Unique Ways to Market Business
Go big or go home. That’s an ethos for many aspects of life, marketing included. 71 percent of consumers who have a positive experience with a brand will recommend it. If you can grab consumers’ attention through business marketing, you will make money.
But that’s easier said than done. Companies spend millions of dollars on print marketing and company advertising. Yet they barely receive anything from those efforts. They need more distinct marketing ideas. The more original your marketing is, the more likely you will stand out. But these ideas can be hard to come up with it. Consider a few ones that have worked, then build your marketing approach out from them. Here are seven ones.
Pins
Everyone loves a giveaway. Yet everyone’s dresser is filled with flashy company T-shirts, and their cupboard is packed with plasticky travel cups. Distinguish your business by giving away pins. They are cheap yet colorful and tactile. Pins are a good product marketing approach if you can match the design of your pins to your products.
The hard enamel vs soft enamel pins debate is something you should consider. As the name suggests, hard enamel is hard and has a scratch-resistant finish. But soft enamel is cheaper and allows for more colorful decorations.
Mural Commissions
Murals turn a wall into artwork. They are great for interior or exterior spaces. For business advertising purposes, you want to turn an exterior wall into a mural. You need a wall close to your business. Many murals are painted onto the wall of the business itself. This is fine, as long as people can see the mural. You may need a city permit to get a mural, especially if it is not on a wall you own. Look into your local laws and determine what you need to do.
Your mural should be beautiful, yet it should promote your business. You don’t have to put your business in big letters within it. Your mural should reflect your business’s qualities, prompting people to do business with you.
Ways to Market Business: Caption Contests
If your business is based on art or literature, a caption contest is a distinct way of business marketing. Make a drawing that touches on your brand or line of work. Then post it on social media. Ask people to send in funny or interesting captions relating to the drawing. Once you’ve gotten enough captions, pick the best one. Give the person who wrote it a prize, like a giveaway or a discount on a service.
Online Magazines
If you’ve got time, running an online magazine will help you stand out. This is an ambitious project, but it will establish you as a thought leader. Get a good idea of what your magazine will be about. Virtually every industry has a magazine. Pick a distinct angle that will appeal to your customers and community. Appoint an editor-in-chief and a graphic designer. Then start courting people to write and make art for your magazine. Recruit your employees, then fill in any gaps by tapping local artists.
You can run your magazine on your company website, or you can create a new one. It does not have to be sophisticated. Though you should put thought into its textual and visual content, the magazine itself can be a PDF document. Try putting out a new edition every few months or so. If you attract attention, consider putting an edition out in less time.
Memes
Memes are a tricky way to market. Some organizations manage to grow their Millennial base. Others put out memes that are ridiculed. Take some time reading memes. Follow the accounts of major corporations like Wendy’s. See how they use memes and adjust yours accordingly.
Do not jump on the latest trends. They will pass by, and you will seem awkward for hopping on a fast-moving bandwagon. Be authentic and brand-related in what you’re doing. Do not include a call-to-action in your memes. The point is to show a little humor that makes your organization seem more human. Start with a popular meme template. This will give you a comfortable and appealing structure. As time goes on, you can experiment and try out new styles.
Ways to Market Business: Making the News
Making it into the news is always a great way of getting free publicity. Yet it is hard to make it in the news. At a minimum, you can cultivate relationships with local journalists. You can pitch stories to them, or you can tell them you can act as a source. When they are writing a story on your industry, you can give them a quote.
But you can also do something that draws the media to you. You can go as creative as you want with this. In 2012, Red Bull funded a project that took a skydiver 24 miles into the stratosphere. He then jumped, breaking the sound barrier and parachuting down to Earth. YouTube videos of the jump have exceeded 85 million views.
This is a high-risk, high-reward strategy. Your effort should apply to your brand in some way, and you should put thought into it. If it’s not thought out, people will see it as a “publicity stunt” and denigrate your business.
Alternate Reality Games
An alternate reality game (ARG) is a very ambitious marketing tactic. As the name suggests, it is a game that you allow your customers and community to play. It promotes your brand in some way. Many corporations have run an ARG with tremendous success. ABC ran two separate ARGs to promote the television show, Lost.
You will need to put a lot of planning into your game. Consider a general storyline with characters that your audience will find compelling. Plan out different routes that your players can take. Make sure there are consequences if they don’t solve a puzzle or reach a certain location on time. Adjust your story accordingly. You can run an ARG on the Internet. Use websites, YouTube videos, Twitter accounts, and other media. You can feature real-world functions, including events that players must attend.
Ways to Market Business: Finding Unique Marketing Ideas
Marketing ideas take time to come up with. At their core, you want to give your customers an experience they’ll never forget. Giving out pins is memorable and unique. You can get artistic, commissioning a mural or running a caption contest. You can become a thought leader through an online magazine.
To make people laugh, produce memes. Grab people’s attention with a bold act in the media. For a fun experience, run an alternate reality game. Get competitive by getting informed. Follow our coverage for more business and marketing guides and create your ways to market business.
