There are countless marketing channels.
Choosing the right one is the first step to a successful marketing strategy
But what channels are available for selection at all? And how do you choose the right ones?
Would not it be cool, you could just go in as a shop, look at the different channels and just choose the right one?
Exactly something similar thought Gabriel Weinberg and Justin Mares. They’ve written a great book called ” Traction, ” talking about various marketing channels. I would like to introduce you to this post.
No matter if you are a small company, a startup or a solo driver. Whether in the B2B or B2C area. These channels are the right lever to grow your business.
Let’s go.
1. Content Marketing
description
Simply put, content marketing is marketing using free content. That means you create z. For example, a blog that you fill with quality content. A concrete example would be this article here, which you are currently reading.
Inbound marketing without free content does not work. Therefore, I can only advise anyone to start with content marketing.
Also, explore what are the benefits of content marketing? and how to reap those benefits.
advantages
The nice thing about content marketing channel is that you once invested in content, but it always brings visitors, leads and ultimately customers. Especially if you focus on evergreen content, ie timeless content. For example, unlike displaying advertisements, where, after you interrupt the investment, you also capture the flow of visitors.
Plus, if you regularly publish high-quality content, you position yourself as a Thought Leader in your industry and become a true visitor magnet.
disadvantage
Content marketing sounds easy, but it is not. It is an art. Its hard. You have to invest a lot of time, money and thought in order to bear fruit.
And it takes time. On average, it takes six months before you see any significant results. That can be a bit frustrating at times.
2. E-Mail Marketing
description
The good old manual email campaigns or automated email sequences. E-mail marketing is still one of the most important marketing channels, even if the opposite is always claimed. Above all, with an average ROI of $ 38, it is one of the most profitable channels.
advantages
E-mail is a very personal medium. It perfectly serves to build a relationship with your prospective customers and to maintain and consolidate them later.
Above all, the automation saves a lot of time, because the technology decreases much of the pre-sales work. Thus, you can add your potential customers from perfect its customer journey accompanied, as it fits.
disadvantage
Actually, e-mail marketing has no disadvantages. An e-mail is created relatively quickly and sent cost-effectively. Those who do not rely on e-mail are guilty themselves.
For that reason, besides content marketing, you should also focus on e-mail marketing and query the contact details of your visitors.
Learn more about the top email marketing trends in 2018 that businesses are already using to their benefit.
3. Blogosphere
description
Blogs are now an important part of the media landscape. And rightly so. There you will often find better information and more authentic stories.
So you first build a relationship with bloggers in your industry. It’s best not to ask dumbly for mentioning your product, but to go the easy way through a guest post. Everyone benefits from this.
advantages
Targeting the blogosphere is the fastest way to reach the audience you want to target. In a crowded digital world, it’s very smart to go straight to where your potential customer depends. The focus on a good guest contribution strategy can be enough to make your company grow noticeably.
disadvantage
Of course, this only works if there is an active blogosphere at all. Unfortunately, this is not the case in all industries.
Plus, like content marketing, it just takes time. Building a relationship with a blogger is not going so fast. There you have to do some preliminary work.
Learn how to write a blog entry that instantly engages with the target audience!
4. Social Media
description
Today, it is unthinkable to do without social media. You always have to go where your target audience depends. And today we all depend on social networks. When we talk about different types of marketing channels, social media is an inevitable promotional channel.
Of course, social media is also perfect for disseminating your content. That’s why social media today belongs to every modern marketing mix.
advantages
Accordingly, social media is a quick and easy way to reach your target audience and customer personas. But the biggest advantage is that you reach people who may not even know they have a problem – unlike the search engine, where the searcher is actively looking for a solution.
Learn more about the importance of customer personas in deciding the marketing channels
disadvantage
Social media works great for some companies and industries. For some it works. And not for some at all. You just have to try it out.
Of course, social media must also be sensibly recorded if it is to function properly. This is expensive. Simply creating a few posts is not effective. A sustainable social media strategy should be there already.
5. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
description
Since most people on the Internet use the search engine to find answers, you should ensure that you are found there as well.
More precisely, search engine optimization today is about good content, solid on-page optimization and high-quality links.
advantages
The nice thing about search engine rankings is that they are sort of outposts that regularly guide visitors to your website. And the more content you create, the more outposts you get and the bigger they become. An ingenious principle.
disadvantage
SEO, like many of the good marketing channels, is also a long-term game that comes to fruition after about six months. The longer you are there, the better. That’s why you should start today better than tomorrow.
