Why Offering Type Matters
When starting a marketing campaign, the first question you must answer is: "What exactly am I promoting?" This might seem obvious, but the category your offering falls into—be it a physical product, a SaaS platform, a professional service, or a digital download—fundamentally changes how you should approach your audience.
Select the category that best describes what you are promoting. This helps us understand your business model and tailor the channel recommendations to match how customers typically discover and purchase offerings like yours. For example, the way a consumer buys a pair of shoes is vastly different from how a CTO selects an enterprise software solution.
B2B SaaS and Software
In the world of B2B SaaS (Software as a Service), the sales cycle is often longer and involves multiple stakeholders. Marketing here focuses on education, trust-building, and demonstrating long-term value. Channels like LinkedIn, content marketing, and webinars are highly effective because they allow for the deep-dive explanations needed to justify a recurring subscription cost.
E-commerce and Physical Products
For physical goods, visual appeal and immediate gratification are key. If you are selling apparel, home decor, or gadgets, visual platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest are often your strongest allies. Here, the "offering type" dictates a fast-moving, high-volume strategy where the barrier to purchase is lower than in B2B environments.
Professional Services
If you are a consultant, an agency, or a legal professional, you are selling expertise. In this category, the "product" is you and your team's knowledge. Referrals, networking, and high-authority content like whitepapers or guest speaking engagements are the primary drivers. The offering type here is intangible, meaning your marketing must work twice as hard to build a tangible sense of reliability and capability.
Digital Products and Content
Courses, ebooks, and templates have the unique advantage of zero marginal cost per unit. However, they suffer from high competition and low perceived value if not marketed correctly. Email marketing and community-building are essential for this offering type, as they foster the "know, like, and trust" factor necessary for customers to move from free followers to paid students.
Conclusion
By correctly identifying your offering type, you narrow down the noise of the marketing world. Instead of trying to be everywhere, you can focus on the channels that resonate with the inherent buying behavior of your specific audience. Whether you are selling a $10 ebook or a $100,000 enterprise contract, your offering type is the North Star of your strategy.