What are marketing tactics? Definition and examples

Marketing Tactics are a series or set of strategic methods or actions aimed at promoting a business’ goods or services. The aim is to maximize sales and maintain a competitive good or service. Good, in this context, means product.

The word tactic, on its own, means a carefully planned strategy or action that aims to achieve a specific end. In other words, a planned way of doing something.

CoSchedule has the following definition of the marketing term:

“Marketing tactics are the strategic actions that direct the promotion of a product or service to influence specific marketing goals.”

Marketing tactics vs marketing strategies
A marketing tactic is not the same as a marketing strategy.

Marketing tactics include a wide range of strategies and actions that marketing executives take, such as distributing or launching promotional products, sending emails, and communicating through social media platforms.

TV and radio advertising, targeted articles, and setting up club and association memberships are also types of marketing tactics. There are even AI marketing tools available now that you can implement as part of a marketing strategy.

Good marketing tactics

A company with good tactics will have managed to get the most out of its limited financial resources. Specifically, regarding the promotion of its products or services.

The term does not mean the same as marketing strategy.

The word strategy refers to a plan to achieve a goal. A tactic, on the other hand, explains how that plan is executed.

According to BNBRANDING:

“A marketing strategy is an idea… A conceptualization of how the goal could be achieved… A marketing tactic is an action you take to execute the strategy.”

Examples

Below are some examples of marketing tactics:

  • Sending emails to existing customers and targeted consumers.
  • Reaching customers and prospects through social media websites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. A prospect is a person who I think could well turn into a customer.
  • Exhibiting in trade shows. Attending trade shows may also be a marketing tactic.
  • Grass-roots efforts such as speaking at industry association events or the chamber of commerce.
  • Placing adverts on billboards, TV, radio, online, or in print.
  • Publish targeted articles. A well-written article can bring in many leads. Bear in mind, however, that articles take much longer to bear fruit than, for example, adverts.
  • Club and Association Memberships can introduce several marketing tactics into your networking activities. You can have, for example, special business cards that you hand out at different functions. There might be a message on the business card inviting the reader to visit a specific page on the company’s website.
  • Content marketing – the focus here is on creating and distributing content that consumers find engaging, interesting, and useful. The marketer tries to engage prospects with material that addresses or answers their questions. A prospect, in this context, is somebody who you think could turn into a paying customer.
  • Influencer partnerships can be very effective. This tactic involves collaborating with influencers or industry thought leaders to promote your products or services. Influencers have many followers online, usually on social media platforms, i.e., they can reach a very large audience. Influencers are not cheap, so make sure you have found the right one for your niche.

The Hartford gives the following advice regarding your tactical mix:

“Your tactical mix is not a set-it-and-forget-it proposition. Be sure to measure your results each month and make adjustments based on the results of each tactic.”

Video – What are Marketing Tactics

This video, from our sister channel on YouTube – Marketing Business Network, explains what ‘Marketing Tactics’ are using simple and easy-to-understand language and examples.