Want to attract your best customers?

Of course you do, that’s the DREAM.

I’ve put together a list of 99 marketing channels with their best use cases — each of these channels is sorted into specific categories for easier reference.

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Brace yourself; this is a giant list. Let’s go!

Marketing Channels #1: Email

1. EMAIL SIGNATURE

What It Is: A block of text with your name, contact info, company, job title, social media accounts, and latest content.

Best For: Professionals and content creators who send emails daily.

Use It To: Drive visitors to your website, sales funnel, and social media profiles, and distribute your recently published content.

Example: In this email signature, I share my title, Twitter and LinkedIn handles, WhatsApp phone number, and lead magnet.

2. EMAIL BANNER

What It Is: A wide image typically placed at the bottom of an email signature or the top of a newsletter.

Best For: Professionals and content creators who send emails daily; marketers who create HTML emails.

Use It To: Increase user engagement and drive attention to important announcements (e.g., upcoming events).

3. FREE TRIAL EMAIL SEQUENCE

What It Is: An email series allowing prospects to try your product before purchasing.

Best For: B2B and B2C SaaS.

Use It To: Educate users on how to best use your products and nurture them to become paying customers.

4. LEAD MAGNET EMAIL SEQUENCE

What It Is: An email series prospects receive after exchanging their email address for a free piece of content.

Best For: B2Bs, B2Cs, and bloggers.

Use It To: Build your email list and persuade leads to take the next action in your funnel.

5. CURATED NEWSLETTER

What It Is: A “bulletin email” summarizing the most noteworthy content around a topic.

Best For: B2Bs.

Use It To: Promote your latest content to a targeted audience.

Example: Sumo promoted its updated blog post in Ann Handley’s biweekly newsletter, Total ANNARCHY:^[*]

6. LIVE EVENT / WEBINAR EMAIL SEQUENCE

What It Is: A series of emails that promote upcoming events or webinars to encourage registration and attendance.

Best For: B2Bs and B2Cs.

Use It To: Increase event awareness and create deeper relationships with prospects.

7. COLD EMAIL CAMPAIGN

What It Is: An unsolicited and personalized series of emails sent to prospective clients.

Best For: Freelancers who provide business services and marketing and sales (e.g., business plan consultant, copywriter).

Use It To: Capture the interest of hundreds of prospects with targeted messages all at once.

8. EMAIL CHALLENGE

What It Is: A series of challenges with “assignments” sent via email; can be as short as three days or as long as a month.

Best For: Freelancers and content creators.

Use It To: Interact with subscribers on a personal level and foster a sense of community.

Example: Pat Flynn from Smart Passive Income offers a 3-day email challenge for readers who want to learn how to build their email list.^[*]

9. PAID EMAIL COURSE

What It Is: A paid course, conducted by email, showcasing your authority on a topic.

Best For: Freelancers, bloggers, and professionals who run personal websites.

Use It To: Educate your community while earning your keep to run your website.

Example: Jimmy Daly, VP of Growth at Animalz, runs a 5-day email course (cost: $15) on content marketing, and uses what he earns to run his blog and newsletter.^[*]

10. EMAIL NEWSLETTER SPONSORSHIP

What It Is: An advertisement of your product or service in a complementary company’s newsletter.

Best For: B2Cs and B2Bs with sizable budgets.

Use It To: Spread the word about your company to a targeted audience to attract new sales.

Example: Wall Street Journal sponsored a newsletter from Pocket and offered a 50% discount on a WSJ membership.

Marketing Channels #2: Print

11. CUSTOMIZED STICKER

What It Is: A custom-made label of a business name or logo.

Best For: Freelancers and entrepreneurs who recently launched their business.

Use It To: Get the word out about what you do and set yourself apart from the competition.

Example: Joel Klettke, a CRO copywriter, scattered his customized stickers around in MozCon and turned it into a social media contest. The results? Projects worth thousands of dollars.^[*]

12. POSTER

What It Is: A large picture of a product, service, or event placed in specific locations.

Best For: B2Bs and B2Cs with a big budget.

Use It To: Attract a massive volume of visibility and repeated exposures in a specific area.

