It might be possible to find business success without marketing, but you’d have to be pretty lucky and need a lot of external factors to go in your favor. As such, it’s not a recommended strategy. You’ll want to allocate a decent percentage of your budget towards marketing your products/sales to your target audience.
Most business owners are aware of the common marketing approaches, such as investing in SEO and PPC campaigns. However, while those are the most popular marketing tactics, they’re far from the only ones. There are plenty of marketing strategies that are much less widely used yet can still have a huge impact on your success.
In this post, we’ll run through some of the most overlooked yet effective strategies to incorporate into your marketing campaigns.
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Host a Pop-Up Event
Most marketing strategies are focused on the internet but keep in mind that the real world still exists, too. And the people who are making internet searches are the same people who are walking the streets. If you’re looking to liven up your marketing activities, why not consider hosting a pop-up event? What this looks like in practice will depend on a variety of factors, including what you actually sell; a pop-up event could involve selling your goods or, if that’s not realistic for the streets, simply providing information about your products/services.
Give Away Free Swag
Everyone loves freebies, especially if it’s something useful. By distributing free swag, you can create a walking army of brand ambassadors, all for a relatively low cost. You can include freebies in orders, hand them out during any events you host, or just give them to your employees to distribute. So, what kind of swag do people want? As we said above, it’ll be best if the freebie is useful and/or cool. Having some custom tote bags with logo made up is a good idea since this is an item that people always want. They’ll use the tote bag when they’re out in public, which means your brand will be gaining exposure on an ongoing basis.
Partner With Other Businesses
If you’ve already got a decent-sized audience, but you’re struggling to expand your audience base even though you are marketing, then consider partnering with other businesses. In the process, you’ll gain access to their customers, and if you’ve partnered correctly, then that could result in reaching a host of people who are interested in your brand. The goal is to partner with businesses that are thematically related without being competitors. For example, you may partner with a gym if you’re a wellness clothing company.
Become an Industry Expert
Experience counts in all fields, but it’s especially vital in some industries. If you work in a cutting-edge, competitive, or sophisticated industry, then you may find that establishing yourself as a thought leader is an effective way to gain credibility, build brand awareness, and generally increase sales. Of course, making a name for yourself as an industry expert is easier said than done, but it’s not an entirely unrealistic goal — provided you really do know what you’re talking about! Look at hosting industry-specific podcasts, publishing whitepapers, and being active in your community on social media.
Enter Awards
You’ll know from your own experience that seeing that a business or product has been shortlisted for — or even won — an award can influence your buying decision. Customer reviews have a big impact on the thought processes of potential buyers, and awards take things even further. They’re essentially the ultimate review since the decision has been made by people who are experts in their field. It’s unlikely that you’ll just be randomly given an award. You’ll need to apply. So, apply! Of course, your products/services will be put to the test by the adjudicators, but if they like what they see, then it could be a big deal for your business. In addition to being able to use the award in your marketing materials, you’ll also be able to network with others in your industry at the presentation evening.
Exhibit at a Trade Show
Trade shows are underrated for a host of reasons. For one thing, they can really help to clarify your strategic decisions — nothing will show you what you should be doing quicker than seeing what the leading businesses in your field are doing! They’re also great for building brand awareness and making new connections. Plus, they put you face-to-face with your potential customers, and that can be really useful when it comes to making improvements to your business. It’s not often that you get real-time feedback from customers, after all. Exhibiting at a trade show takes work, but it’s an achievable aspiration. Plus, once you’ve invested in the equipment you need, you can re-use them again and again to market your business. Trade shows are also a good opportunity to hand out some of the free swag we mentioned earlier, too.
Brand Your Vehicle
As we mentioned above, the people who use the internet are the same ones out there in the real world, so it’s worthwhile thinking about how you can reach those potential customers. One smart way is to brand your vehicle — by that, we mean adding a wrapping outlining your name, tagline, and contact information. You’re going to be driving around town anyway: you may as well use it as a way to enhance awareness of your brand. While all businesses can use this tactic, it’s especially recommended for local operations.
Work with Micro Influencers
There was once upon a time when it looked like the influencer phenomenon would be short-lived. But that turned out to be a red herring. Influencers aren’t only still around; they’re thriving. The key to finding success with this marketing your business approach is to work with micro influencers, rather than ones that have millions of followers. Studies have shown that these types of influencers provide a handsome ROI, especially if you’ve taken the time to find the right influencer for your niche. Allocate some funds to this marketing approach and see if you get results.
