Marketing is an endless battle trying to win over new customers to give your brand a try. But, for new businesses especially, marketing is how you get the word out about your products and services to close those first sales.

There are several tried and true marketing approaches that you can and should try. However, thinking outside of the box may provide access to more success by setting you apart from competitors. Here are some examples you can consider:

Video has been crowned the king of content for the past several years. Video has proven to be quite successful at capturing the attention of consumers through the use of humor, graphics, or cinematography. In addition, videos contain many elements that can’t be captured in other forms of media.

One type of video many companies have yet to latch onto is live streaming. Instead of directing and shooting a scene that can be edited later, a presentation or event is held in real-time for viewers. A live video can be a daunting task to undertake, but the benefits can be astounding. Your Calendar will help with the scheduling, and some creative thinking will master the execution. In addition, you can gain confidence for live video work with practice.

T-Mobile’s former CEO, John Legere, is an excellent example of using live streams to promote a brand. He hosted a “Slow Cooker Sunday” show where he would share recipes with viewers while talking about the latest in T-Mobile news and promotions. By combining an entertaining hobby with his business, he built up both his personal brand and that of his company.

User-generated content is great for three reasons. First, it’s free content production! Your design team can take a well-deserved break to restore their creativity and let consumers handle the task instead. Second, the more participants you have, the further your UGC campaign will reach as well.

However, user-generated content is worth so much more than free labor. This approach gives customers a chance to express themselves and even earn prizes for the best contribution. In addition, your brand will seem much more personable as it connects with customers commending their hashtag ideas and merch photoshoots.

Last but not least, customers can develop a community around your brand by sharing content. The camaraderie that forms will boost retention rates as customers tie in friendships, followers, and memories with the UGC campaign you put together.

All brands try to be unique, and yours should be no different. Making yourself and your brand unique is how you set yourself apart from the competition, after all. However, to really think outside of the box, you need to customize the details of your business that would typically be overlooked.

Take a simple business card, for example. You can spend hours on the color palette, font, and layout of your business cards, but these tiny details will essentially go unnoticed unless you really make them pop. How about focusing on the shape instead? A bait and tackle shop handing out business cards in the form of fish will easily be remembered.

Instead of stressing out about making your website or social media page completely original, think about the more minor details that customers usually wouldn’t notice. For example, a pediatric office can turn its lobby into a magical kingdom to make kids more comfortable before their appointments. A local restaurant can hand out crazy straws that are perfect for dinner selfies, and so on and so forth.

When startups look to gain traction over the internet, they often look to social media. Unfortunately, more often than not, these companies focus on only one or two platforms where they’re most comfortable. While this is a great start, every brand should try out every available platform, even with many unknowns.

Just look at Tik Tok. The video-sharing app has seen explosive growth in recent years, and those who jumped on the platform, in the beginning, grew along with it. So even today, if your brand can produce content for the platform and escape its comfort zone, there’s a lot of exposure to be found.

When you try out new social platforms, you can find the winning competition for your brand. You might find out that Tik Tok just isn’t the app for you, but you will be surprised by how much traffic you’re getting by posting on LinkedIn. You never know until you try.

Every business puts its name on social media, billboards, bus stops, and in front of buildings. Think of some different ways to get your brand name out there. For example, if you have a blank wall on the side of your building, commission a cool mural with bright colors that will be impossible to miss.

There are other marketing options available such as sponsoring a local sports team. You can get involved with a fun part of the community and get your name on a banner hanging in the arena. In addition, you can sponsor local activities such as the county fair, Thanksgiving fun run, and a holiday food drive.

Most publicity is good publicity, especially if it’s for a good cause. For example, if you see a blood drive coming up, volunteer to help in exchange for your company name to be displayed as part of the event. As a result, your brand will be associated with a good deed which will get more community members to check you out.

Remember that not every marketing campaign will take off. There will be some trial and error before you find what works well. Just keep thinking outside of the box, and eventually, you’ll strike marketing gold.

Source: Calendar.com

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