What are marketing tactics? - Part 2

Marketing tactics help brands engage their customers and improve sales. As a dedicated part of every marketing strategy, tactics are an excellent tool in the right hands. In Part 1 of this series, I explained what marketing tactics are and how to choose the right ones for you. In this article, I'll take a close look at common types of marketing tactics used today and how they can benefit you.

The list of marketing tactics is growing as more people explore innovative ways to engage a community and drive sales. With so many ways to reach an audience, new and exciting tactics are always being devised. While marketing used to focus primarily on TV, radio, magazines and billboards, many of today's popular marketing tactics are built around advances in technology. Paid ads Ad space has taken on a new face now that the platforms we use have changed. While many companies still get results using billboards, TV spots, and magazine promotions, there are many more ways to use paid ads now. The most common ads employ prominent digital spaces. Social media and top-performing search engines are often considered the best spaces for paid ads.

Many of these ads are pay-per-click whereby platforms place an ad, and companies pay a specific rate based on engagement. Every time a person clicks on an ad, the company is charged. However, there are other paid ad opportunities on individual websites and with different payment agreements, too.

Published customer reviews and testimonials

Every company strives for good reviews, and they can be used in multiple ways. It is important to display good reviews on prominent spaces, like Google and Yelp. You can also use your good reviews to create compelling testimonials and share those with your website visitors. Posting your top reviews where people who visit your website can see them is an excellent way to highlight how much you have to offer.

Affiliate marketing

Affiliate marketing is similar to paid ads, but rather than getting ads in front of just anyone, you can work with individual website owners to engage people who are highly likely to be interested in your content. Customer spending in the United States is expected to reach $8.2 billion from affiliate marketing in 2023 (see https://tinyurl.com/8se2jbkp).

You can define the terms with your affiliate marketing partner, but there is generally a dedicated incentive for them to post about what you offer. There might be a base rate, a pay-per-click rate, or you might offer a percentage of every sale an affiliate brings your way.

Referrals

Marketing is all about incentivizing potential customers to choose your brand, and sometimes it helps to start with the customers you already have. Referrals can be an effective marketing strategy that relies on your existing customers to bring you more customers. Consider offering discounts, kickbacks or freebies as a perk. You can also set up referral relationships with business partners and other compatible businesses.

Rewards programs

Rewards programs focus on getting the most out of your existing customers. These programs often provide incentives for customers who enroll. Common offerings are early sales, additional discounts, and rewards points that can be used for discounts or free purchases.

Social media is home to various marketing tactics. It is commonly used for paid ads, but it also allows small businesses to advertise for free. Since anyone can make a social media profile, you can use your company profile to engage customers, share deals and expand your reach. Social media is considered to be the No. 1 channel for marketing, according to HubSpot, www.hubspot.com/state-of-marketing.

The rise of influencers has changed the way we view social media marketing tactics. While affiliate marketing has always been popular for bloggers, now it is being used by social media influencers. These internet personalities often share your products and messages with their audience for a set fee.

Email marketing and newsletters

It is commonly believed that no one reads emails from companies, but it really isn’t true. Email marketing and the use of newsletters are actually quite popular and can be a great way to drive sales. Already, 82 percent of companies use content marketing, and a majority of them use email newsletters, see https://tinyurl.com/8se2jbkp.

Standard email marketing focuses on sharing important highlights. From product launches to upcoming sales, short and sweet emails can convince customers to check out what you have to offer. Acquiring emails for your list is easy when you gather this information from those who visit your website.

Newsletters are essentially blogs in the email space. Companies use newsletters to share relevant industry information, start discussions, and share exciting new changes with their audience.

Search engine optimized content

New marketing efforts often emphasize search engine optimization. This strategy is all about combining great content with features that appeal to search engines to rank higher for search engines. Content that ranks well is more likely to be seen and can be as effective as ads, all while offering long-lasting results. Since Google commands 92 percent of the search engine market these strategies most commonly target Google (see https://tinyurl.com/yc4v92r4).

Public relations content

Public relations content has existed for a long time, but the introduction of distribution services has multiplied its power. Now, companies can easily distribute important information online through prominent platforms that naturally rank high.

This type of content relies on press releases. These informational pieces are short and offer relevant information that paints companies in a great light. Thanks to distribution, they can have a huge impact on brand visibility.

Freebies and discounts

Offering free products and discounts is always popular, whether you are selling a coaching series or a new brand of orange juice. This marketing tactic employs the try-before-you-buy idea and expects products and services to sell themselves after introduction. By giving customers free products, trial services, or even discounts, you make it easy for them to see the value in what you offer.

Every brand must decide for itself what the right fit is when it comes to selecting marketing tactics. Although all of these tactics are known to offer results for some, that does not mean every choice is the right option for your company. Take time to consider your strategy and what you want to bring to the table so you can choose marketing tactics that support your success. The right marketing tactics can help you to grow your brand and generate plenty of new sales.