Published
January 30, 2023
/ Updated
January 30, 2024
How are youmarketingyour product or service to your audiences? Is it working?
If you’re struggling to find the best marketing tactic for your business, or you just need some backup ideasfor the future, look no further! We have a list of 51 of the best marketing tactics you’ll need to reach your current and future marketing goals.
If your marketing strategy answers the “why” behind your marketing practice, then tactics are the “what” that you’ll actually execute to achieve your goals.
Marketing Tactic Fundamentals
What Are Marketing Tactics?
Marketing Tactics
Marketing tactics are the actual strategic actionsthat direct the promotion of a product or service to influence specific marketing goals. Marketing tactics are high-level concepts that direct content creation and intentional marketing funnel experiences.
Strategy Vs. Tactics Vs. Content
If marketingexists to drive profitable customer action, marketing strategyprovides the vision to achieve the goal.
Because a holistic marketing strategymust take advantage of many opportunitiesacross the entire customer lifecycle, it often involves many sub-types of marketing strategies.
For example, a marketing teammay leverage an email marketing strategy, social media strategy, and influencer marketing strategy that all align with the holistic vision set forth by the holistic marketing strategy.
Marketing tacticsare, therefore, the actions marketing strategistsleverage to influence the goals of marketing, which are often associated with influencing leading indicatorsthat suggest profitable growth will follow as a lagging indicator.
Content typesare not tactics. Nor are content types specific to a single marketing tactic. Content types are simply the assets, materials, deliverables, or projects a marketing strategist’s tactic employs to achieve its goal.
For example, a marketing tacticis a case study. The content typeyou create to execute that marketing tactic may include blog posts, white papers, and videos.
50 Marketing Tactics You Need to Succeed
The purpose of this list is to help you choose the options you’ll execute to make your goal a reality.
Which of these is most likely to help you influence that goal? Which of these can you realistically execute?
1. Paid
Buying brand or content placement in a publication, website, search engine, social network, etc.
Common content types:
- Magazine ad
- Billboard
- Facebook ad
Source: Teachable publishes ads on Facebook.
2. Earned
When another brand, influencer, publication, etc., mentions or covers your brand, product, or service in content they create and publish.
Common content types:
- Article
- Social media message
- Podcast
Source: AbdulGaniy Shehu wrote a comprehensive teardown of CoSchedule’s marketing strategy to teach Your Content Mart’s audience about SaaS marketing strategies.
3. Owned
A tactic very much within your control to influence that doesn’t rely heavily on outside sources to publish content or create experiences.
Common content types:
- Blog post
- Website page
- Email newsletter
4. Gathered/Curated
A tactic that collects information from multiple sources and distributes content for a targeted audience to be a credible source on a specific topic.
Common content types:
- Social media message
- Research blog post
- Newsletter
Source: MarketingProfs’ newsletter includes a section for curated content.
5. Pay-Per-Click (PPC)
A paid marketing tactic that displays digital advertising in media where you pay only when someone clicks on your content.
Common content types:
- Google AdWords ad
- Bing ad
- Retargeting display ad
Source: Booking.com buying Google Ads for search queries such as “Duluth hotels.”
6. Native Advertising & Advertorial
Typically a type of paid marketing tactic where you buy placement of content that looks like the typical kind of piece that appears in a publication or other medium.
Common content types:
- Magazine ad
- Sponsored blog post
- Sponsored conference speech
Source: Content Marketing World, a conference, allows a native advertising track for speaker opportunities.
Also typically a type of paid marketing tactic in which you provide money in exchange for your brand representation in an event, etc.
Common content types:
- Event
- Podcast
- Webinar
Source: The Minnesota Vikings offer sponsorship opportunities to brands.
8. Affiliate
A cross between earned and paid tactics similar to endorsem*nts in which you incentivize an influencer to share a positive sentiment for your brand, product, or service with your target audience.
Common content types:
- Blog post
- Webinar
9. Endorsem*nt & Influencer
Typically a paid tactic to incentivize someone of fame (such as a celebrity) to publically provide praise or positive reviews of your brand, product, or service.
Common content types:
- Ad
- Web page
Source: Kim Kardashianendorses Tiffany & Co. in an Instagram post.
10. Co-Branding & Partnership
Your brand collaborates with another business or brand to create content, products, or services that attract a mutually beneficial target audience.
Common content types:
- Webinar
- Podcast
- Ad
Source: Selena Gomez partners with Sephora to launch a new beauty brand, promoting the product line through Instagram.
11. Engagement
The strategic connection you build with customers and your target audience through content types that foster those relationships.
