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Understanding Marketing Channels & When to Use Them In Your Small Business

Discover the ideal marketing channels for your small business with this guide, featuring examples from leading brands.


There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to marketing, my friend. The channels you choose totally depend on your resources, your goals, and what you’re selling. Let’s break it down.



Graphic titled "Choosing the Right Marketing Channels"

What’s a marketing channel?

A marketing channel is any place where you can attract new customers to your small business. Whether it’s a flashy online platform like Instagram or an offline classic like a billboard, channels come in all shapes and sizes. Some are free, and some are paid.

The mix of channels you choose forms the foundation of your marketing strategy. A lot of channels these days are digital (hello, online shopping addicts), but others are more in-person—think hosting events or sending good ol’ direct mail. I’m going to walk you through what marketing channels are, show you a few examples, and help you figure out which ones will work best for you.


Marketing channels vs. strategies vs. content—what’s the difference?


A marketing strategy is the big-picture vision for your business. It’s how you position yourself in the market, who your dream customers are, and how you plan to reach them.


Your marketing channels are the actual places where you meet your audience—whether that’s Instagram, email, or a billboard. These are the vehicles that carry your message.


And content is what you’re sharing on those channels. Blog posts, videos, emails, podcasts—this is where you get to have fun and show your brand’s personality. Everything you create should align with your overall strategy and fit the channel you’re using.


Types of Marketing Channels


Free Channels

Who doesn’t love free? These channels don’t cost a thing but rely on organic growth and word-of-mouth. This is where hustle meets creativity.

  • Social media (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok—basically where everyone’s scrolling)

  • SEO (making sure your website shows up in Google searches)

  • Content marketing (blogs, videos, podcasts)

  • Email marketing (talk directly to your peeps)

  • Networking events (yes, real-life people still exist)


Paid Channels

If you’re ready to put some cash behind your strategy, paid channels give you control over who sees your content. You set the targeting, and boom—your message lands in front of the right eyeballs.

  • Google Ads (people searching for what you sell)

  • Social media ads (targeted perfection)

  • TV and radio (the old-school trust builders)

  • Direct mail (personalized right to their doorstep)

  • Print ads (magazines and newspapers)


Digital Channels

Digital marketing is the queen of all channels right now because, let’s face it, we all live online. The market for digital ads is over half a billion dollars and climbing. So, if you want efficiency, this is where you should play.

  • Social media marketing (the go-to for every brand)

  • Influencer marketing (borrow their clout)

  • Email marketing (personal, direct, effective)

  • Content marketing (blogs, videos, and all that good stuff)

  • Mobile marketing (apps and texts—people are glued to their phones)


Traditional Channels

Just because digital’s on fire doesn’t mean traditional channels are out of the game. For brands looking to reach a mass audience or build credibility, nothing beats the power of a well-placed billboard or TV commercial.

  • Billboards (Times Square, anyone?)

  • Newspapers and magazines (still trusted by many)

  • TV and radio (mass appeal)

  • Telemarketing (talk directly to people)

  • Direct mail (physical and personal)


13 Most Effective Marketing Channels for Your Business

If you’re looking to mix it up, here are some of the most effective marketing channels that businesses are crushing right now:

  1. Email marketing

  2. Paid ads (Google, Facebook, Instagram)

  3. Social media marketing

  4. Affiliate marketing

  5. SMS marketing

  6. Content marketing

  7. Organic search (SEO)

  8. Paid search (SEM)

  9. Referral marketing

  10. Event marketing

  11. Public relations (PR)

  12. Partnership marketing

  13. Direct mail marketing


The key? Pick what works best for you, go all in, and get your brand in front of the right people.


Email Marketing

Using email to connect with your customers? That’s email marketing in a nutshell. You can send a one-time email to announce a sale or promotion, or go bigger with an entire campaign or a series of emails centered around a key theme. This could be welcoming new subscribers, promoting a product launch, or highlighting seasonal offers.


But before you can hit send, you need an email list. Many businesses sweeten the deal with a discount for first-time subscribers. Take Fenty Beauty, for example—they offer 15% off to new email sign-ups, giving customers an incentive to stay connected.


Screenshot of Fenty Beauty 15% off incentive
Fenty Beauty email marketing strategy

If you’re ready to dive into email marketing, focus your energy on reaching customers who are still in the consideration phase, rather than chasing after those who’ve abandoned their carts. Targeting people who are actively thinking about buying will give you way more impact than trying to win back the ones who’ve already moved on.


