Everyone knows ice cream is fantastic, but it’s even more delicious with the perfect toppings. When it comes to promoting your small business, your marketing plan is the ice cream, and the channels you choose to use are the toppings. Your foundation is solid, but you need those extra layers to achieve the best results.

With the right channels, your marketing plan can look this good! We’ll show you how developing your strategy with the right marketing channels is like crafting the ideal ice cream sundae—sampling from each category will bring you the sweetest success! This is how we’ll break it down:

• What are marketing channels?
• Which marketing channels are best for your business?
• Free marketing channels
• Paid marketing channels
• Bonus marketing channels
• How to get started with these marketing channels Let this post make selecting your marketing channels as simple as picking toppings for a sundae.

What are marketing channels?

Marketing channels are the different avenues, both online and offline, where you promote your business and connect with your target audience. As an example, a potential customer might encounter a print ad, leading them online to learn more. Then, they might search for your business on Google, watch a video about your brand on YouTube, or find you on social media. That’s all part of a multichannel marketing strategy designed to help you reach every single potential customer within your sales funnel.

Types of marketing channels

Businesses typically employ two main types of marketing channels:

• Traditional marketing channels: These encompass offline channels like TV, radio, and print.
• Non-traditional marketing channels: This category includes any digital channel operating online, like search ads, email marketing, and more. However, these classifications can feel somewhat outdated, failing to accurately represent the constantly evolving marketing landscape where many channels now blur the lines between the two categories. The way you categorize your marketing channels depends on what’s most logical for your business. Understanding the difference between these two types helps ensure you’re promoting your business both online and offline.

What is the best marketing channel for your business?

As with everything in marketing, there’s no single correct answer when choosing marketing channels. The best ones for your business might differ from those used by your competitors. Ideally, you should leverage as many channels as you can to maximize your interaction with potential buyers throughout their customer journey. Be prepared to experiment with different marketing channels and monitor your progress to determine the optimal combination for you.

The top free marketing channels:

When planning your campaigns, prioritize these marketing channels as the foundation of your strategy. They require minimal marketing budget:

1. Local SEO

Last year, 46% of Google searches indicated local intent. Additionally, searches using “near me” or “close by” have surged by over 900% since 2018. This means that in 2023 and beyond, local SEO will remain a game-changer for small businesses. SEO stands for search engine optimization—working to improve your business’s visibility on search platforms like Google or Microsoft’s Bing. Local SEO goes a step further by optimizing your content, both on and off your site, for local searches. The most appealing aspect of this marketing channel is its cost-effectiveness – it’s completely free! This makes local SEO an essential component of your marketing plan! Quick tips for local SEO:

• Optimize your website. Your website’s loading speed is a factor in its SEO ranking. You can test your site’s speed by using page speed tests. Additionally, because 55% of people rely on mobile devices to search for local businesses, make sure your website is easy to navigate on smaller screens to cater to your local mobile audience.
• Prioritize the user experience. Understanding what your local audience expects upon landing on your website will help you stay one step ahead of any potential issues.
• Identify the right local keywords to target. Understanding how local customers search is key to successful local SEO. If you’re struggling to pinpoint the right keywords, our keyword research resources can help!

An example of finding keywords to fold into your SEO strategy.

2. Local listings and online reputation management

Nowadays, 93% of people read online reviews before committing to a purchase. What’s even better is that people are now willing to spend 22% more on a product or service if a company has excellent online reputation. In 2023, maintaining an excellent online reputation boils down to managing your local listings. Your listings appear not only on specific platforms like Yelp, Google Maps, and CitySearch but can also improve your visibility in search engine results. Additionally, listings like the Google Business Profile centralize key information about your business, such as your business description, hours of operation, and address. What’s more, local listings are entirely free way to promote your brand. Tips to elevate your local listings:

• Double-check your information. Aim for the highest possible accuracy across your business profiles.
• Respond to reviews. Responding to your customers online will cultivate a sense of brand trustworthiness within your local listings.
• Have fun with it. Once your profiles are in good shape, experiment creatively with Google Business Profile posts or Yelp search ads.