Example: Justworks, a human resource tech company, put up posters in Union Square station (a location with high foot traffic) to target entrepreneurs.^[*]

13. POSTCARD

What It Is: A card with an illustration on one side and text (e.g., copy, mailing information) on the other.

Best For: B2Cs like ecommerce and retail stores with a big budget.

Use It To: Boost brand recall and retention. Tip: Use a postcard tool like Touchcard to automate printing and mailing.^[*]

14. BROCHURE

What It Is: A tri-fold document of visuals (e.g., charts, diagrams) and information about a product or service.

Best For: B2Bs and B2Cs with a tight budget.

Use It To: Introduce your business to prospects and consumers in events like roadshows and conferences.

Marketing Channels #3: URL & Article Submission

15. GOOGLE SEARCH CONSOLE

What It Is: A tool by Google that monitors your website’s presence in Google search results.

Best For: Technical SEO marketers.

Use It To: Submit and manage your site's sitemaps, measure traffic and performance, and monitor backlinks.

16. BING WEBMASTER TOOLS

What It Is: A tool by Microsoft's Bing search engine that tracks your site performance in Bing search results.

Best For: Technical SEO marketers.

Use It To: Submit and manage your site's sitemaps, measure traffic and performance, and monitor backlinks.

17. RESOURCE PAGE LINK BUILDING

What It Is: A strategy of building backlinks from authority websites that share helpful resources on a specific topic.

Best For: SEO strategists and content marketers.

Use It To: Get more eyeballs on your most in-depth pieces, such as ultimate guides.

Do a search of resource pages in your niche (e.g., web design “best resources”) and go through the results.

When you find a quality resource page, pitch the website owner on why they should include your post.

Example: When Brian Dean (Backlinko) sends his email outreach to website owners, he successfully got Advanced Web Ranking to link it to his keyword research guide.^[*]

He repeated this backlink strategy with other website owners, ultimately boosting his guide’s page authority score. The higher the score, the more likely it will rank on search.^[*]

18. BROKEN LINK BUILDING

What It Is: Identifying your competitors’ faulty links in authority websites and replacing them with your links.

Best For: SEO strategists and content marketers.

Use It To: Increase your website’s backlinks from authority sites while helping website owners fix their site errors.

Install the Chrome extension Check My Links. Next, go to the page or post you want to target and click Check My Links.

Note the red highlighted links; those are the broken links. Email the website owner about them and pitch your content.

Example: A click on Check My Links shows two broken links on Neil Patel’s copywriting post. Say an agency wants to secure a backlink from Neil’s website. They might email him and pitch a similar infographic as a replacement:^[*]

19. HARO

What It Is: A series of daily emails where you answer journalists’ questions to secure media coverage and earn backlinks to your website. Write content? You can also submit a query to call for quotes from subject matter experts.

Best For: SEO strategists and content marketers.

Use It To: Share your expertise in publications your target audience reads and attract quality inbound links to your blog post or website.

Marketing Channels #4: TV & Radio

20. RADIO INTERVIEW

What It Is: A live or recorded Q&A-style interview using professional audio equipment (e.g., mic, mixer).

Best For: Thought leaders like entrepreneurs and C-suite professionals.

Use It To: Amplify your professional and personal brand.

To get airtime, make sure you’re familiar with the themes the radio station covers. Next, email a killer pitch. You can usually find their email address on their website.

Alternatively, search for the radio hosts on social media and see if their email address is listed. If they are, that usually signals they welcome pitches.

21. RADIO AD

What It Is: A produced spot or live read of your company’s products or services.

Best For: B2Cs with big budgets.

Use It To: Reach a selective group of customers and promote your products or services as part of your media strategy.

22. PRODUCT PLACEMENT

What It Is: Incorporating products into films or television shows.

Best For: Big B2C brands with massive budgets.

Use It To: Reinforce your brand to consumers around the world.

Example: Baskin-Robbins subtly promotes its ice creams in the movie Ant-Man, raising its international exposure to a wider audience.^[*]

23. COMMERCIAL

What It Is: A TV ad promoting your product or service.

Best For: B2Cs with big budgets and a mass audience appeal.

