Not everyone can be a marketing expert, but everyone can do a little research and rely on others who have tried (and failed) in the past. When it comes to employing marketing tactics that really work, the most important thing is having a concrete goal for the execution. Is it to generate leads? Increase sales? Raise awareness for your brand or business? These are the kinds of questions you should be asking before investing in a marketing tactic or strategy.

To help you get started, here are 3 marketing tactics that can yield great results, and 3 you might want to steer clear of.

Marketing tactics that work well:

1. The Advertorial
An advertorial is a piece of native advertising in a newspaper, magazine or online – meaning it’s designed to appear, at first glance, like it has been written by the publication you are advertising with. The piece takes the form of editorial content and speaks to the features and benefits of your business – hiding your marketing in plain sight.

2. Testimonials
There’s no better advocate for your business than one of your former or current customers. And in this modern age of accessible online reviews, people are making decisions based on customer testimonials more and more. There’s nothing wrong with opening your digital rolodex, reaching out to your current and past customers, and gathering some feedback. The more positive testimonials you can gather from your customers and share them with the world (via your website, social media and other marketing materials), the better. Don’t forget to obtain written permission before you share your customers names and stories.

3. Referral Programs
Like a testimonial, a referral uses the power of a customer’s positive experience to gain new leads, sales, and business. But the nice thing about creating a well-thought-out referral program is that your customers will be incentivized to seek out new business on your behalf, which leverages the power of a personal recommendation to bring new business through your door.

Marketing tactics that do not work so well:

1. The “Spray and Pray”

It can be tempting to try to be “everywhere at once” and spread your message far and wide just hoping to reach the correct audience. A better strategy would be to take a measured approach and ensure that you’re delivering the right message to the right audience at the right time. The Spray and Pray approach will often leave you with few results and a strained marketing budget.

2. Waiting for word of mouth
As we’ve discussed, having your customers speak positively on your behalf is one of the most effective ways to garner new sales and reach new audiences. But taking a passive approach and waiting for word of mouth to spread on its own, is most likely going to fall flat. Instead, work to create programs and campaigns that motivate word of mouth to spread.

3. Guerilla Stunts
When it comes to marketing, there’s always a temptation to do something totally different that tries to break the mould and create buzz. This kind of out-of-the-box thinking can lead to attempting a guerilla stunt – a not-so-direct form of marketing designed to get people talking. The thing is, this kind of tactic should be reserved for extremely established brands who have the marketing budget to spin the stunt into a grand PR event. So, if you’re considering a guerilla type stunt, perhaps those resources are better spent on a more traditional form of advertising.

Have questions or other suggestions of marketing strategies or tactics to share? Feel free to post them in our comments below.