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The Madison Avenue Field GuideA field guide to marketing & advertising, by Brandon Mina

GlossaryB2B & GrowthCustomer Marketing

B2B & Growth

Customer Marketing

Marketing aimed at existing customers to drive adoption, retention, expansion, and advocacy rather than new acquisition.

By Brandon MinaCEO, BrandPilot AIUpdated November 2026

Short answer

Customer marketing is marketing aimed at existing customers to drive adoption, retention, expansion and advocacy rather than new acquisition. Activities include onboarding campaigns, product education, community programs and upsell offers. Because retaining and growing customers is often cheaper than winning new ones, customer marketing is important to recurring revenue businesses.