Use It To: Spread brand awareness and expand customer base as part of your overall advertising plan.

24. HOME SHOPPING

What It Is: A TV program where shoppers buy featured products from the comfort of their homes.

Best For: B2Cs with big budgets and products that appeal to a wide audience.

Use It To: Demonstrate your products to millions of shoppers in minutes.

Example: Fashion brand Nina Leonard promotes its ankle pants on the Home Shopping Network.^[*]

Marketing Channels #5: Social Media

25. FACEBOOK PAGE

What It Is: A public page on Facebook with important information like your brand story, business hours, and location.

Best For: B2Bs and B2Cs, freelancers, entrepreneurs, and content creators.

Use It To: Showcase your products or services and engage with your audience.

26. SLIDESHARE

What It Is: A hosting service for presentations, infographics, and documents.

Best For: B2Bs.

Use It To: Maximize your content reach and promote your business.

Example: Rand Fishkin gives users a sneak peek at his new venture, SparkToro.^[*]

27. PINTEREST

What It Is: An image-based social network service where users create boards and pins around their ideas and interests.

Best For: B2Cs that sell products and want to target women. As of April 2020, women make up 72% of Pinterest's ad audience.^[*]

Use It To: Drive traffic to your website and promote your brand as part of your visual marketing strategy.

28. HASHTAG

What It Is: A keyword with a “#” before it that promotes your messages and makes it easier for social media users to find related content.

Best For: B2Bs, B2Cs, and content creators.

Use It To: Attract new followers and increase engagement.

Example: Aspiring writer Kris Honeycutt uses specific hashtags to connect with the writing community and grow her social media following.^[*]

29. TWITTER

What It Is: A microblog where you create 280-character posts called tweets.

Best For: B2Bs, B2Cs, and content creators.

Use It To: Share engaging content and provide timely customer service (for B2Bs and B2Cs).

30. INSTAGRAM PAGE

What It Is: A photo and video-sharing platform owned by Facebook.

Best For: B2Bs, B2Cs, and content creators.

Use It To: Share behind-the-scenes and user-generated content to connect with followers on a personal level and drive ongoing brand loyalty.

Example: Orangetheory Fitness reinforces brand loyalty and creates a sense of community in its Instagram page.^[*]

31. FACEBOOK STORIES

What It Is: A collection of photos and videos that disappear 24 hours after posting. After 24 hours, you can keep them in your story archive, which only you can access.

Best For: Entrepreneurs with a Facebook page.

Use It To: Build relationships with followers and demonstrate thought leadership.

32. INSTAGRAM STORIES

What It Is: A collection of photos and videos that disappear from your feed, your profile, and Direct (messenger) 24 hours after posting. To make these photos and videos permanent, add them as a Story Highlight.

Best For: B2Bs, B2Cs, and content creators.

Use It To: Share exclusive announcements (e.g., giveaways, special promotions) and promote your new content (e.g., blog post, ebook, lead magnet).

Example: Aramsa announces its weekday spa promotions in its Instagram Stories and adds them as a Story Highlight, enabling to live permanently on its page.^[*]

33. LINKEDIN

What It Is: A company page or professional profile that has important information like your brand story and the services you offer.

Best For: B2Bs, B2Cs, and all professionals.

Use It To: Highlight your experience, research prospects, and market your business.

34. LINKEDIN SERVICES

What It Is: A list of the services you offer directly on your LinkedIn profile page.

Best For: Freelancers and entrepreneurs.

Use It To: Instantly communicate what you offer to prospects.

Example: In my LinkedIn profile, I highlight the content writing services I offer.^[*]

35. YOUTUBE CHANNEL

What It Is: A personal or business channel on YouTube with your videos, about description, and links to your websites and social media handles.

Best For: B2Bs, B2Cs, and content creators.

Use It To: Add value to define what makes your brand different and boost SEO in the world’s largest video channel.

Example: AppSumo (Sumo’s sister company) shares software product walkthroughs and webinars on its YouTube channel.

36. SNAPCHAT

What It Is: A multimedia messaging platform with pictures and videos that disappear after being viewed or expired. Some content (e.g., Snappables, lenses for playing augmented reality games) stick around longer.