Common content types:
- Social media message
- Blog post comment
- Survey
12. Loyalty
The practice of providing customers incentives and rewards (usually in the form of points) to encourage repeat purchases and build loyalty.
Common content types:
- Website
- Social media
Source: Blume offers a point-based loyalty program that provides customers with “Blume Bucks” every time they perform an action.
13. Retention & Expansion
A tactic that focuses on building strong customer relationships to increase lifetime value and cross-selling.
Common content types:
- Text message
- Blog post
Source: Well periodically sends emails to customers to remain top of mind. These can be educational, similar product suggestions, or reminders to tell you when to stock up.
14. Advocacy
An earned marketing tactic in which a customer or fan shares positive sentiment for your brand, product, or service with others in your target audience.
Common content types:
- Social media message
- Blog post
- Meetup
Source: Stitch Fix leverages advocacy via Facebook to influence potential customers to take action.
15. Referral
A cross between earned and paid in which you incentivize your customers or fans to share a positive sentiment for your brand, product, or service with others in your target audience.
Common content types:
- Social media message
- Blog post
- Website badge
Source: BarkBox incentivizes customers to refer its products through social networks like Facebook.
16. Review
Customer feedback through ratings and comments that help others make informed decisions about a product or service offering.
Common content types:
- Product page
- Social media
Source: AeroPress displays their customer reviews along with Q/As at the bottom of each product page.
17. Testimonial
A form of endorsem*nt in which a customer reviews your brand, product, or service but does not necessarily need to have a large following or fame.
Common content types:
- Home page
- Signup page
- Social media message
Source: A marketing manager provides a testimonial of CoSchedule Marketing Suite.
18. Case Study
A positive customer story which typically details the problem they were facing, how your product or service solved the problem, and the results your solution produced for the customer.
Common content types:
- White paper
- Web page
- Video
Source: LinkedIn publishes case studies to demonstrate how it can help readers achieve similar results.
19. User-Generated
Typically, either photo or video content that is generated by an independent third party to showcase a product or service.
Common content types:
- Video
- Image
- Ad
Source: Kizikuses user-generated video content to run ads on Meta. It’s simple, non-professional, and highlights the benefits of the product.
An earned marketing tactic in which you strategically provide information to a media outlet to encourage someone to create content that positively covers your brand, product, or service.
Common content types:
- News release
- Pitch packet/kit
21. Guesting
When you provide content, information, or appearances to other sources to reach your target audience.
Common content types:
- Blog post
- Webinar
- Podcast
Source: The Smart Passive Income podcast hosts guests for each episode.
22. Content Curation
When you gather content from sources you don’t own (and mainly content you haven’t created) to share with your customers and target audience.
Common content types:
- Content hub
- Social media message
- Blog post
Source: CoSchedule curates content from Social Media Examiner to share on Twitter.
23. Crowdsource
An engagement method of gathering ideas from your customers and target audience to create new content that attracts more prospects like your best fans.
Common content types:
- Blog post
- Podcast
- Webinar
Source: Entrepreneur crowdsources data via LinkedIn to engage its audience and publish it in future content.
24. Research
Can be curated or original and proprietary, presenting findings or answers to specific questions your customers or target audience often ask.
Common content types:
- Survey
- Report
- Blog post
CoSchedule publishes proprietary researchto help marketers understand the value of documenting their marketing strategy.
25. Content Syndication
When you publish content first on your owned channel, then provide rights for other publications to republish your content.
Common content types:
- Article
- Video
- E-book
Syndication example via CoSchedule’s original blog, then syndicated on Social Media Today.
26. Repurpose
When you take existing content and turn it into a new piece to maximize results from your work.
Common content types:
- Blog posts into e-book
- Webinar into video
- Social media messages into blog post
CoSchedule repurposed a large word-count blog post into multiple pages in a comprehensive knowledge base.
27. Republish
When you publish the same piece of content in the same or similar medium, often after optimizing it to increase its results.
Common content types:
- Social media message
- Blog post
- Course
28. Gated Content & Downloads
When a user is required to provide contact information such as an email address in return for access to a website’s content or a digital download.
Common content types:
- Webinar
- Course
Source: Parakeeto offers a free agency toolkit to help agencies improve their profitability in exchange for simple contact information.
29. Video
A combination of audio and visual elements ideal for showcasing a product in action, explaining a service, or educating an audience on a particular topic.
Common content types:
- Blog post
- Social Media
- Ad
CoSchedule uses video content to better explain topics like “how to make more meaningful visual content.”
30. Audio
Sounds produced by humans, AI, or music to help tell a story and often invoke an emotional response.
