Getting your product seen, talked about, and enjoyed by the masses isn’t easy. There are millions of products, services, and everything in between. Every single one of them is marketing their products everywhere, from Facebook to billboards – it’s all going on.
It’s not enough to have an excellent service or product; it’s not enough to have some short and snappy copy to sell it.
You have to dig deep, work with other creatives, and develop innovative creative marketing for your product.
The tried and tested ways of marketing work; they work for millions of companies. But they do allow business owners and the marketing team to be lazy.
One of the exciting things about marketing campaigns is that sometimes it’s the cheapest ones with the most significant impact. It is all about how creative they are and if they resonate with your audience.
Creative marketing techniques are one of the best ways to see more conversions, mentions, and regular traffic. It’s a win-win when you nail the campaign.
Still working on your business ideas? Check out: 15 Profitable Service Business Ideas
Top Creative Marketing Ideas
Think Sticky
You’ve probably heard of Reddit, but do you know that it was once a tiny site? Alexis Ohanian spent only $500 on stickers and then traveled around – sticking them on things. Mind-blowingly enough, this was the only investment he made in his marketing.
The stickers weren’t just stuck on things; they were handed out. The stickers sparked an interest, and floods of visitors arrived on Reddit.
In 2020, there were almost 222 million active users on Reddit in the US. That number alone is enormous, then add in all the global users, and it’s phenomenal.
You don’t need to spend $500 on stickers; a much smaller amount will do – if it works with your business. Start local, and see what kind of traction you start to get.
Collab
Over the last few years, there have been collaborations between musicians, sports stars and sports brands, Android and KitKat, influencers, celebrities, and makeup brands; even Cardi B often drops new sports goods with Reebok.
Collaborations take two groups of fans and give them something unique. One of the exciting things about partnerships is that they are often short-lived – making them exclusive for a short period – so more people are more likely to try and buy the item.
Deciding to collaborate with a company will mean that you need to develop an idea and a purpose before pitching it to your chosen company.
Remember to aim for both of the partners to get value and viability from the process.
Amazing Offers
10% for signing up for a newsletter is now almost the standard. People might even still decline because 10% doesn’t feel as big as it once was.
Many small businesses make the mistake of thinking that giving away something will land them without a bottom line. But if it is factored into the creative marketing plan from the start – the allowance will be there.
Most products already have a considerable mark-up before they ever reach the consumer, and within that mark-up, there is room to give away something for free.
Now, you could choose to follow in the footsteps of some of the biggest brands. Once the consumer meets a particular spend in their basket, they get to choose a free item, receive free samples, or get free shipping – sometimes all three, depending on the product.
If you sell something that many other companies sell, then you need to find a way to make your offer the one that is irresistible. And, most consumers will spend more to get the free item.
The extra spend means you are much further into profit than you would be if they simply purchased one item with a 10% discount.
You’ll need to do the maths to make sure this one makes sense for you and your customers. It’s never a bad idea to add some unexpected free stuff into a purchase, either – a pleasant surprise is something that people are likely to talk about.
Videos
One of the quickest ways to reach a big audience, increase sales and capitalize on the power of social media is by using video.
Animated videos are bright, eye-catching, and can be used to promote your services and goods in the best way. Sure, there is plenty of online animation software and some that are pretty automated – but working with an animation studio will give you unrivaled quality.
Some interesting statistics to support your investment in video marketing:
- 68% of people will watch a video under 1 minute long from start to finish (Convenience and Convert)
- Over the space of 18 months, video views on Twitter have exploded, and 95% of the video views are from mobile devices.
- Buffer found that over 777million Facebook videos, there was an average of 59% more engagement than other post types.
It’s not surprising that video is taking the top spot when sharing and engaging with content. It is easier to deliver information to your customers; they can be instructional, informal, and easily shared.
Blogging
If you have a website but no blog, you are wasting some of the best advertising space you have available. Blogging is a great way to increase your visibility through SEO.
Creating regular blog content is one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to market your brand – but it doesn’t have to be bland.
While long-winded pieces might struggle to be consumed, mix it up with podcast inclusion, images, video, and infographics.
You’ll need to have a content strategy or plan a few posts ahead of time to work out what you want to say.
A vital piece of your content doing well is to make sure that your content has value for the reader.
Some people will be looking for products, others for information – you need to turn the latter into the former with your copy.
If you don’t have time to tackle creating content, working with a content company will benefit you. You can have regular content arriving that is edited and ready to share.
Simple and incredibly effective.
Considering launching a business with a creative focus? Top Creative Small Business Ideas
Feedback
Reviews online are another form of creative marketing for you – except all you have to do, is perform your best as a company.
Customers love to talk about what they have recently used and purchased, but you know what they love to talk about more? When a company doesn’t live up to expectations.
Use all of your feedback to improve your offerings, and always respond to both good and bad feedback.
Review websites raise your company’s profile, and you can use those reviews on your own marketing materials.
If you want to show how you’ve improved – highlight your worst comment and use that to show how much you have listened and improved.
Competitions
Thanks to the millions of compers all over the world, your brand will be shared everywhere.
Compers are people who spend a large portion of their time dedicated to entering giveaways and competitions.
They use specialized websites to share the competitions as they find them, which encourages even more entries.
Some local newspapers and magazines may offer free space for companies who are running competitions.
Make sure that your prize is worth winning. Competitions and giveaways are often aimed at B2C. But B2B competitions also have value. Giving away bundles or consultation hours to smaller businesses can increase your visibility.
Pop-up shops
If you have a physical product, then consider a limited-time pop-up store in a high foot-traffic area. You’ll need to prepare for this with a cool concept and plenty of creative marketing, but the possibility to sell out of what you stock each day is high.
A study notes that in a survey of retail stores that had run at least one pop-up, 80% considered it successful.
Look for vacancy space in your chosen location, and haggle with the owner for an outstanding short-term lease. If it’s currently vacant, the chances are you can get a great rate.
Answer Questions
Millions of questions are being asked on every social media platform and in other places like Reddit, Quora, Answerbag, and more.
Some of the answers to those questions will be your service or your product.
Take a look at the question forums, type in the questions you think someone might ask about a product, and answer them. Make sure you are transparent and say that you own/work for your company.
Usually, many people ask the same question; over time, your answer will show up more often.
Creative marketing isn’t just using social media a few times a day or the traditional posting of flyers. You have so many creative marketing options that can change how you connect with your audience – and how they connect with you.
Think about how you want to engage with your audience and how you want to be perceived as a brand. Use your visions and brand tone of voice as the guide for all of your actions, but don’t be afraid to experiment with different types of creative marketing.
Check also: Ultimate Guide To Small Business Ideas