Best For: B2Cs and content creators who want to target younger audiences (18-24 years old).^[*]

Use It To: Generate buzz and build brand loyalty with a younger market.

37. TWITTER FLEETS

What It Is: Tweets in a story format (similar to Facebook and Instagram) that disappear after 24 hours. Fleets are unable to receive Likes, Replies, or Retweets. At this writing, this new feature is available only in Brazil.^[*]

Best For: B2Bs, B2Cs, and content creators.

Use It To: Tease and share exclusive announcements and promote content.

Marketing Channels #6: Networking

38. EVENT

What It Is: A large gathering of professionals who discuss trends and exchange opportunities and experience.

Best For: B2Bs.

Use It To: Engage in face-to-face or virtual connections with prospects, win clients, and generate revenue.

Example: Traffic Think Tank hosts a free one-day virtual event for marketers, raising awareness of its SEO community.^[*]

39. NETWORKING ORGANIZATION

What It Is: A large group that connects professionals through informal collaboration.

Best For: Entrepreneurs who want to build new strategic relationships.

Use It To: Get your name out there and build relationships with professionals in your field.

40. WORKSHOP

What It Is: A class where a group of people participate in an activity on a particular topic.

Best For: Entrepreneurs and freelancers who want to lead workshops.

Use It To: Increase your exposure in the community and earn supplemental income.

Example: Textile artist Autumn Brown collaborates with Fresh Beauty to organize weaving workshops. She gets the word out about her business and personally interacts with her targeted audience.^[*]

41. ONE-ON-ONE MEETING

What It Is: An in-person or virtual meetup with a professional, usually a prospect.

Best For: Freelancers and entrepreneurs.

Use It To: Engage in personal dialogues with prospective clients.

42. BUSINESS CARD

What It Is: A professional card with your name, company, job title, and contact information.

Best For: Professionals who often network.

Use It To: Promote your brand and interact with acquaintances, prospects, and clients at networking events or one-on-one meetings.

Example: Illustrator Katsy Garcia showcases her creativity and builds a strong brand awareness on her unique business card.^[*]

43. TABLE TENT

What It Is: A self-standing card with promotional content, usually placed on tables and counters.

Best For: Food and beverage establishments like restaurants and cafes.

Use It To: Promote specials or events (e.g., wine appreciation).

44. RETRACTABLE BANNER

What It Is: A rollup banner with information on features of products and services.

Best For: B2Bs and B2Cs that rent booths in events.

Use It To: Demonstrate your unique selling proposition (USP) instantly and capture interest from prospective customers.

45. PROMOTIONAL ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS

What It Is: A tech or electronic accessory personalized with your company name or logo to help promote your brand.

Best For: B2Bs that want to create repeat marketing opportunities.

Use It To: Drive brand recognition at tradeshows and events.

Example: Here’s a snazzy customized USB flash drive I received from Luxurique, a hospitality consultancy, at a travel exhibition.

Marketing Channels #7: Community

46. FACEBOOK GROUP

What It Is: A place for Facebook users to share common interests and participate in group conversations.

Best For: B2Bs and B2Cs.

Use It To: Support prospects and build an engaging community.

Example: Glen Allsopp connects with readers and answers queries in his SEO Secrets Facebook group.^[*]

47. LINKEDIN GROUP

What It Is: A group on LinkedIn that enables you to build connections with fellow professionals in similar industries or with similar interests.

Best For: B2Bs, entrepreneurs, and professionals.

Use It To: Create a group to build authentic relationships with prospects.

48. SLACK GROUP

What It Is: A team communication and collaboration platform that comes with different channels for different topics.

Best For: B2Bs.

Use It To: Build a network of like-minded professionals and support them in their ventures.

Example: Jimmy Daly runs a Slack group for content marketers who want to talk about career growth, and to occasionally share Animalz’s latest content.^[*]

49. REDDIT

What It Is: A network of forums divided into communities called subreddits, where you can comment and share content.

Best For: B2Bs and B2Cs.

