122 Marketing Channels & Tips – A Definitive List

Search Marketing

• Paid Search or PPC – Google Adwords, Yahoo Search Marketing, plus lots more smaller players
• Search Engine Optimization – The best advertising channel for many businesses
• Local Search – Free local listing on Google Maps

Blogging

• Blogging – Showcase your products or expertise through your blog. Works great for service based business in which information can be given away
• RSS – Feed out your blog content direct to RSS subscribers
• Link Bait Content – Generate buzz and links through content
• Guest Posting – Guest post on authority blogs
• Paid Blog Posts – Reviewme

Social Networking Sites

• Stumbleupon – Paid and free models
• Twitter – Follow and connect with prospective customers and keep in touch with existing
• Facebook Ads – Demographic and geotarget ads can work for DM
• MySpace Ads
• Facebook Profiles/Pages – Apps / fans pages / personal profiles
• Mass Social News Sites – A story on digg or reddit may bring your site down!
• Niche Social News Sites – Eg Sphinn for SEO
• In Social Apps Ads – Socialmedia.com, fbx
• Forum Signature – Advertise in your forum signature

Email

• Blanket Mass Email – This is spam, so don’t do it.
• Email database – buy/rent – Send your message to an opt in bought database
• Email Shot Sponsorship – Sponsor a targeted website’s email shot
• Email Newsletter – A regular reason to stay in touch with your customers
• Application Emails – You can add marketing messages to other automated type emails you are sending out
• Targeted Sales Email – The better researched and targeted your email (recipient and email copy) the better
• Personal Email Footer – Add marketing messages at the bottom of your emails

Content Promotion

• Podcasts and itunes
• Online Videos – Start a channel and publish on YouTube
• Articles – Submit articles to ezinearticles & other article sites
• Teleseminars
• Free eBooks – build a targeted database by giving something away
• Question and Answer Websites – Yahoo Answers, Blurtit, Answerbag, WikiAnswers

Online Other

• Web Directories – Dmoz and Yahoo
• Widgets & Toolbars
• Virtual worlds, Secondlife – Would love to hear if this has worked for anyone
• Text Ads
• ISP level advertising – NebuAds
• Behavioral Targeting
• Spyware / Adware
• In Game Ads
• Gamevitorials – Make a Flash game for your brand

Mobile

• Mobile Search
• Mobile Ad networks
• Bluetooth Push
• Mobile Apps – iPhone and Android Apps
• SMS

Viral

• Viral – Google ‘will it blend’ for an example
• Viral Seeding – Paid version seeding the above
• Viral Loop – Gold dust, if the application spreads itself like Hotmail

Online Display

• Banner Ads – Remember to try the ad exchanges for low CPM’s
• Video Ads – Embedded ads in videos
• Popups / Popunders
• In Line Ads – Kontera, Vibrant Media
• Contextual Text/Banner Networks – Google Adsense
• Blog Ad Networks – BuySellAds, Federated Media
• Niche Banner Ads – Eg w00tmedia.net for cult websites

Online Marketplaces

• eBay – Sell anything on eBay
• Amazon Marketplace
• Supplier Portals – Wholesale/Import/Export Portals
• Service marketplaces – Get projects from elance & guru
• Classified Ads – Free ads on Craiglist, Gumtree & Google Base
• Niche Online Storefronts – eg Dreamstime for Images

Online Networking

• Linkedin – Build a network and Inmail rocks
• Niche Online Communities – For example econsultancy
• IM – Instant Messengers – Build your contact lists MSN, Gtalk, Skype

Distribution Channels

• Wholesalers
• Exporters
• Retailers

Online PR

• Local and Industry Directories
• Profile Page Promotion – From Wikipedia to Flickr
• Blog Reviews – Get your products reviewed by top bloggers to generate buzz

Offline PR

• Entering Business Competitions
• Corporate Events
• Interviews and quotes in Publications
• Writing for Publications – With a bio of course!
• Publicity Stunts
• Celeb Endorsements

Partnership Marketing

• Online Affiliate Programs
• Joint Ventures

Networking

• Corporate Entertainment
• Personal Networking – Build a great black book & keep in touch
• Tradeshow / Seminars – Go to events, places & seminars your clients are going to be & rub shoulders

Tradeshows

• Speaking engagements
• Stands
• Tradeshow Sponsorship
• Run Your Own Seminar

Promotional Material

• Flyers
• Branded Items
• Catalogues and Brochures
• Business Cards
• Stickers
• Promotional Gifts

Signage

• Vehicle Lettering & Car Stickers
• On Site Billboards – Construction industry standard
• Store Front Signs
• Walking Sandwich Boards – Also pointer sign holders

Cinema

• In Film Product Placement
• Pre Roll Ads

Television

• TV Ads
• Program Sponsorship
• Product Placement

Radio

• Radio Ads

Radio

• Program Sponsorship
• Product Placement

Outdoor Display

• Road side billboards
• Underground or Subways
• Buses and Vehicles – Regional target via routes
• Restrooms Billboards

Sponsorship

• Team Sponsorship
• Awards Sponsorship
• Bursary Sponsorship

Direct Marketing

• Directory Enquiries SMS Sponsorship
• SMS List Marketing
• Telesales Cold Calling
• Mailshots
• Personal handout
• Door to Door Cold Calling

Print

• Magazine Ads
• Newspaper Ads
• Publication Product Placement

Directories

• Yellow Pages – Plus other large directories
• Trade Directories

Doing Business Well

• Word of Mouth – If your product is awesome it will spread
• Referrals – Ok, so it’s the same as the above