Marketing Strategies: 17 Examples Plus Tips for Writing One

Updated July 31, 2023

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A marketing strategy is a course of action used to promote and sell a company's products or services. Learning more about marketing strategies can improve your methods of reaching your target audience.

In this article, we explain what a marketing strategy is, discuss why it's important, list 17 marketing strategies with examples and provide tips on writing a marketing strategy of your own.

How is a marketing strategy used?

Businesses create marketing strategies to better communicate awareness of their product or service to consumers. Developing a marketing strategy allows a company to streamline product development and create clear objectives.

Companies can then guide their campaigns in a forward-thinking direction that will attract consumers most likely to purchase their products or services.

Components of a marketing strategy

Marketing strategies consist of the business's value proposition, key brand messaging and data on target customer demographics. Marketing often refers to these strategy components as the four "Ps":

Product: A marketing strategy describes the product or service the business is offering, along with related information such as the functionality and warranty.
Price: The business features what price they plan to use for their product and addresses wholesale and seasonal pricing, bundling and price flexibility.
Place: Marketing strategies address the place or distribution of the product for delivery, including transportation and warehousing.
Promotion: The business plans how to market its product, using tactics like advertising, public relations and sales promotion.

17 marketing strategy examples

There are several types of marketing strategies for businesses to consider when seeking to reach consumers. Below is a list of some common marketing strategies with examples:

1. Business to business (B2B)

Business-to-business (B2B) marketing targets businesses that sell to other businesses.

Example: To help reach more customers, a small business sells its socks to a department store.

2. Call to action (CTA)

Call-to-action marketing motivates customers to purchase, join or perform some other action right away. This involves signing up for a service or completing a purchase after viewing an advertisement.

Example: An apartment complex sends a promotional email that says "Register today!" to encourage consumers to lease that day.

3. Close range marketing (CRM)

Close range marketing, also known as “proximity or hyperlocal marketing,” is the practice of using Wi-Fi or Bluetooth to send advertisements to people in a close radius of a business.

Example: A local pizzeria sends coupons to those within a 10-mile radius of their restaurant to promote their reopening.

4. Content

Content marketing seeks to create and share online material, such as blogs, social media posts or videos. Its strategy is to stimulate interest in specific products or brands without directly promoting any brand. It also increases brand awareness and provides valuable information to customers.

Example: A dog shampoo company writes a regular blog offering customers dog grooming tips.

5. Direct

Direct marketing is performed by communicating with customers through mail, flyers, emails and other promotional materials without the use of a third party. Companies focus on having a call to action and personalizing messages for consumers.

Example: To promote their spring special for cutting lawns, a landscaping company leaves flyers on the doors of homes nearby.

Related: 11 Types of Direct Marketing

6. Diversity

Diversity marketing acknowledges differences in cultures and subgroups, such as age or gender. It motivates companies to create an inclusive story that features the experiences of minority groups and attracts them to their product.

Example: To honor the LGBTQ+ population, a clothing company creates a limited-edition rainbow t-shirt for Pride Month.

7. Email

Email marketing sends a commercial message to a large group through email. Using an email list of targeted customers, companies distribute advertisements and company updates. Email lists grow by enticing consumers to sign up in exchange for rewards such as an e-book or free trial.

Example: A newspaper group sends a mass email to past subscribers advertising a deal to save $20 if they resubscribe now. The bottom of the email features a big button flashing "Subscribe now."

Related: Q&A: What Is Email Marketing?

8. Evangelism

Evangelism marketing develops a fan base to become advocates for a particular business or product. Customers believe in the product so much that they convince others to purchase it.

Example: Sara joins a social media group for her favorite yoga pants company and attends an event selling the brand's clothes.

9. Freebie

Freebie marketing promotes free giveaways or the selling of products at a low cost to encourage the sale of a higher value product. Freebie marketing increases brand visibility and allows customers to try new products or services before committing.

Example: A streaming service offers a three-month free trial to explore their services and consider purchasing a monthly subscription.