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3. Organic social media marketing

In this day and age, social media marketing is a non-negotiable marketing channel. This is because there are currently 3.7 billion active social media users globally each month, and the average American adult spends over two hours daily on social media. Here are some examples of widely-used social media platforms where you can promote your brand:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• Pinterest
• Snapchat
• TikTok
• Twitter You have two main options within the realm of social media: organic, or unpaid, social media marketing and paid social media advertising. Your organic social media strategy hinges on engaging your audience and fostering a community. With such impressive numbers and diverse options, you’re poised to catch your ideal audience on social media this year. To achieve this, it’s essential to define your social media marketing goals. Plan your posts (including platform selection) and how you’ll gauge their success in advance. Employing a social media scheduling tool or partnering with a marketing professional can streamline this process. Tips for your organic social posts:
• Use engaging media. Prioritize Consumers prefer digesting videos and images over text-only posts.
• Leverage your followers for content. Encourage engagement by hosting contests and featuring your followers’ posts on your page.
• Try hashtags. Hashtags increase your organic posts’ discoverability and add a touch of creativity.

4. Word-of-mouth marketing

Word-of-mouth marketing can be just as impactful as other free methods, such as online reviews and local listings. 84% of people trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations from friends and family. This highlights word-of-mouth marketing as a highly reliable channel for potential customers researching your business. Word-of-mouth marketing tips:

• Implement a referral program. A referral program incentivizes your existing customers to recommend your business to others.
• Make customer service a top priority. Strive to provide every customer with a smooth and positive experience when interacting with your business. Delivering excellent customer service makes your customers 38% more inclined to recommend you. Moreover, 72% will share their positive experiences with six or more people. Focusing on customer service is key to amplifying word-of-mouth marketing.

5. Networking and partnerships

The relationships you cultivate throughout your career can transform into mutually beneficial partnerships. By networking with other small businesses and local organizations, you create more opportunities for people to discover your business. This could lead to collaborative partnerships with other businesses or organizations, allowing you to cross-promote each other’s products or services. Networking also facilitates the exchange of marketing ideas and inspiration for new campaigns based on your connections’ activities. Networking tips:

• Be open-minded. Even if a business outside your industry expresses interest in connecting, don’t dismiss the networking opportunity outright. Instead, explore how your offerings could complement each other. You might uncover unexpected ways to reach new customer bases.
• Proactively reach out. Maintain an ongoing list of businesses or contacts you want to connect with. This will help you craft personalized networking emails, call scripts, or direct messages, increasing your chances of establishing valuable relationships.

6. Event marketing

Event marketing offers a wealth of opportunities for business growth on any budget, whether you’re organizing your events or participating in community and industry gatherings. Both in-person and online events can help you get more leads. In fact, 79% of American businesses use event marketing to generate leads. Event marketing tips:

• Use social media to promote your events. Social media is an excellent platform to raise awareness and boost attendance for events you host or participate in. Platforms like Facebook offer features like dedicated event pages or countdown timers that users can opt into. Kickstart your social media promotions well in advance to create excitement, then capture plenty of photos and videos during the event for later sharing.
• Experiment with different participation levels. Different approaches to event marketing will yield varying results. For instance, compare the outcomes of sponsoring or volunteering at a community event with hosting your event.
• Track everything you can. Hosting or participating in events can be hectic, often leading to neglecting tracking. However, measuring your event’s success is crucial. Make sure you can track the number of registrations and attendees, as well as how many interacted with your business. Also, keep an eye out for any noticeable increases in marketing leads during or after the event.

The top paid marketing channels

While the following marketing channels necessitate a budget allocation, the marketing ROI can be significant for your business!

7. Social media advertising

The beauty of social media lies in the flexibility to market your business for free or invest in paid social ads.. Paid social ads help you reach your target audience show up in your follower’s feeds and connect with individuals who might not yet be following you. You don’t need a massive budget to get started with social media advertising. For instance, you can allocate a few dollars to “boost” or “promote” an existing organic post. Tips for your paid social content:

• Include a clear and unique call to action. With viewers bombarded by numerous social media ads, clearly communicating the desired action will make yours stand out.
• Be concise with your text. Since you’re paying for a post with limited space in social media feeds, ensure your text is clear, concise, and doesn’t get cut off.
• Refresh your ads frequently. Social media has become a highly saturated space. Offer your audience something new to engage with by regularly updating your images and ad copy.