6. Public Relations (PR)
description
Journalists are always on the lookout for good stories. After all, a publication lives on. That is why PR is and remains a good way to get attention for your business.
advantages
PR still builds brands today, I’m convinced of that. It is no longer the only way, but still the fastest.
Especially creative PR stunts can bring amazing results. Richard Branson makes it to us again and again.
disadvantage
You need good stories. Sometimes you have to be creative. For PR stunts, you have to dig deeper into the bag of tricks.
If you do not want to engage a PR agency, you need to build up contacts with journalists and make your story tasty. It costs a lot of time and you never know if this will work.
7. Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
description
Oh, advertising in the search engine. Simply select a specific keyword and display ads accordingly. Somehow they have to finance themselves, right? And that works very well. Marketers spend $ 100 million a day on Google AdWords .
advantages
Similar to the search engine, you have active seekers here who are seriously interested in a solution. That is a wonderful basic requirement.
Since you buy the SEM quasi the “Rankings”, you can switch to relevant term ads by pressing a button. Everything controllable and success-oriented.
disadvantage
As always with Paid Advertising, it’s the art of making the whole thing profitable. The return must be positive. That is not impossible, but often not so easy.
If you do not want to hire an agency or service provider, the tools can do a lot, but are also complicated. Getting in there is time-consuming.
8. Social Ads
description
Social networks also have to be financed somehow. This is about ads. Above all, they sit on valuable data and know almost everything about us. A dream for marketers. That’s why social ads are also a wonderful way to promote your content.
advantages
The big advantage here is that you can choose exactly the audience and the customer personas that you want to reach. So you can increase the reach of your target group by pressing a button.
Especially features like Facebook’s Lookalike Audiences , where a similar audience is generated based on your visitors or contacts, are very powerful.
Understand what is customer personas and the importance of customer personas in devising marketing mix.
disadvantage
Of course, the ads must be actively managed. Here is a faster rhythm than the SEM. When I was working for Rocket Internet back then, it felt like I was exchanging advertisements every hour so that they kept attracting attention.
In addition, the social networks make the start very easy, but to make the whole profitable and sustainable to run is not so easy and the great art behind it.
9. Display Ads
description
Ads via display networks, most notably the Google Display Network , are also interesting. Here you place your banners on many different websites. You should not underestimate the extremely long range of such networks.
Alternatively, you can solve it without a display network, go directly to the site operator and offer him a fixed price for your banner.
advantages
You get the opportunity to place your ads on relevant websites using categories or relevant terms. So you use the context.
disadvantage
Your potential customers will eventually be fed up with the ads. Therefore, they have to be replaced again and again. Besides, like the SEM, it’s all a bit complicated if you do not want to outsource it.
10. Offline Ads
description
We all grew up with that. Advertising on TV, on the radio, on billboards, direct mail, and ads in magazines, magazines and newspapers.
Today, more money is probably being spent online than offline. But that’s why it can be an exciting marketing channel as it is less and less used.
advantages
For a large number of target groups, it is still a very high-reach medium. Above all, advertising on TV can bring a lot. That’s why we always see the same spots – because they work.
disadvantage
Offline Ads are on a descending branch. They are often expensive and since most of them have something physical to do, they are always a bit complicated.
Besides, you can hardly understand the achievements. It’s not as performance-oriented as Online Ads, even though there are workarounds on a special URL or coupons.
11. Virales Marketing
description
Viral marketing is a process in which your existing user recommends your product and attracts at least one other user.
That was z. As a great lever for Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp and Co. We have also made quite good experiences with our beta with it.
advantages
When your viral loop works, customers in groups sign up with you. Almost all by itself. Without, you have to do a lot for it.
disadvantage
Viral marketing is a high art. Creating content that’s viral is not easy. To create a product or app that goes viral, yet much more difficult.
12. Tools for marketing
description
This is an interesting way to leverage developer resources for marketing. Here tools or resources are developed and made available free of charge. A good example is the website Grader of HubSpot.
advantages
Since tools provide real value and have some virality in them, this is a great way to get more visitors and leads.
disadvantage
Such tools are assets, but they cost. Either you lay it out or use your own developer resources, which are then missing in the development of your actual product.