Use It To: Drive traffic to video or image-based posts on external video and photo-sharing sites like YouTube and Imgur. According to a study by Foundation Marketing, these links generate more upvotes in Reddit.^[*]

50. TWITTER LIST

What It Is: A curated list of Twitter accounts which, when viewed, shows tweets from only the accounts on that list.

Best For: B2Bs and B2Cs.

Use It To: Create a public or private Twitter List to build relationships with like-minded people in your industry.

Example: As a freelance writer, I use my Twitter List to engage with fellow writers and folks I admire — that’s how I came across Henneke Duistermaat’s blog post. See how my retweet led us to interact with one another:^[*]

51. DISCUSSION FORUM

What It Is: An online discussion board hosted on your website where users participate in conversations.

Best For: B2Bs and B2Cs with budget and staffing resources.

Use It To: Build a community and improve site ranking.

52. QUORA

What It Is: A Q&A site where users ask questions about any subject and wait for answers. Users can also request specific Quora users to answer these questions.

Best For: Professionals in B2Bs and B2Cs who want to build their personal brand.

Use It To: Build authority, reach new audiences, and drive referral traffic.

Example: Dean Yeong, Sumo’s Head of Content, can vouch for this. One of his Quora answers attracted over 306,000 views (and counting). He even included links in his answers to redirect readers back to his website.

Marketing Channels #8: Digital Ad

53. GOOGLE ADS

What It Is: Ads that show on places like Google, Gmail, and partner sites.

Best For: B2Bs and B2Cs.

Use It To: Capture leads with high intent.

54. MICROSOFT ADVERTISING

What It Is: Ads that show on places like Bing, Outlook, and partner sites.

Best For: B2Bs and B2Cs.

Use It To: Capture the interest of a mature and higher-earning audience.^[*]

Example: Dental startup Zenyum promotes its invisible braces in this Outlook email ad.

55. YOUTUBE ADS

What It Is: Ads that run before, during, or after a video. YouTube Ads are created with Google Ads.

Best For: B2Bs and B2Cs.

Use It To: Keep your brand top of mind with new potential and existing customers.

56. LINKEDIN ADS

What It Is: Ads that reach a professional audience with selective targeting based on role, company, and job title.

Best For: B2Bs.

Use It To: Acquire leads through gated content (e.g., white paper, case study).

Example: Talkdesk promotes its call evaluation form, a lead magnet, in its LinkedIn Sponsored Content Ad.

57. QUORA ADS

What It Is: Ads that display in question and answers on Quora question pages.

Best For: B2Bs.

Use It To: Promote your content that addresses highly trafficked questions.

58. FACEBOOK ADS

What It Is: Ads that appear in places like Facebook’s Desktop News Feed and Messenger.

Best For: B2Bs and B2Cs.

Use It To: Drive awareness in front of a targeted audience.

Example: Social product Adriel promotes its online marketing services using Facebook Ads.

59. INSTAGRAM ADS

What It Is: Video or image ads that show in places like the Instagram Feed, Stories, and Explore. Instagram ads are created on Facebook’s Ad Manager.

Best For: B2Cs with “visually appealing” products or services (e.g., fashion, travel).

Use It To: Gain product visibility and reach a larger audience.

60. TWITTER ADS

What It Is: Ads that show up as Promoted Tweets, Cards, Videos, and Brands.

Best For: B2Bs.

Use It To: Generate buzz and attract traffic from a wider group of users.

Example: Miro drives awareness to its mind mapping tool using Twitter’s Promoted Tweets.

61. SNAPCHAT ADS

What It Is: Full-screen and vertical video ads that last up to 180 seconds.

Best For: B2Cs with products that target the younger market.

Use It To: Share exclusive content to engage with millennials and Gen Z.

62. PINTEREST ADS

What It Is: Image- and video-based ads that appear in home feed, specific pins, and boards.

Best For: B2Cs that want to target women.

Use It To: Increase brand and product awareness early on in your customers’ buying journey — 83% of weekly users made a purchase after viewing pins on Pinterest.^[*]

63. SPOTIFY AD

What It Is: An ad that typically runs at the beginning, during, and end of playlists. Takes in the form of audio, podcasts, video, and display.

Best For: B2C brands with modest budget.

