# What Is Real-Time Marketing? | Capterra | Capterra > Curious about real-time marketing? Use the examples and strategies in this guide to tackle today's hottest marketing tactics. Source: https://www.capterra.com/resources/what-is-real-time-marketing --- Marketing 101Marketing # What Is Real-Time Marketing? By Adam Carpenter Adam Carpenter Adam Carpenter is a writer specializing in tech, fintech, and marketing topics for small businesses. He is a frequent contributor to Capterra. [See bio & all articles](https://www.capterra.com/resources/author/acarpenter/) Published January 16, 2023 5 min read Table of Contents - [Real-time marketing definition](#real-time-marketing-definition) - [See it in action: 2 real-time marketing examples](#see-it-in-action-2-real-time-marketing-examples) - [3 key components of a real-time marketing strategy](#3-key-components-of-a-real-time-marketing-strategy) Real-time marketing is an attempt to make advertising more closely mimic natural human interaction. When you’re having a conversation with someone, you adjust what you say and do based on their behavior right away, not days after. Real-time marketing (RTM) is an attempt to do the same thing as you address the needs of potential and existing customers. Let's dive into a full explanation of real-time marketing, examples of RTM in action, and a few key strategy components so you can start your real-time marketing efforts. ## Real-time marketing definition Real-time marketing describes the process of reacting to situations and customers in real time via relevant messages using communication channels such as a business/brand's social media accounts. While real-time marketing often involves [social media](https://www.capterra.com/p/131290/Social-Media-Management-Tool/), it differs from social media marketing (which refers to any marketing conducted via social media channels, whether in real time or not). The objective of real-time marketing is to react as quickly as possible to situations in a way that puts and keeps your brand top of mind for your target audience. Even if your initial RTM efforts don't receive an instantaneous reaction, a real-time marketing campaign can still be successful if messaging/posts are forwarded, liked, or retweeted after the initial moment. Another key element of real-time marketing is communicating to your audience that you’re fully engaged in what’s happening online and what’s most relevant to them, big or small. ## See it in action: 2 real-time marketing examples Real-time marketing happens all the time across social media, so we gathered a few recent, effective examples. Often, the objective is not only to reach as many people as possible but to provide a good laugh and earn retweets and likes. At other times, the perfect execution is just about staying connected and responding at the right moment. ### Marks and Spencer use RTM to build customer relationships British clothing, home goods, and food company Marks and Spencer strategically sends tweets using trending hashtags and events. During 2022 World Cup games involving England's team, Marks and Spencer tweeted every time the team scored, often leveraging a product image and name like the one below: _An image posted by M&S that references both a soccer goal and a company product_[\[1\]](#sources) ### Taco Bell and Old Spice interact in a classic RTM moment One classic example of real-time marketing happened back in 2012 when Old Spice and Taco Bell engaged in a fun back-and-forth on Twitter. In a display of mutual real-time marketing repartee, Old Spice sparked the duel by tweeting, “Why is it that “fire sauce” isn’t made with any real fire? Seems like false advertising.” Taco Bell “fired” back with, “@OldSpice, Is your deodorant made with really old spices?” _An interaction between Taco Bell and Old Spice on Twitter_[\[2\]](#sources) ## 3 key components of a real-time marketing strategy Real-time marketing hinges on a few core, proven activities. By using a combination of some or all of the below elements, you can streamline the implementation and optimization of your business' real-time marketing strategy. ### 1\. Real-time targeting Real-time targeting involves taking data about customer device usage, point-of-sale system activity, geofencing (location-based marketing via RFID), and other real-time inputs and using it to target specific individuals and groups. In a real-time targeting maneuver, you decide which kind of marketing to engage in during a specific moment based on who is doing what, and where. For example, a retailer could sell [point-of-sale (POS) system](https://www.capterra.com/point-of-sale-software/) data to companies whose products the retailer sells, letting them know when there’s a drop in sales volume. The producer could then advertise a sale on its products, posting a digital ad on a screen in the store in real time. ### 2\. Real-time customer engagement Real-time customer engagement has been made famous thanks to social media platforms like Twitter and TikTok. Your objective as a marketer using real-time customer engagement is to: - React quickly to something a potential customer or member of your target audience says, does, or may be interested in. - Choose the best social media channels for your message. - Choose the customers you want to engage with based on customer-specific data. For example, you could send a message to long-time, loyal customers and a different message to new fans. ### 3\. Real-time marketing analytics Real-time marketing analytics combines behavioral analytics with automated marketing techniques to customize the nature and timing of your offering. The foundation of this approach is gathering data about customers and then using it at just the right moment to maximize campaign effectiveness. For example, an airline may notice that a couple booked a flight and chose two seats but designated one as including a lap infant. With many airlines, passengers have to pay extra to be able to choose seats together. The airline could use this to its advantage by booking the couple’s seats next to each other and sending the person who bought the tickets an email or text saying, “We noticed you’re traveling with an infant, so we moved you to neighboring seats!” In this way, the airline boosts customer satisfaction and loyalty—even before the customers enter the plane. ## You don't have to execute your marketing strategy alone Whether you use these approaches independently or in combination, all of them can boost the effectiveness of your real-time marketing campaigns. By thinking outside the box, keeping a finger on the pulse of your audience, and adjusting your campaigns to improve reach, you can boost your results. You don't have to go it alone, though. Depending on your needs, you can hire an agency for help with real-time marketing, and more. * * * Sources 1. [Marks and Spencer's post on Twitter](https://twitter.com/marksandspencer/status/1597684258809647104)  2. [Old Spice's post on Twitter](https://twitter.com/OldSpice/status/222410960051240960?s=20&t=te7MtHtJzJ3ROkJ1LbNSEQ) * * * ### Was this article helpful? * * * ## About the Author [### Adam Carpenter](https://www.capterra.com/resources/author/acarpenter/) Adam Carpenter is a writer specializing in tech, fintech, and marketing topics for small businesses. 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