Marketing Techniques are one of the most important parts of your business. The technique you decide to use will vary for each client but there is usually some go-to favourites that most people follow. We have previously discussed the difference between inbound and outbound marketing so we are going to assume that these terms are familiar to you. The strategies below work for both B2B and B2C businesses of all sizes. An interesting fact we found is that the highest performing marketing techniques are all inbound marketing. This doesn’t mean that outbound marketing should be completely forgotten, but you should start to incorporate inbound marketing into your marketing strategies if you don’t already.

1) Email to Subscriber List

When used alone email isn’t a very powerful technique. Cold emailing doesn’t have a great reputation. However, if the lead is warm then this one of the most effective methods to getting a new client. It’s relatively easy to set up a sign up form for emails then you just simply send mass email updates on latest offers or blog posts. This can often be the first contact between you and the prospective client, but that’s often enough to make it work. If they were willing to give up their email to you then you obviously interest them, so a simple nudge was all they needed for negotiations to begin.

2) Social Media Marketing Techniques

Social media can be very time consuming. Not only does it take an age to become an established presence on it, but it continues to be a time sink once you are established. The redeeming feature is that 90% of small businesses are on Facebook and 70% on Twitter making the time you spent building bridges worth it. Social media should certainly not be your main marketing technique because it’s not going to convert as well as traditional techniques, but it’s a great tool to build your brand and get your name out there and to network. Considering that the ultimate marketing technique is word of mouth (something you can only influence) then this is a fantastic marketing technique that should be incorporated into all businesses.

3) Content Creation (SEO)

Search Engine Optimization will always be one of our recommended marketing techniques. We love SEO so much we have published articles on how you can do your own SEO and why you should use it. With over 91% of the Internet using search on a monthly basis it’s a no brainer that you want to get your business out there in front of them on search engines. The amount of businesses that don’t have an online presence shocks me as the internet is one of the best marketing techniques of all.

4) In-person Marketing Techniques

Finally! The first of our marketing techniques away from your computer. It’s as simple as just talking to people. You can go into businesses and talk face to face, or you can use networking events in and around your local area. It’s also a good idea to offer referral incentives to business owners for referring their friends (you can get creative with this one). This marketing technique won’t convert right away, but it’s about building your brand and getting your name about. Publicity stunts or local teaching workshops (for free) are fantastic ways to generate a buzz about your business. If you offer social media management then by holding a free talk on social media you will not only increase your brand awareness, but you’ll also prove you know what you are talking about.

5) Print Advertising

The internet hasn’t killed print, not yet anyway. Flyers are a great way to get your name in places where your clients regularly visit. Do you sell computer related services? Ask your local computer store if you can put flyers in their lobby. As long as you don’t ask direct competition it’s often quite common for businesses to want to work together. While flyers through the door can be an annoyance to the home owner, they do work; such as this campaign for cat food.

6) Cold Calling

Yes, we hate it too, but it works. Using your phone or going face to face this is one of the oldest marketing techniques that is great for businesses of all sizes. There are very little costs involved and it has a pretty decent conversion rate. It’s also nice and quick so that even if this technique had a 3% success rate, it’s easy to phone 100 people up and you’ve already got 3 clients (If only statistics was that simple). Despite the generation of leads, cold calling is actually a great way to teach your staff valuable skills such as improvisation, creative thinking and sales skills. Just be aware that some people aren’t always happy to answer their phone to your business.

7) PPC Advertising

We finish with a marketing technique close to home (the internet is our home, don’t judge), Pay per click. This technique involves putting up advertisements (similar to that in a local newspaper) onto Google. This is much better than wasting the money in print for many reasons but the main ones are:

• You get to target your advert to a specific search term. In print your advert is lost amongst every other business.
• You only pay if someone clicks your advert, if your advert doesn’t get clicked you don’t pay. In print if your advert doesn’t get you any sales it will still cost you money.
• You aren’t limited to the area that the print service is.
• It’s seen by more people. All the mail we get regarding advertising goes right into the bin so if I need a plumber I’m going to use online search.

If you are going to attempt to do your own PPC campaign we recommend you talk to a professional agency first. Even if your campaign is working really well it’s always possible to save money.

The marketing techniques listed above aren’t all the marketing techniques in the world, far from it, but they are a strong start. The list above has been compiled using data about the most popular techniques, simple techniques, but also techniques that work. A marketing strategy is about using many techniques, not just one or two, and hopefully this list can help you pick the important marketing techniques for your business.

Do you have a different marketing technique we haven’t listed, or want to know more about any of the techniques above? What is the best technique in your opinion? We would love to hear your stories and advice. Leave a comment below with your tips, any questions you may have, or just what you think of our article. It’s great to get feedback and we’ll ensure that we reply to all the comments below. If you want to get any more information check out these related articles or contact us.