Different types of marketing are used by companies to appeal to the customers as well as make them aware about the brand and its products or services. 

For this reason, it is extremely important to constantly remind yourself of the different marketing types to ensure that your brand is getting the best out of its marketing strategy.  Ready to go back to the basics?

Check out the definitions and examples of four marketing types that are used every day by marketers: 

1.  Content marketing 

The Content Marketing Institute defines content marketing as a type of marketing that involves the creation and distribution of valuable, relevant and consistent content. 

This type of marketing is a long-term strategy used to attract and retain a clearly defined audience and to get customers to buy your products or services. 

Content marketing focuses on delivering value to audiences rather than selling products. It is used to create a trusting relationship between the customer and the brand, which will encourage them to become loyal customers. This means that the content is not purely about the brand’s products, it can be content offering advice or tips about the brand related industry. 

Examples of content marketing include: 
  • Infographics
  • Articles
  • Podcasts
  • Videos

2. Email marketing 

This marketing type is defined by The Balance Small Business as the act of communicating and advertising to customers via email. 

Businesses usually have mailing lists of clients and potential leads. Emails establish and maintain brand-customer relationships so that deals or sales can be made. 

Examples of email marketing are:
  • Newsletters
  • Any subscription based option
  • Email updates about the brand 

3. Event marketing

Event marketing is defined by Smriti Chand on Your Article Library as a practice focussed on face-to-face interaction via live events, trade shows and corporate meetings, among other types of events. 

An event is often put together based on a preconceived concept that the brand came up with. It is then customised or modified to achieve the client’s objective of reaching out to and influencing their invited target audience. 

These events are used for communications, relationship and loyalty building, database compilation, targeting, brand enhancement and personal selling. 

Examples of event marketing include: 
  • Mega events which are large-scale cultural events that usually have at least a national profile and impact, and often an international one. 
  • Local events 
  • Exhibitions 
  • Trade shows
  • Themed events 
  • Corporate entertainment 
  • Award ceremonies 
  • Round table talks 
  • Guest speaker events
  • Conferences 

4. Social media marketing

Investopedia defines social media marketing as internet marketing that utilises social media networks as marketing tools.

Social media marketing can be a great way to direct traffic back to your brand’s website, as you can add the url to your brand’s website to your social media page bio. 

Social media marketing has become more popular with the increased usage of Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Youtube.

Social media networks allow marketers to employ a broad range of tactics and strategies to promote content on their social pages and to have people engage with that content. Many platforms allow users to provide detailed geographic, demographic and personal information, which enable marketers to tailor their messages to what is most likely to connect with users. 

Companies can ensure they are focusing their resources on the audiences that they want to target due to easier segmentation on social platforms than with traditional platforms.  

Examples of social media marketing are:
  • Influencer marketing
  • Social media posts (this is also a type of content marketing just using social media to distribute it)
  • Social media ads
  • Social media stories

Which marketing type does your brand use the most and why? Let us know in the comments section below. 

U lava mahungu aku hisa? Tsalela hina...

Now that we have gone through the basics, learn some tips and tricks from a South African brand. Check out our article on Five things you can learn from King Price’s marketing strategy
*Image courtesy of Vecteezy