Ways to sell – types of marketing and their characteristics

What is marketing?

Marketing, which has existed for years, only gained wider interest and, consequently, dynamic development in the 20th century. It was divided into several basic branches, and over the years, as technology developed, it gradually became more dynamic. Currently, there are over twenty different types of marketing activities.

However, before we take a closer look at some of them, we should answer the basic question: what is marketing?

An additional, desired result of marketing activities is building brand awareness and its position on the market.

Basic division of marketing

Although companies promoted their services and products on a large scale several decades ago, the emergence of the Internet and the development of online communication are considered a milestone in the development of marketing. This is why we divide marketing primarily into two basic branches, which are internet marketing and traditional marketing, increasingly also called offline marketing.

Traditional marketing

This type of marketing includes activities that are conducted outside the Internet. So it is the distribution of leaflets, brochures, hanging posters or large-format banners. Traditional marketing also includes press, radio and television advertising.

The area of ​​offline marketing activities also includes direct shopper marketing, i.e. promotional activities at the point of sale. This is both the appropriate selection of prices, discounts and sales, as well as loyalty programs, as well as posters or stickers visible in the shop window and the art of visual merchandising.

In addition, sports marketing is also considered a type of traditional marketing, i.e. promotional activities using popular sports events. An example of this type of marketing is advertisements displayed on banners around pitches or stadiums.

Internet marketing

As the name suggests, Internet marketing focuses on activities on the web.

There are many types of internet marketing, and due to the constant technological development and progress of digitization, their number is constantly growing. The most popular of them include:

• content marketing,
• SEO,
• SEM,
• e-mail marketing,
• social media marketing.

Content marketing

This is a type of marketing based on interesting and engaging content for the reader. Its task is not only to interest the brand and acquire potential customers, but also to create its desired image.

Content marketing is one of the most popular forms of brand promotion, characterized not only by high effectiveness, but also by naturalness appreciated by customers. Texts that present the brand, inform, advise and finally sell, can take the form of:

• blog articles – sponsored, guide or expert,
• social media posts,
• e-books,
• infographics

In addition, content marketing activities also include creating professional descriptions of categories and products, as well as content for the company’s website.

An unusual type of content marketing is word-of-mouth marketing. It involves promoting a brand in social media posts and on forums and chats. A characteristic element of word-of-mouth marketing is that the published content is most often added anonymously, not in the official name of the brand or its representatives.

SEM

Although SEM and SEO activities are often described as separate types of marketing, in reality SEO is only part of a broader concept, which is Search Engine Marketing.

SEO, or optimization and positioning of a company’s website, combines a number of activities – including content creation, in accordance with SEO principles – aimed at improving the visibility of the website in Internet search engines.

Search Engine Optimization consists of the aforementioned content marketing, which includes creating content rich in appropriate keywords and linking, as well as optimizing the website in terms of the correctness of its structure and most important elements, such as the URL address or metadata, as well as external linking on other pages, usually thematically related. One example of the use of content marketing and external linking is the publication of sponsored articles, along with a link to the brand’s website.

SEM, which is a broader concept, apart from optimization activities, also refers to paid promotional campaigns, the aim of which is to maximize the visibility of a given website in Internet search engines. The second part of SEM, PPC (Pay Per Click), is closely related to the Google Ads platform and is based on obtaining paid clicks on links leading to the website.

In the case of this type of marketing, the best is consistent and complementary action in both SEO and PPC.

E-mail marketing

As the name suggests, this type of marketing is based on directly reaching a potential customer via e-mail. It allows for maintaining constant contact and close relationships between the brand and the consumer.

The most commonly used e-mail marketing methods are regularly delivered newsletters, informing about special offers, upcoming promotions, or new products in the company’s assortment.

Social media marketing

Marketing in social media combines activities from almost all other types of marketing. These are broadly understood activities in the social media space, which include, among others:

• running a profile in social media, which is understood as regularly publishing content with graphics, gifs or videos,
• replying to private messages from customers and comments under posts,
• word-of-mouth marketing in social media,
• running paid advertising campaigns directed to precisely defined target groups,
• organizing special events and competitions on your profile.

Social media marketing is currently a very popular way to promote a brand, present it in an ordinary, human light and get closer to both potential and current customers. It combines automated promotional activities, sharing expert and guide content in posts, as well as everyday and humorous content, and direct contact and the possibility of having a discussion with the consumer thanks to comments under posts or private messages.

Types of marketing and marketing tools

Each type of internet marketing involves tools that facilitate specific promotional activities. Almost all branches of internet marketing are supported and improved by at least several modern tools.

In the case of SEO, these include Keywordtool, Semrush, Senuto, and SurferSEO. In turn, for social media marketing specialists, the following are helpful: Sotrender, Tweetdeck, Facebook Audience Insights, and Facebook Ads Manager.

All internet marketing specialists use modern tools, regardless of whether they deal with content creation, social media management, e-mail marketing, or website optimization and positioning.

What type of marketing should you choose for your company?

It is very difficult to answer this question unequivocally. It all depends on at least several important factors, including:

• industry,
• type of company, its size, scope of activities and capabilities,
• target groups,
• budget,
• expectations regarding marketing activities.

The optimal solution is to combine several types of marketing, but they must be carefully selected and appropriate both to the profile of the company and its potential recipients.