An example of a small business’s paid social ad on LinkedIn.

8. Search advertising

Today, 97% of consumers turn to online searches to find local businesses, and a local PPC strategy is a great way to ensure your business appears at the top of those search results. PPC, or pay-per-click, ads (also referred to as search engine marketing, or SEM, paid search, and more) are displayed above organic results on search engine results pages (SERPs) for searches related to your business. This makes local PPC a perfect complement to your local SEO efforts. Quick PPC tips:

• Find a reporting method that suits your needs. With an abundance of PPC metrics available, identifying a tool that helps you understand your account data is critical. There are numerous free, online options like Google Analytics or Google Data Studio.
• Utilize automation whenever possible. With the rise of automation in PPC platforms, take advantage of smart ads or smart campaigns that automate much of the build-out and optimization process.
• Patience is key! One of the most challenging aspects of running ads is being patient. All ads undergo a “learning period” during which platforms test them across different queries. This can take up to two weeks, or even a month, at a minimum. However, approaching PPC as a long-term investment will yield impressive results by the end of 2023.

An example of search ads on the search results page

9. Display ads

Another dominant form of PPC advertising, alongside paid search, is display ads. These visual or video advertisements appear passively to your audience while browsing websites. Display advertising holds a promising future, having captured over 21% of global advertising in 2022. You can start by placing an image ad on a website frequented by your target audience or having your video ad run alongside content on YouTube. This strategy allows you to connect with your audience even when they are not actively searching for your business. In fact, running display and search ads together works like a charm. Your display ads can generate awareness, leading your audience to seek out your search ads on SERPs later on. You can even gauge the combined effectiveness of display and search ads through view-through conversions. (Discover more about the essential marketing metrics to track here!) Tips for display ads:

• Explore creative targeting options. Display ads offer a wide range of audience targeting capabilities, such as remarketing to your website visitors or targeting individuals with specific interests or lifestyles. Inject some fun by envisioning your ideal customer’s daily life and tailoring your targeting accordingly.
• Take advantage of unique placements. Display ads can appear across apps, specific websites, and more. Maximize your reach by selecting a variety of placements across different devices.
• Start small, then scale up! Display ads generally boast a lower cost-per-click compared to other channels. This allows you to begin with a modest budget while testing what works, then scale up accordingly.

An example of display ads shown on a news site.

10. OTT ads

This trending marketing channel is set to make waves in 2023, following a surge in OTT (over-the-top) streaming by 115% in 2021. Unlike display and search ads, OTT ads use alternative pathways to deliver paid video ads. With OTT, your ads can appear on apps like Hulu, Google Play, and more. OTT ads foster brand awareness and encourage searches for your business, potentially leading to conversions. Furthermore, OTT allows you to reach beyond SERPs and social media to connect with individuals you might have otherwise missed. OTT tips:

• Know your audience. Identify the specific customer profiles you’re targeting and create video ads that resonate with their interests.
• Market with emotion. Consider what your your target audience might find most appealing—a humorous skit, a heartwarming moment, or a suspenseful action sequence.
• Conduct A/B testing. Regularly test your video ads to understand what resonates best with your viewers. This will help you identify the winning formula for your OTT strategy.

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11. Affiliate marketing

Affiliate marketing delegates the responsibility of selling your product or service to others. You essentially provide a financial incentive to a third-party seller to promote your business. For example, if a customer purchases your product or service through an affiliate link, that affiliate earns a commission. This can be an effective marketing channel for businesses with limited reach or brand awareness. You leverage the credibility and resources of your affiliate to drive growth. Affiliate marketing tips:

• Perform a SWOT analysis. A SWOT analysis involves evaluating your business’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. This exercise helps you identify your weaknesses and find an affiliate who can bridge the gap.
• Use a checklist to vet potential affiliates efficiently. A suitable affiliate will have a robust online presence that aligns with or complements your brand. Consider factors such as:
  • Do they have an existing platform, like a blog or website, with high-quality content?
  • Are their online interactions with their audience authentic?
  • Is their online presence professional and consistent with your brand positioning?
  • Do they have a sizable and engaged social media following?
  • Does the affiliate rank well for keywords related to your products or services?

