What is marketing?
Is it posting your product on a billboard? Going door to door handing out samples? Making videos for TikTok? Is it simply just branding, or could it be something much bigger?
Honestly, it’s all of the above.
If you’ve ever felt confused about what marketing actually is, you’re not alone. With so many ways to promote a business today, it’s easy to get lost in the noise.
Regis McKenna once said, “marketing is everything and everything is marketing.”
In today’s world with all the tools and platforms available to you and everybody else, that couldn’t be more true. But if everything is marketing, what exactly is ‘marketing?’
We’re going to break it down for you and answer this question because if you’re running a business, building a brand, or just trying to grow something meaningful, you need to understand what it really is. That way, when you invest in marketing, you can do it the best way possible and actually see results.
Here’s what’s ahead:
- The general definition of marketing
- The purpose of marketing and why your business needs it
- The 4Ps of marketing
- Traditional and digital marketing strategies
- Tips on choosing the right approach for your company
What Is Marketing?
If you google, “What Is Marketing?” you’re going to get a LOT of different answers.
It seems that throughout time nobody has really been able to nail down one solid definition.
The American Marketing Association says, “Marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large.”
This definition sounds really smart, but for us it’s even more confusing.
Hubspot breaks it down to be a little simpler. They say, “Marketing refers to any actions a company takes to attract an audience to the company’s product or services through high-quality messaging.”
Both are still pretty vague, but for good reason. In our non-scientific opinion, at its core it is taking any action to drive more conversions.
It’s more than just grabbing attention and promoting your product to new customers. It’s grabbing it, keeping it, and keeping those customers coming back for more.
What Is Its Purpose?
Let’s skip the textbook answer and talk real-world.
Marketing is the map, the guide, and the fuel behind your customer’s journey. From stranger to loyal fan.
But here’s the thing, the route changes depending on where they are and what they need from you right now.
Marketing is a map that helps people discover you. It shows them how you solve their problems, where you stand in the market, and what sets you apart.
As they keep getting to know you it becomes the guide. It steers their decision making, answering their questions, removing friction, and building trust step by step.
Then you have the fuel. Marketing keeps the relationship going. It brings them back, builds loyalty, and drives deeper engagement with your brand.
The Benefits Of Marketing
When you take this journey-based approach, marketing stops being a guessing game and starts delivering real results like:
Builds brand loyalty and customer trust: When your messaging appeals to them and where they’re at in their relationship with you, customers are more likely to keep coming back and recommending you to others.
Guides pricing and product development: Marketing shows you what people are willing to pay and what features or services they actually want so you can focus on selling what actually sells.
Helps you understand customer behavior: Through data and feedback, you learn how your audience thinks and buys, helping you tailor your offers to match.
The 4 Ps of Marketing
In the 1960s, E Jerome McCarthy came up with the 4 Ps of marketing: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion.
Essentially, these 4 Ps explain what a company needs to market a product or service.
- Product
This could be a physical item, a service, a digital product or even a mix of all three. At the end of the day, your “product” is the value you’re providing that solves a problem or meets a need. - Price
The price is pretty straightforward.
Price is the amount someone has to pay to get your product or service. It should reflect both the value of what you’re offering and what your target audience is willing to spend. You may not realize but pricing plays a big role in how people view your brand. - Place
Place is all about where and how your customers can buy from you. It could be a physical store, an online shop, or a combination of both. The easier it is for people to access what you’re selling, the more likely they are to follow through with a purchase. - Promotion
Promotion is how you get people to notice, try, and buy your product. This includes things like limited-time deals, giveaways, coupons, loyalty rewards, partnerships, and even special packaging. These strategies are usually aimed at getting quick results and the impact is often easy to measure.
Why Do You Need To Know The 4 P’s Of Marketing?
Consider these 4 P’s the pillars on which you’ll build your marketing strategy.
Identifying each of them helps you be clear about what you’re selling and why, how much you will charge for it and why, where you’re going to sell it and why, and how/why people will be interested in it.
Having defined ‘whys’ for every part of your marketing plan makes sure nothing is random. This will improve your ROI and reduce wasted time and resources.
Types Of Marketing Strategies
So, let’s revisit those broad definitions we mentioned at the beginning.
Marketing is anything and everything that you do to drive more conversions. However, there are specific different kinds of marketing with specific objectives and each has its own strategy and purpose. Also, they each tend to appeal to different audiences.
Let’s break down a few of the most common types so you can understand which ones might be the best fit for your business goals.
Traditional Marketing Strategies
If you were born before the 2000’s, you remember the good old days of marketing before the internet. Traditional marketing was how companies would market their products and services to customers. The main types of this marketing include:
Outdoor Marketing
When you’re on the go and you notice some piece of marketing outside, you’re looking at outdoor marketing. This is billboards, transit ads, benches, and other signage placed to capture attention where public traffic is. It’s a great opportunity to get in front of people, but extremely hard to track the ROI.