Use It To: Amplify brand message in your overall marketing campaign.

64. REDDIT ADS

What It Is: Ads that appear as promoted posts (e.g., link ads, text ads) and display ads.

Best For: B2Bs and B2Cs with niche products or services.

Use It To: Attract traffic from users with specific interests.

65. PODCAST SPONSOR

What It Is: An audio advertisement that’s usually announced at the beginning, midway, or ending of a podcast.

Best For: B2Bs and B2Cs.

Use It To: Attract a targeted audience.

Example: SaaS startup Airstory sponsored an episode for The Copywriter Club to promote its writing tool.^[*]

66. IN-APP ADS

What It Is: An advertisement (e.g., playable ad, rewarded ad) that shows up in mobile apps. Depending on your app host, you can do this on platforms like Google Ads and Facebook Ads.

Best For: B2Cs.

Use It To: Create demographic and geolocation-based marketing campaigns.

Example: Here’s a Spotify ad I spotted while using a bus time app on my phone.

Marketing Channels #9: SEO

67. BLOG

What It Is: A section of a website filled with informative posts. Running a blog boosts SEO, as it responds to readers’ search queries and can help you organically rank your website.

Best For: B2Bs and bloggers.

Use It To: Educate readers and move them down the sales funnel.

Example: Marketing tool Hey Oliver shares its best practices for marketing, sales, and customer service in its blog.^[*]

68. FAQ PAGE

What It Is: A page of questions commonly asked by customers. Topics range from shipping fees to business hours. Audience-focused FAQ pages are valued by Google, as they provide important information that helps users make informed buying decisions.

Best For: B2Bs and B2Cs.

Use It To: Reduce time for employees to address the same questions repeatedly, and bring awareness back to products and services when relevant.

69. GUEST POST

What It Is: A blog post on another website, usually a reputable publication or a noncompeting company’s blog. These publication and blog’s authority links can help improve your website’s traffic and domain authority (DA) score.

Best For: B2Bs and B2Cs.

Use It To: Establish authority and acquire backlinks and quality leads.

Example: Olga Mykhoparkina (former CMO at Chanty) guest posts on HubSpot to win a backlink and get the word out about the SaaS company.^[*]

70. HOMEPAGE

What It Is: A main webpage that tells Google and users what your website is about. It tends to highlight an offer or value proposition, and focuses on relevant long-tail keywords (e.g., SEO agency for B2B SaaS).

Best For: Website owners.

Use It To: Educate visitors about your brand and pull them in deeper into your website.

71. PRODUCT PAGE

What It Is: A page on a website that shares product descriptions like features, benefits, and price. The product page uses high-intent buying keywords (e.g., laptop deals online).

Best For: B2Bs and B2Cs.

Use It To: Build confidence in customers by providing compelling information that this is the right product for them.

Example: Dollar Shave Club does a stellar job at highlighting the core benefits of its shave cream products. As of this writing, this product page is ranking for the high-intent keyword “post shave cream”.^[*]

72. GOOGLE MY BUSINESS

What It Is: A profile for your business that also helps manage your online presence across Google, including Search and Maps.

Best For: Local B2Bs and B2Cs.

Use It To: Boost local SEO and online visibility.

Marketing Channels #10: User Review

73. FACEBOOK RECOMMENDATION

What It Is: An endorsement feature on Facebook where users indicate if they recommend your business by answering "Yes" or "No" and explain with detailed feedback.

Best For: B2Bs and B2Cs.

Use It To: Boost trust and improve your Facebook Business page and visibility in searches for specific terms.

Tip: To request a recommendation, invite customers to visit your Facebook page and instruct them to click Reviews > Yes.^[*]

74. GOOGLE REVIEW

What It Is: A feature in Google My Business and Google Maps where users post public reviews on Google about their experience with your business.

Best For: Local B2Bs and B2Cs.

Use It To: Improve rankings and local SEO and drive users to your local business.

To request for reviews, first add a local listing on Google My Business. Once that’s done, click Share review form on the right side of your dashboard. A pop-up with a unique URL will appear. Share this URL with your customers to request reviews.^[*]

Heads-Up: Due to COVID-19, Google has temporarily made new Google reviews unavailable. ^[*]

Example: SAHOURI.’s highly praised reviews instill confidence in prospects who need help with their insurance needs.^[*]

75. AMAZON REVIEW

What It Is: Product feedback on Amazon that takes the form of a video or written review.