2. Paid Ads

Investing in paid ads on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok can be a powerful way to drive traffic to your website and grow your business. However, paid ads, or display advertising, come with their own set of challenges. Costs for paid ads have surged in recent years, and the reality is, you have to keep paying to stay in the game.


If you're looking to broaden your reach, you can also explore television or radio ads as part of your paid strategy. These traditional channels offer access to a more diverse audience, including those who aren't active on social media. Just keep in mind, production and placement costs tend to be higher, but they can do wonders for building brand awareness and credibility.


While paid ads can give your business a quick boost, they’re less reliable in the long run compared to organic traffic, which grows gradually but more sustainably over time. Consider using paid ads as a way to test new ideas or validate a business concept before going all-in.


Screenshot of an Instagram advertisment
Ecwid paid social media ad on Instagram

3. Social Media Marketing

Sharing content across platforms like TikTok, Instagram, or Facebook is known as social media marketing. Unlike paid ads, posting on your own social channels is considered organic marketing—you’re not paying for visibility.


Social media marketing is an excellent way to connect with your audience, engage with potential customers, and build a loyal community around your brand. By consistently showing up, you can grow a following, collaborate with influencers to extend your reach, and even sell directly through social platforms. It’s a great tool for building relationships and turning followers into customers who’ll rave about your products.


Screenshot of press-on nails on Glamnetic's instagram store
Glamnetic Instagram store

4. Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing allows others to promote your products and earn a commission when they make a sale. For example, a food blogger might recommend their favorite baking sheet or mixer in a recipe post. If a reader clicks the link and makes a purchase, the blogger earns a commission.


This method works well because it leverages trust. When someone your target audience already follows and respects endorses your product, they’re more likely to feel confident about buying. It’s like getting a recommendation from a friend, and it can be a win-win for everyone involved.


Affiliates of EHP Labs are called ambassadors and are referred to as #EHPLabAthletes and they manage their affiliate program with Lasso. The brand pays 7% commission per sale. encourages athletic people with strong social presences to apply.


EHP Labs brand ambassador program
EHP Labs

5. SMS Marketing

SMS marketing is all about sending text messages directly to your customers—whether they're new or returning. Because texting is such a personal form of communication, it usually works best when you offer an incentive for signing up.


What makes SMS marketing so effective is its direct and immediate nature. But the trick is to use it wisely. Only reach out when you’ve got something important or time-sensitive to share, so it feels valuable, not intrusive.


6. Content Marketing

Content marketing is a broad term that covers creating organic (non-paid) content on your own platforms. This could be anything from blog posts and social media updates to videos, podcasts, and email newsletters.


Good content marketing drives traffic to your website, builds trust with your audience, and answers any burning questions they might have about your product or service.


For instance, if you’re selling kitchen gadgets and your audience wants to know how to make chicken teriyaki, they might find your YouTube video where you show them step by step.

Or maybe they're into cooking techniques and find your podcast where you interview top chefs. In both cases, they now see your brand as a reliable go-to for valuable information.


Take TastyCo., a division of BuzzFeed with six global editions. They’ve nailed content marketing by sharing stories, recipes, and even user-generated content through their blog. They’re not just creating recipes—they're creating a community.


For TastyCo, content marketing doesn’t stand alone. It’s part of a multi-channel strategy that includes social media, email marketing, and more. By cross-posting their content on Instagram, TikTok, their blog, and email, they create a consistent, fun experience that keeps their audience engaged.


Tasty Co. website screenshot
Tasty


7. Organic Search

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the process of getting your content to rank higher in search results. The higher your page ranks, the more traffic—and potential customers—you’ll drive to your site.


As marketing expert Neil Patel says, “If you want to grow your qualified search traffic, you need to combine your content marketing with your SEO efforts.” Why? Because the intent behind search traffic is strong.


For example, someone scrolling through Instagram might come across an ad, but they’re not necessarily in a buying mindset. On the other hand, someone who searches for “lace front wig for sale” is already primed to make a purchase. With SEO, you’re capturing people who are actively searching for what you offer—a much more reliable way to generate sales.


Beauty supply store Hair So Fly has found success with SEO. Its lace front wig collection page ranks first in search results for that same query. 


Screenshot of Google search for lace front wig
Hair So Fly organic SEO #1 rank

8. Paid Search Engine Marketing

Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is all about paying search engines, like Google, to make sure your business shows up at the very top of search results. This is prime real estate because it puts you right in front of people who are actively searching for what you’re selling.

