so they can spend more time running their business and pursuing their passion.
In part 2, we will dive deeper into more specific marketing types like social media marketing and search engine marketing! Scroll down to the bottom of this page to subscribe to my e-newsletter for new blog posts and helpful marketing tips!