Best For: Businesses that sell electronics, fashion, home and kitchen, and beauty and personal care products.^[*]

Use It To: Serve as word-of-mouth recommendations and improve product visibility and sales.

76. GOOGLE PLAY REVIEW

What It Is: User reviews for apps, games, ebooks, and other content on the Google Play store.

Best For: B2Cs.

Use It To: Boost visibility in the app store.

Example: TransferWise’s reviews gain users’ trust and strengthen its credibility.^[*]

77. ITUNES REVIEW

What It Is: Customer reviews for apps, games, Apple books, and other content on the iTunes store.

Best For: B2Cs.

Use It To: Improve discoverability in the App Store.

78. REVIEW SITE

What It Is: Customer reviews that help similar businesses and consumers make informed decisions when buying a product or service.

Best For: B2Bs and B2Cs.

Use It To: Sell authentically and build confidence in high-intent prospects.

Example: Tableau’s reviews on the TrustRadius platform demonstrates its impact on customers’ lives.^[*]

Marketing Channels #11: Content

79. WHITE PAPER

What It Is: A report that informs and educates prospects about a complex topic.

Best For: B2Bs that sell to a technical audience.

Use It To: Raise awareness of your brand or product and attract high-quality leads.

80. EBOOK

What It Is: An electronic book that informs and educates prospects about a topic. Similar to a white paper, except that ebooks are usually less serious in tone and less technical.

Best For: B2Bs.

Use It To: Raise awareness of your brand or product and attract high-quality leads.

Example: Intercom shares industry-tested lessons in its series of ebooks. Topics range from marketing to sales and customer support to product management.^[*]

81. CONCEPT VISUAL

What It Is: A picture, usually a chart or diagram, that simplifies a complex concept.

Best For: B2Bs and B2Cs.

Use It To: Build backlinks to your content.

Example: Brian Dean turns tricky concepts into concept visuals and features them in his blog posts. Whenever a reader uses them and credits him on their website, he earns a backlink.^[*]

82. CASE STUDY

What It Is: An in-depth look at how you help a client solve their problems after they work with you.

Best For: B2Bs that sell high-priced products.

Use It To: Attract targeted leads and close more deals.

83. VIDEO

What It Is: A visual recording of text, images, and/or screen captures with a voiceover.

Best For: B2Bs (especially freelancers and small agencies) and B2Cs.

Use It To: Build strong relationships in the prospecting funnel by displaying your expertise.

Example: Jeffrey Kranz of Overthink Group recorded a detailed teardown of Freshbooks’ SEO strategy, further proving his chops in SEO.^[*]

84. BLOG BANNER

What It Is: A decorative header that engages the reader and improves brand identity.

Best For: Bloggers.

Use It To: Draw readers into your posts and set your blog apart.

85. CONTENT UPGRADE

What It Is: A bonus content related to the blog post topic (e.g., checklist, PDF copy of a long-form article for offline reading).

Best For: B2Bs, B2Cs, and bloggers.

Use It To: Increase the number of subscribers and nurture them with more content.

Example: In this product launch article, Sumo offers a campaign checklist as its content upgrade.

86. WEBINAR

What It Is: An online meetup or presentation that takes place in real-time. Typically reused as lead magnets for users to watch on-demand.

Best For: B2Bs and B2Cs.

Use It To: Educate your leads and build stronger relationships by having real-time conversations.

87. BRANDED CONTENT

What It Is: A type of content (e.g., article, video) funded by a company with the goal of driving awareness.

Best For: B2Bs and B2Cs.

Use It To: Create consumer-focused content to instill brand recognition.

Example: Garena partners with media publication Tech In Asia to create an article on esports and mobile gaming.^[*]

88. PUBLICATION FEATURE

What It Is: A main story in a magazine or newspaper that focuses on a company or person, usually in a Q&A or narrative format.

Best For: C-suite professionals and entrepreneurs.