Common content types:
- Radio commercial
- Podcast
- Social media
Ecco uses the text-to-voice feature in their Tiktok ad to give viewers a familiar voice that may better grab their attention.
31. Blogging
An owned content hub that distributes primarily written content but often includes audio, visual, and video.
Common content types:
- Blog post
- Infographic
- Video blog (vlogging)
Online communities where users often share information via micro-messaging, images, videos, and links.
Common content types:
- Forum
- Wiki
- Q&A
33. Event
A planned occasion where you physically or digitally meet your customers or target audience at a specific time and place.
Common content types:
- Conference
- Webinar
- Meetup
34. Live Streaming
An event marketing tactic in which you record and share your meeting in real-time as it unfolds.
Common content types:
- Conference
- Facebook Live
- Podcast
Source: Facebook Live is a live streaming platform.
35. Personalization
Including the actual name of the person you’re communicating within the content you’re sharing.
Common content types:
- Email subject line
- Website
- Popup
Source: Amazon personalizes an email to influence action.
36. Marketing Automation
An owned tactic that strategically (and automatically) sends content to customers and target audiences based on their activity and interests.
Common content types:
- Popup
- Ad
37. Retargeting & Abandonment
Targeted marketing messages to potential customers who have previously visited your site or abandoned their cart.
Common content types:
- Ad
- Text message
Source: Roadie Tuner sends out an email whenever you abandon your shopping cart to remind you about your potential purchase.
38. Email
An electronic letter you send to your customers’ or target audience’s inboxes to influence a specific action.
Common content types:
- Newsletter
- Blog post email
- Behavior-driven email
39. Marketing A.I.
Behavior-driven recommendation and recognition technology that delivers specific content to individuals.
Common content types:
- Product recommendation
- Content recommendation
- Display ad
Marketing A.I. via Amazon.
40. Interactive
Adding a “back-and-forth” element to marketing wherein a potential customer’s action will trigger a certain marketing reaction.
Common content types:
- Landing page
- App
- Ad
Source: Marriot uses an interactive decision tree to help tourists decide what to do on their vacation in Scottsdale.
41. Gamification
Applying game-playing techniques to content to engage your customers and target audience.
Common content types:
- App
- Quiz
- Ad
Source: Buzzfeed publishes quizzes to engage its readers and market its sponsors.
Interactive tactics that help your customers or target audience solve a problem.
Common content types:
- Analyzer/optimizer
- Calculator
- Tester
Source: CoSchedule Headline Analyzer free tool has attracted millions of website visitors.
43. Contest
An engagement marketing tactic in which you give your customers or target audience a chance to win something in exchange for their participation.
Common content types:
- Poll
- Social media message
- Landing page
44. Giveaway
A contest or promotion in which a prize is given away to a randomly selected winner.
Common content types:
- Social media
- Blog post
- Video
Source: Blendjet pairs up with an influencer to promote an Instagram giveaway for their products.
45. Launch
Used to introduce a new product or service to the market, creating a sense of excitement and anticipation.
Common content types:
- Ad
- Social media group
- Billboard
Source: The launch of the AI art generator, Jasper Art, was announced in a Facebook group creating excitement and engagement with over 350 comments on the post to date.
Creating and distributing promotional materials such as coupons, flyers, posters, and ads that are designed to attract and retain customers.
Common content types:
- Social media message
- Ad
- Landing page
Source: True Classic promotes their “up to 70% off” sale on social media platforms.
47. Pricing
The cost of a product or service that you can use to influence customers’ decisions and capture more market share.
Common content types:
- Pricingpage
- Home page
- Ad
Source: CoSchedule offers 3 different pricing tiers depending on your needs.
48. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Publishing owned and earned content, and enhancing your owned web properties, to help those searching for specific information to find your brand, product, or service naturally.
Common content types:
- Web page
- Blog post
- Guide
49. Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)
Strategic owned website enhancements to increase the number of people who take a desired action.
Common content types:
- Ad
- Landing page
- Home page
50. Guerilla
Unconventional actions and content that aim to attract the most attention possible.
Common content types:
- Dirty sidewalks cleaned to show only your logo
- Public bus wrap
- Beer coaster postcard
51. Sales Enablement
Tools and training that help sales teams increase their efficiency and effectiveness.
Common content types:
- Software
- Books
- Coaching
Source: Hubspot invests in its sales teams with workshops, training, and resources to help them upskill.
Choose the marketing tactics that are most likely to influence your goal.
This piece was originally published in 2017. It was updated several times since, with the most significant changes occurring January 30, 2023.