12. Influencer marketing While influencer marketing has been gaining traction for a while, it shows no signs of disappearing anytime soon. In fact, 49% of consumers rely on recommendations from influencers on social media. Influencer marketing involves collaborating with an individual with a larger following and having them recommend your business on their social media pages or blog. Many businesses hesitate to embrace influencer marketing, picturing collaborations with celebrities charging exorbitant fees per post. However, partnering with micro-influencers offers a more cost-effective alternative. Their lower price point and niche following can deliver equally effective, if not better, results. Influencer marketing tips:

• Identify a diverse pool of potential micro-influencers. It may take reaching out to several accounts before securing a suitable partnership. Begin by identifying micro-influencers aligned with your industry who have a following that includes your target customers.
• Prepare your pitches beforehand. To save time, craft a few different pitches to use when reaching out to micro-influencers through direct messages or email. If one approach doesn’t resonate, you’ll have others ready to go.
• Brainstorm content ideas. Having a caption, image, or video script in mind will be appreciated by your micro-influencers. This allows you to maintain control over the quality of their promotion while saving them time.

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Even more marketing channels to try

Consider these additional marketing channels as optional additions to your strategy. You can experiment with them on a minimal budget or invest more depending on your unique needs.

13. Email marketing

In 2023 and beyond, email as a marketing channel will remain a significant revenue generator for small businesses. Back in 2021, there were over 4 billion daily email users, with 64% of small businesses already using email marketing to engage customers. These figures have only continued to grow, making email marketing a channel you won’t want to miss out on. Email marketing tips:

• Craft concise email subject lines. When creating your email copy, ensure your subject lines are brief and captivating.
• Define the purpose of each email. Have a clear goal in mind for each email you send, making it evident to recipients what action you want them to take.
• Automate whenever possible. If manually collecting emails and sending them out isn’t feasible, utilize online tools to schedule your campaigns in advance. This allows you to set up your email marketing consistently in the background while focusing on other marketing efforts.

14. Mobile marketing

Mobile marketing is an indispensable marketing channel due to the sheer volume of mobile device usage. Consider these mobile marketing statistics:

• By 2023, the number of smartphone users globally is projected to reach 4.3 billion.
• Mobile device clicks are 24% less expensive than desktop clicks.
• 70% of smartphone users have completed a purchase after researching on their phones. To get started with mobile marketing, ensure your website is easy to navigate and has a responsive website that is mobile-friendly.. From there, the world of mobile marketing is yours to explore, allowing you to connect with your audience in innovative ways. Mobile marketing tips:
• Experiment with geofencing. Geofencing enables you to target location-specific mobile ads, ensuring you only spend when it matters.
• Ensure website copy is concise. In addition to technical compatibility with mobile devices, remember that your audience is viewing your content on a smaller screen. Tailor your web copy accordingly.
• Run SMS campaigns. 64% of consumers believe companies that utilize text messaging value their time, are innovative, and are worth recommending. Encourage your customers to opt into receiving texts for exclusive updates and offers.

An example of SMS marketing.

15. Audio and podcast marketing

Nearly 60% of people find audio content more engaging than other formats. Don’t just capture your audience’s attention visually, engage their sense of hearing as well. The emergence of audio across various marketing channels has opened up a world of possibilities for businesses. Consider this: 55% of the US population aged 12 and older listen to podcasts. Podcasts cater to almost every imaginable niche market. Explore opportunities to place ads for your business on relevant, popular podcasts. Alternatively, consider starting your own podcast to build your brand’s community! Another way audio has permeated marketing is through social media. Numerous platforms now offer features for fostering communities through virtual audio chat rooms with designated speakers and listeners. For example, Twitter introduced Twitter Spaces and voice tweets are now available. Twitter Spaces allows individuals to listen in and participate in discussions on trending topics. Voice tweets enable followers to listen to audio clips. Utilizing these platforms allows you to engage with your audience while simultaneously promoting your brand. Audio marketing tips:

• Plan with scripts. It’s always a good idea to have a plan for what you want to say in your audio content. Writing a script or preparing some notes beforehand can prevent slip-ups, especially for live recordings.
• Promote your audio clips on other marketing channels. Without listeners, audio content serves no purpose. Make sure you draw attention to your audio marketing efforts to attract listeners.
• Practice makes perfect. Don’t give up if your audio content doesn’t gain traction immediately. Building a loyal listener base requires consistent practice and publishing.