10. Mass

Mass marketing aims for global sales by creating messages that are relevant to a wide audience. To reach the most people, companies use mass media to spread their message.

Example: A company advertises their soap, a daily product everyone uses, that leaves you cleaner than their competitor's product.

11. Niche

Niche marketing involves advertising to the needs of a specific group. By segmenting from a larger market, businesses can take a more unique approach to advertising and differentiate from other brands.

Example: A cleaning product company creates products that are eco-friendly to appeal to those who are environmentally conscious.

12. Online

Online marketing includes digital ads, email blasts, social media posts, website videos and blog posts. Companies use search engine optimization (SEO) techniques to ensure their content ranks well with search engines.

Example: A pop-up banner on a website advertises how much money you could save if you switched to a certain insurance company.

13. Relationship

Relationship marketing focuses on strengthening relationships with existing consumers to build brand loyalty and long-term commitment. Companies use technology to store data about customers in order to provide more personalized advertisements and offer special deals.

Example: A mass retail store sends birthday discount coupons to customers enrolled in their rewards program.

14. Scarcity

Scarcity marketing exploits a customer's fear of missing out on something that is trending. Companies use the panic of shortages to sell more. Scarcity methods sometimes involve making products available to a select group of individuals to increase the desire of purchasing the item.

Example: A commercial tells customers, "Hurry while supplies last to get this new toy" to scare customers into thinking they need to buy now before the toy sells out or becomes unavailable.

15. Seasonal

Seasonal marketing features products during a particular time of year. It centers marketing campaigns around significant events related to the industry. Seasonal marketing often coincides with large holidays, like the Fourth of July and Memorial Day.

Example: A flower shop holds a promotion to buy a dozen roses for a discounted price around Valentine's Day.

16. Undercover

Undercover marketing is a strategy used to subtly advertise a product, usually as part of a partnership with another brand. Product placement in movies and television is a popular form of undercover marketing.

Example: The main character in a romantic holiday movie brews a popular name-brand instant coffee in her beautiful kitchen.

17. Word-of-mouth

Word-of-mouth marketing is the sharing of information verbally from person to person. Satisfied customers recommend products and services directly to others who are looking for similar things.

Example: Julia switches cell phone carriers and is so impressed by the customer service and discounts offered by the new company that she encourages her sister to switch carriers too.

Tips for writing a marketing strategy

Here are some tips for writing a marketing strategy for your company:

Reveal your uniqueness: Identify what makes you different from your competitors and highlight these differences when creating your marketing strategy.
Know your customers: Determine who your ideal customers are and gain an understanding of what they want, need and expect from you so you can accurately target them.
Be flexible: Formulas, like the 4Ps noted above, may be most effective for products and not services. Skillful marketing may require adaptation in your strategy and brainstorming creative ideas.
Research competitors: Examine your competitors’ advertisements, in print, broadcast, online and social media, to find examples of effective and weak campaigns.
Stick to the budget: When writing a market strategy, stay within a designated budget and track how your campaign creates financial growth.

Frequently asked questions

What's the relationship between content marketing and social media marketing?

Content is what the company creates, and social media is how you can attract people to that content. For example, a dealership may publish an article or video detailing all the new features of a new car on their website. The marketer can then share posts on the dealership's social media sites to direct people to that content.

How can I implement a marketing strategy on a low budget?

To implement a marketing strategy on a low budget, consider focusing on the website and social media content. Enhance customer service to promote customers as brand ambassadors. Involve others in the company in content creation and social media contributions. For example, you may ask a salesperson to share their favorite thing about a product in a social media post.

What's the most important part of a marketing strategy?

Elements within a marketing strategy work together to create a cohesive and effective plan, which means there often isn't just one part that's more important than others. One vital component in the marketing strategy is the crisis management plan, which outlines what to do when customers express public displeasure with the company during a scandal or public relations (PR) incident. Having a crisis management plan can help marketers connect with customers and minimize damage during these events.