Use It To: Boost personal branding and thought leadership.

89. PODCAST INTERVIEW

What It Is: A recorded audio interview with an expert in a particular field. You can either start a podcast or pitch yourself as a guest.

Best For: B2Bs and professionals who want to build their personal brand.

Use It To: Build stronger personal relationships with listeners and drive new business.

Marketing Channels #12: Mobile

90. SMS

What It Is: A text message that notifies customers of updates (e.g., one-time passwords) and the latest deals.

Best For: B2Cs .

Use It To: Reach customers fast and increase engagement to those without mobile data access.

Example: MyRoofingPal, a roofing contractor marketplace, uses SMS to invite customers to share their reviews.^[*]

91. DIRECT MESSAGING APP

What It Is: A mobile platform that enables messaging (e.g., WhatsApp, WeChat).

Best For: B2Cs.

Use It To: Connect and engage with customers where they already are and provide a quicker response time.

Example: Here’s what I received from Singapore Airlines when I subscribed to its flight notifications via WhatsApp.

92. QR CODE

What It Is: A barcode that can be read with a smartphone camera. QR is short for Quick Response.

Best For: B2Cs.

Use It To: Create personalized marketing for customers with a QR code generator (e.g., video messages for holiday greetings).

Marketing Channels #13: Other

93. PARTNERSHIP MARKETING

What It Is: A collaboration between two or more businesses, usually with similar or complementary goals.

Best For: B2Bs and B2Cs.

Use It To: Attract a targeted group of customers with the help of a noncompeting company that shares the same group of audience in your industry.

Example: Laura Elizabeth (Client Portal) and Brennan Dunn (Double Your Freelancing) joined forces to promote Project Pack, a collection of their freelance documents and templates.^[*]

94. REFERRAL MARKETING

What It Is: A promotion of products or services to new customers through word-of-mouth.

Best For: B2Cs and freelancers.

Use It To: Encourage your best customers to spread the word about your business to attract new customers who are likely to buy from you.

95. AFFILIATE MARKETING

What It Is: A collaboration with companies, influencers, and/or content creators (e.g., bloggers) to expand your brand’s reach and attract new sales.

Best For: B2Bs (e.g., SaaS) and B2Cs.

Use It To: Reach a wider audience with the help of bloggers with sizable following.

Example: Nordstrom collaborates with style blogger Jo-Lynne-Shane to promote its outfits.^[*]

96. INFLUENCER MARKETING

What It Is: A collaboration that involves endorsements from influencers.

Best For: B2Cs, especially “visually appealing” products like fashion and jewelry.

Use It To: Boost brand awareness and attract sales from a highly targeted and loyal group of customers.

97. COMMENT MARKETING

What It Is: A form of community participation where you comment on prospects’ posts to gain wider exposure to your work. Use this if you’re not keen to start a community group.

Best For: Freelancers.

Use It To: Start a conversation and display expertise in front of a niche audience.

98. MARKETPLACE/PLATFORM MARKETING

What It Is: A strategy that promotes your products in front of a niche community and/or platform.

Best For: B2Cs.

Use It To: Capture the interest of a community of early adopters.

Example: Haul Drop is a community of shoppers who want to discover unique products.

Haul Drop is part of the Sumo family.

99. CAUSE MARKETING

What It Is: A strategy where you join forces with a nonprofit organization and help it to raise money and awareness.

Best For: B2Bs and B2Cs.

Use It To: Support a social cause while boosting customer loyalty.

Example: Walgreens partners with Red Nose Day to raise money for needy children.^[*]

Put On Your “Marketing Hat”: Explore These Channels To Find Which Attracts Your Best Customers

Phew, you’ve made it!

Your GOALS and TARGET AUDIENCE determine your marketing channels.

Run an ecommerce store that targets the younger crowd? You want to check out Snapchat.

Want to attract leads for your complex software tools? You can’t go wrong with white papers.

A freelancer with a limited advertising budget? Join community groups or attend one-on-one coffee dates with prospects.

Get crystal clear on your goals.

Define your best customers.

Pinpoint where they enjoy hanging out — and enjoy the rush of attracting sales from your best customers.