Businesses thrive on marketing This is how they spread the word about their products and create awareness. It’s also a great way to attract customers.
But marketing and advertising can be quite tricky at times, especially for businesses that aren’t trendy or edgy, even if they’re extremely relevant, such as those that offer reliable tax services for small businesses. How would you come up with a marketing strategy for something like that?
Fortunately, there are other ways to skin a cat. And while the traditional marketing and advertising campaigns are effective, sometimes you need to go against the flow to find your rhythm.
6 Unconventional Ways to Market a Business to Success
1. Try being a little weird
Going down the strange and weird route may seem counterintuitive but if you think about it, a little weirdness helps catch people’s attention. As they say, any publicity, whether good or bad, is still publicity. Including weird.
There’s something about an oddity that attracts people and makes them take notice. A healthy serving of tasteful humor and irreverence makes a brand stand out from the competition and even makes it likable to people.
Take it from Dollar Shave Club, which is known to dish out bizarre yet engaging content. Give it a try and see it open doors you normally don’t pay attention to.
2. Respond to mentions in social media
When we were young kids, our parents taught us the value of respect and courtesy. If someone talks to you, you’re expected to give a response.
That trait comes in very handy especially today that social media is pretty much where everybody hangs out. People drop mentions and hashtags whenever they can and it’s just appropriate for you to respond to any mention of your brand. Whether it’s a simple thank you or acknowledgment of their feedback, engaging customers, and potential clients on social media can help you get media mileage at no extra cost.
3. Get creative and inspire people
Can you think of other creative ways your products can be used? For example, did you know that Coca Cola can be used in other ways aside from just quenching your thirst?
Blender company Blendtec came up with a brilliant idea for a show where they try to blend different items — from marbles to iPhones — using their products. Thinking outside the box made them one of the world’s leading brands of blenders that appealed to a global consumer base.
Sometimes you don’t need to do anything strange. You just need to do something worthwhile or something that hasn’t been done before that will make customers talk about your brand and share them with others.
4. Keep a close eye on up and coming technology
It’s no secret that technology moves fast. Tech companies seem to be dishing out new innovations and products almost every week. ; Kkeeping yourself in the loop tech-wise may work to your advantage. Consider the New York Times when they came out with NYTVR (New York Times Virtual Reality). They partnered with Google Cardboard to allow users of their free app to experience news in a fun and different way with a 360° view of the video.
Keeping up to date and utilizing the latest tech show consumers that a brand is relevant as well as edgy.
5. Use testimonials to your advantage
One of the basic facts of advertising and marketing is if your customers find your goods and services highly-satisfactory, they can’t help but talk about it to other people. In effect, they become your best salespeople because they are armed with testimonies of your product.
Pick some shareworthy testimonies from your past and present customers and use them in your marketing campaign. This allows you to appreciate them by giving them a special mention plus it’s a good way of validating the products that you offer. This helps potential customers to have greater confidence in your brand.
6. Do something nice for your customers
If you think that meeting your market’s needs is already doing something nice for them, think again. If you think that way, you need to remind yourself about how each need fulfilled involves your customers meeting your need to sell, too
When we say do something nice for them, think of something that’s pretty much a one-way street: you giving back to them. No strings attached
Case in point, WestJet did something extremely unexpected for the customers. They took the time and asked people what they want to receive for Christmas. People gave their replies thinking it’s just some sort of survey and gave a wide range of answers, from watches and socks to TVs and iPads.
WestJet then had their workers take note of the items and bought them for everyone who participated in the “exercise.” At the end of the flight, the passengers stood around the conveyor belt but instead of their luggage, they saw several gifts laid out with their names on it. The packages, of course, turned out to be just what they asked for.
This display of generosity made quite an impact, not just to those on that particular flight but to everyone who has heard of the story.
Sometimes you just need to take a different route as far as marketing is concerned. Just because one thing works for the majority doesn’t necessarily mean it will work for you. Each business is different and needs to be handled differently from the rest.