Unlike organic SEO, where you have to slowly climb the ranks, SEM gives you instant visibility—right above the organic results. Since there’s intent behind those search terms, SEM can be an incredibly effective way to capture potential customers who are ready to buy.


Google search for indoor plants
Plantology buys paid ad space for the term “indoor plants” Google

9. Referral Marketing

Let’s face it: people trust recommendations from their friends and family way more than a flashy ad or slick blog post. That’s why referral marketing is pure gold. When you turn your happiest customers into your loudest advocates, you get the magic of word-of-mouth working for your business.


Word-of-mouth marketing happens naturally when people love your product and can’t help but tell others about it. This type of personal recommendation holds so much more weight than traditional advertising because it’s coming from a trusted source. While you can’t control who’s talking about you, you can definitely give them a little nudge with incentives and referral programs.


While you can’t control who’s talking about your brand to whom, you can incentivize the customers that do. For example, athletic apparel brand Chase Bank offers a $50 to customers who successfully refer a friend. You can get up to $500 per year, so you'll need to refer 10 people.

Screenshot of Chase Bank's referral program
J.P. Morgan Chase Bank

10. Event Marketing

Sometimes, the best way to grow your business is to get your product in front of people face-to-face. Whether it’s a local farmers market, a trade show, or a pop-up event, event marketing gives you a chance to connect with your customers in real-time.


Not only do you get immediate feedback, but you can test out new messaging and see what resonates. It’s also a great opportunity to learn more about your target audience. For many businesses, attending events is a key way to validate an idea, especially early on.


11. Public Relations (PR)

Public relations is all about getting the media excited to cover your business or product. This approach is particularly effective if what you’re offering is fresh, innovative, or comes with a compelling story.


PR pros use tools like press releases and sponsored content to shape how the public perceives your brand:

  • Press releases are official statements sent to media outlets, announcing something important like a new product or company milestone. They’re written in a professional, journalistic style and can still be a powerful way to get your story out there.

  • Sponsored content is when you pay to have articles, videos, podcasts, or social media posts created that promote your brand in a way that feels more organic. These pieces are designed to blend in with the surrounding content on the publication or platform, giving them a more authentic feel.


12. Partnership Marketing

Partnership marketing is when you team up with another business to tap into their audience while they do the same with yours. It’s a win-win!


For ecommerce, this could look like a product collaboration where both brands create something special together and sell it in their shops. The key is to partner with a business or creator whose audience vibes with your own. Think of it like a super-powered alliance to grow your reach and customer base!


For example, athleisure brand Nike, recently collaborated with designer Jacquemus to produce distinct lifestyle pieces, such as reimagined tracksuits, T-shirts, statement bras and long skirts. These collaborations increase exposure to your target market by leveraging the following of a similar business. 

Screenshot of Jacquemus + Nike item on Nike.com
Jacquemus + Nike collaboration

13. Direct-Mail Marketing

Direct-mail marketing involves sending physical items right to people’s mailboxes—yes, snail mail is still alive and kicking!


Whether it’s a simple postcard with a coupon code, an announcement of a new product, or even an entire catalog, direct mail can feel more personal and stand out in our digital world. And for some brands, it’s a clever way to build a more tactile connection with customers.


 

How to Prioritize Marketing Channels

The marketing channels you focus on should align with your business model, your strengths, and the resources you’ve got. If you’ve got a brand-driven product, more visual platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok might be the best fit.


You’ll also want to think about the economics of your product. Does it make sense for the channel? For instance, trying to sell a $500 handbag on TikTok might be a tough sell because of how quick and casual the platform is. Higher-ticket items often need more relationship-building, which doesn’t happen as fast on social media.


Here’s the bottom line: There’s no one-size-fits-all list of marketing channels that will work for every business. But using a mix of channels is a smart move. To figure out your ideal channel mix, consider your business model, your resources, and your strengths.


Market research is also your best friend here. Chat with your customers or your target audience to get inside their heads. What motivates them? How do they use your product? Where do they spend time online? And most importantly, how did they find out about you in the first place?


 

Finding the Right Marketing Channels for Your Business

The best marketing channel for your business is the one that brings in the most high-value customers—period. Give yourself about six months to experiment and figure out which channels deliver the goods. Skip the guesswork and don’t just jump on a channel because “everyone’s doing it.”


Set clear goals and track performance to see if your marketing strategy is actually working. Those goals will keep your growth on track and make sure you don’t end up scraping for cash by the end of the month.

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