Print Marketing
You likely got this type in your mail today. Print includes newspapers, magazines, brochures, and direct mail. Still valuable for targeting specific demographics, especially older audiences or niche markets.
Electronic Marketing
This one’s a bit of a catch-all that includes things like radio ads, podcasts, and digital signage. It sort of bridges traditional and digital by reaching people through screens or speakers rather than print or in-person. It’s especially helpful for brand awareness, but like outdoor, the results can be harder to measure unless paired with digital tracking tools.
Event Marketing
This is the classic strategy to engage your audience through trade shows, conferences, and community events. It’s great for building relationships and partnerships, but definitely takes time and proactive planning to make them effective.
TV Marketing
Ah, the classic. Those commercials you hate disrupting your shows are TV marketing. It’s not only commercials now though, many brands pay TV studios money to have their brand mentioned or showcased in your TV shows organically. Have you seen the show Stranger Things on Netflix? Yeah, Eggos paid to be featured in that and it worked! Upon release they saw an increase in sales that quarter by 14%.
Digital Marketing Strategies
SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
When people go to google and start searching for the answer to their problem, you want to be the first thing that pops up. SEO (Search Engine Optimization) helps you do just that. By implementing SEO best practices like using keywords, tags, and meta descriptions, you show google that you’re a credible site. Then Google will rank you higher in the search results leading to more organic traffic.
Content Marketing
Content marketing is also great for driving organic traffic and capturing leads. It’s kind of like the initial stages of dating where you offer them some value before you ask someone to marry you. You give them content (often free) to give them a taste of how you can improve their lives. Content could be blogs, weekly emails, social media, etc. It’s extremely cost effective and builds trust over time.
Email Marketing
99% of email users check their email everyday. With social media, you might think it’s not as relevant. But studies show it still has one of the best marketing ROIs. Email gives you the chance to send valuable, personalized content to your audience which engages them and helps them get to know your company and products.
To read more on 2025 email marketing best practices, click here.
Social Media Marketing
This is where your brand comes to life. Social media lets you engage with your audience, show your personality, and build trust in a casual, ongoing way. Whether it’s through stories, posts, reels, or comments, it’s a powerful way to stay relevant and visible in the spaces your audience already spends time.
Affiliate Marketing
With affiliate marketing, you let others promote your product in exchange for a commission. It’s like having a team of brand ambassadors who only get paid when they deliver results. This strategy is low-risk and great for expanding reach without a heavy upfront cost.
Influencer Marketing
Did you know that almost 65% of the world’s population are using social media? Plus, the average time spent there is about 2.5 hours. Whatever influencers your audience is following, get them to promote your brand. This strategy feels more organic to your audience because they see your product being used in the life of someone they trust.
Which Marketing Strategies Are Right For Your Brand?
We know that you’re someone who probably wants to market and get better at reaching your audience, but maybe you’re hesitant because you can’t quite be sure what the ROI will be.
Not wanting to waste time or resources is understandable and, quite frankly, smart.
To help you avoid this, here are three things you need to know before you decide on your marketing strategy:
- Market where your audience is: It doesn’t matter how polished your strategy is if it’s showing up in the wrong place. Before you pick a channel or platform, ask: Where is my audience already spending time? If they’re on Instagram, lean into social. If they’re searching Google with buying intent, SEO might be your best bet. The goal isn’t to be everywhere. It’s to be in the right place at the right time.
- Match Your Strategy To Your Goals: Not all marketing is built for the same outcome. Want long-term trust? Content and email marketing are your friends. Looking to boost visibility fast? Social ads or a targeted campaign might be more effective. The key is to get clear on what you’re trying to accomplish and let that shape the approach.
- Choose what you can actually maintain: A strategy is only as good as your ability to keep it going. If you don’t have the team, time, or budget to post daily or write weekly emails, don’t commit to it. It’s better to do less consistently than start big and burn out.
Marketing Puts Your Company On The Map
Marketing needs to be a priority these days. It just does.
Without it, your brand is going to be invisible. Especially because I know your competitors are definitely investing time and resources into you.
You’ve got a great brand. Show that to the world! Find where your audience is and then build campaigns to promote your brand there. But after you catch their attention, do everything you can to keep it. The strategies you choose need to consider both of these.
Marketing will be at the core of your long term growth. For business owners like you, we know that’s something you want. Take control now and start building a marketing strategy to reach more people and drive more sales.
Need advice on how to get started? Click the button below and we’ll sit down with you for FREE and talk strategy. We’ll go over what’s working, what you could improve, and how to track your progress.
Subscribe
Login
0 Comments