When it comes to running a business, finding new ways to market it is a challenge. While the old school marketing techniques are still effective, sometimes you feel like you need to try something new in order to attract new customers.
By breaking out of your comfort zone a little bit, and finding some unique ways to market your company, you may find that you are able to attract customers that you wouldn’t normally get. If you are looking for some new ways to market your business, try the suggestions below.
Hold a contest
Everyone loves to win free stuff, so tap into this by holding a contest. A contest can be a great way to give away something that your company offers – such as a new product or complimentary service – or another product that you think your customers may like.
By holding a contest, you can ask potential customers to enter their contact information in order to be entered, and then use this information to reach out to them at a later date regarding sales, promotions, or any other event your business may be having.
You can also hold the contest in your store, requiring people to visit in order to enter. If you are looking for an easy way to set up a contest, Facebook now makes it very simple to do so online.
Car wrap
Does your company require the use of cars to visit different places? Or perhaps you would just like your own personal car to be a moving advertisement for your business. Either way, having your cars custom wrapped can be a great way to promote your business.
When you get a car wrap, you can have any text or image displayed right on your car, and then this is visible to everyone you pass as you drive along. This is particularly useful if your business is focused on the local area, as everyone you drive by is a potential customer.
Sponsor an event
Chances are no matter where you live, there are some events coming up that could use some sponsors. By sponsoring an event, you get to have your company displayed to everyone who attends, and you get to help out a local organization at the same time. Sponsoring an event is great for creating brand awareness, and connecting with the local community.
Public image is an important factor when people are deciding where they would like to shop or who they want to hire. When you sponsor a local event – like a 5k race or a blood drive – you are improving your image with everyone in the area. You may not see an immediate return on your marketing budget, but it will pay off in the long run.
Create viral content
In today’s world, marketing online is a key to success. If you can get your business noticed online, you will be much better off when it comes to attracting new customers. However, every company is trying to do the same thing, and it can become difficult to get your company noticed on an over-crowded web.
To stand out, you need to have content that can “go viral” – or be passed around from person to person organically, resulting in a large amount of attention for your company. Some companies take this to new levels, and have come up with some great ideas to get themselves noticed online. Here are some great examples – use these when trying to come up with your own ideas on how to get noticed.
Augmented reality games
Lastly, a new wave of games is starting to emerge known as Augmented Reality. With these games users play through their smartphones, and must visit physical locations in order to complete tasks or move onto the next level. The screens on their phones show the world around you, but with some added content that goes along with the game.
If your store has a physical location, you can sometimes use these games to your advantage. Here are just a few examples of store owners who used the mechanics of the AR game Pokemon Go in order to attract a ton of customers into their stores. These games are only getting more popular, so if you can incorporate them into your marketing strategy, you should find that you are rewarded.
Think outside the box
Unique marketing strategies all come from an ability and a willingness to think outside the box. While you probably shouldn’t give up on the standard marketing practices – TV ads, print ads and social media – mixing in some new ideas can yield some pretty great results. Hopefully the above suggestions were able to get your brain going, and you’ll be able to find some truly unique marketing strategies that work for your company.