13. Existing platforms
description
Using existing platforms, where many users are on the road, is pretty smart. No matter if we are talking about the Apple and Android Store or Mozilla and Chrome extensions. But this also includes the dev track in the social platforms such. Facebook.
advantages
As already mentioned, there are already many users who are looking for a lot. Here you can place yourself perfectly to be found. So you get free attention if you get a good ranking.
disadvantage
That sounds so easy: You load your app in the Apple Store and you’re going straight. But of course there is a lot of competition there. You need regular positive reviews for the whole thing to work. And you have to work out first.
14. Community Building
description
This is about investing in the relationships between your users. You create a sense of community. It does not matter if you B. reach with forums, T-shirts or stickers.
advantages
We humans like to feel part of something bigger than ourselves. In addition, we are social beings and have always sought “protection” in a group. That’s exactly what you play in the cards here.
disadvantage
The big disadvantage is that you do not even build a community like that. Relationship and the care of these needs his time. First of all, you have to invest a lot of time in advance, without you knowing what will come out in the end.
15. Affiliate-Programme
description
With Affiliate programs, people or businesses help you sell your product. As a thank you, they receive a nice commission. Amazon, eBay or Netflix are good examples that make a decent portion of their sales with it.
advantages
Since your partners get a piece of the pie, they are very interested in selling your products. Often, as with us, your customers automatically become affiliates and can easily recommend your product.
disadvantage
You have to spend part of your sales, which reduces your profit. Plus, you need to keep your affiliates on a regular basis so they have everything they need to sell your product.
16. Speaking Gigs
description
Whether you give a lecture on small barcamps or on a big stage with thousands of spectators, Teaching Sells. Speaking gig is one of the most underrated among different types of marketing channels, but in reality, it’s one channel that can have the maximum impact on your promotional efforts.
advantages
If you keep coming back to the stage, you will eventually become the authority and thoughtleader in your industry. It also automatically makes your brand’s face, which gives it more personality.
disadvantage
Speaking gigs devour a lot of time. You have to prepare yourself, go there, maybe you are a little bit excited and you have to get your emotions under control. That costs everything energy.
17. Offline Events
description
Whether you just want to throw a small Meetup, a large conference or a nice party, offline events are always an exciting thing. Alternatively, you can also go the easy way through sponsorship.
advantages
Nothing is above human contact. Maybe this is also a marketing channel that is not that widespread in your industry yet?
disadvantage
The sponsorship of events is usually associated with decent sums. Besides, you do not even know how good the return was because you can not measure well here. Organizing is also not an easy task that consumes a lot of resources.
18. Measuring
description
This is where the entire industry gathers to introduce their products or services. Trade fairs are an often used marketing channel especially in the B2B area.
advantages
Similar to the offline events, it is also related to the fairs. There is nothing better than presenting your product or service in person.
disadvantage
Exhibition stands are associated with effort. Not only do they cost a lot of money, but, as with all the other offline marketing channels, success is very difficult to measure.
19. Partnerships
description
Here you are looking for other companies as partners and together you can see how your prospects and customers can benefit from a cooperation.
advantages
Partnerships can deliver amazing results if the two companies are a good match. This marketing channel is often underestimated. Just having a good partnership strategy can make your business grow properly.
disadvantage
You need to periodically populate your pipeline with new potential partners and pitch your idea to them. This is very expensive. Also, you do not know again what success the whole thing will bring.
20. Sales
description
Actually, this is not a marketing channel, but a sales channel. But the boundaries should be fluent these days anyway. Above all, inbound sales is very effective.
advantages
Direct phone or face-to-face conversations can sometimes do wonders. Some people simply need personal contact to make a purchase decision.
disadvantage
Sales can be very frustrating at times. You work with a graduation rate, that is, only a certain part becomes a customer. So you have to accept a lot of rejection.
How do you choose the right marketing channel?
I hope you got a lot of inspiration and maybe some ideas. Alternatively, you can ask your customers to get a good feel for which marketing channels they prefer.
To find your perfect one among different types of marketing channels, you have to work your way up from rough to fine. That’s why you need to validate your marketing channels. In the beginning, you have just one hypothesis . You do not know which channel works best. You do not have to. You just have to test the whole thing with minimal effort and look at the key figures:
When something works, you make more of it. If something does not work, you can stay it.
Also, check out the top content marketing channels that suit your business requirements.