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16. Artificial Intelligence

The projected growth rate for AI between 2020 and 2027 is a staggering 33.2%., making it a trend worth watching! In the past year alone, numerous AI marketing capabilities have become readily available to businesses of all sizes. AI in marketing utilizes machine learning, trained on vast datasets, to automate tasks like:

• Content creation and curation
• Product or search recommendations
• Ad targeting
• Website chatbots
• Marketing automation
• And much more! Integrating AI marketing could help your business stand out by providing a convenient way to connect with customers from the comfort of their own homes or anywhere in the world. AI marketing tips:
• Experiment with VR experiences. For example, you can leverage AI to develop immersive VR (virtual reality) ads that allow potential customers to virtually try on clothing, explore a venue, or even take a test drive.
• Utilize AI as a time-saving tool. Automate tasks like data collection and analysis to free up your time.
• Proceed with caution. AI is constantly evolving. To avoid any mishaps, refrain from implementing any strategies that you haven’t thoroughly tested and familiarized yourself with.

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17. Marketing with website chat

With 92% of customers reporting satisfaction after using live chat, incorporating this tool into your website is a no-brainer! Adding live chat can serve as a bonus marketing channel by suggesting products or services to customers. For instance, your chatbot can promote new offerings or present users with exclusive deals. Live chat tips:

• Offer a range of options. Design your prompts to include marketing messages along with a variety of options that cater to the diverse needs of your website visitors.
• Inject personality into your bot. Make the live chat experience more engaging for your customers by infusing your bot with a touch of personality.
• Conduct thorough quality checks. Before launching your chatbot, ensure you’ve run tests and verified that its responses make sense to prevent customers from encountering illogical conversations.

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18. Print advertising

Although print advertising might seem “old school,” it remains a profitable strategy for many businesses. This category includes tactics like direct mail, advertisements in newspapers and magazines, flyers, and more. Print advertising tips:

• Refine your creative strategy. Visuals are paramount in print advertising. Your ad may appear in various placements, so choose imagery that translates well across different sizes.
• Seek inspiration from competitors. If you’re accustomed to digital marketing, print advertising might seem unfamiliar. To gain insights into your print advertising market, analyze your print ad examples to identify effective strategies.

19. TV and radio

No marketing channel roundup would be complete without mentioning traditional channels like TV and radio. While digital marketing should be your primary focus, TV and radio can effectively supplement your other online and offline promotional efforts. Tips for TV, radio, and other traditional marketing channels:

• Repurpose your OTT ads for TV. Given the similarities between TV commercials and OTT ads, you can efficiently leverage both channels by using the same video assets.
• Keep the “rule of seven” in mind. A common misconception about traditional marketing is that overexposure will lead to audience fatigue. Research has shown that people need to encounter a message at least seven times to remember it. Consider running your traditional marketing campaigns for more extended periods than other channels to ensure maximum exposure for your business.

Start off on the right foot with the right marketing channels

Make this your year for success! With so many accessible marketing channels, there’s no reason to delay! As a reminder, here are our top recommendations for small businesses:

1. Local SEO
2. Local listings and online reputation management
3. Organic social media marketing
4. Word-of-mouth marketing
5. Networking and partnerships
6. Event marketing
7. Social media advertising
8. Search advertising
9. Display ads
10. OTT ads
11. Affiliate marketing
12. Influencer marketing
13. Email marketing
14. Mobile marketing
15. Audio and podcast marketing
16. Artificial intelligence
17. Marketing with website chat
18. Print advertising
19. TV and radio