Last Updated on Mar 11, 2020 by James W
Getting ahead in the business world is never going to easy, and so people starting their own companies this year would probably benefit from some advice when it comes to marketing their products or services, right? Luckily, I’ve got a lot of experience in this field, gained from years of working in the marketing departments of multinational firms. With that in mind, I thought today might be a good time for me to write a post detailing some of the most unusual and innovative techniques you might like to try. They won’t all be suitable for everyone, but no matter what the nature of your business may be, you should find that at least one or two of them would work for you.
So, if you want the best chance of avoiding common mistakes and ensuring your firm grows at a significant rate during the first twelve months of trading, take some time to read through the five suggestions I’ve made below, and I’m confident you’ll be in a much better position to succeed. At the end of the day, sometimes this kind of thing comes down to trial and error, so make sure you remain flexible in your approach and you’re willing to change tactics at the drop of a hat if the need arises. This is the best way of guaranteeing you don’t waste too much money on a methodology that isn’t suited to your company and the way in which you operate.
1 – Create & Distribute Free T-shirts
If you’re looking for a unique way of getting your brand noticed, then paying for the design of some really cool T-shirts and handing them out for free to people who you feel may be interested in your company could be a really smart move. Most people are unlikely to turn down free items of clothing, and although only a percentage of the T-shirts you hand out will be worn outside in public, the people who like them will act as advertisers every time they leave the house wearing your gift. Just make sure the design looks appealing, and you should create lots more business for very little investment.
2 – Generate Facebook Interest For Charity
This is a brilliant marketing technique that’s been working exceptionally well recently for quite a few brands. Simply let it be known on your social media pages that your firm will donate an amount of money to charity for every Facebook “like” you receive (up to a certain point). People are much more inclined to “like” your page if they see a promotion of this nature, and although you may receive attention from lots of people outside of your target market, the chances are they’ll all have friends within it who will see the activity. Also, if you’re not receiving the amount of attention you hoped for, you can simply use the “boost” feature to ensure more people are made aware of your offer.
3 – Commission Some Creative Street Art
You’ve probably seen those amazing artists who spend their time creating interesting 3D street art in towns and cities around the country, right? Well, what most people don’t realise is these talented individuals make a living from doing the same thing for companies who require advertising. This means you could commission some really stunning artwork that incorporates an advertisement for your business, whilst also grabbing the attention of all passers by. In fact, some of the most successful and skilled artists in the industry often attract lots of media interest too, so don’t be surprised if the piece you commissioned makes it into magazines or even onto the television.
4 – Employ The Services Of A Professional Sign Holder
Now, this may sound a little like something American companies would do, but it is known to produce fruitful results, and so you should definitely give it a go. Basically, you need to have a big and colourful sign made that promotes your business. Then, you employ someone (or a number of people) to stand on busy city streets trying to grab the attention of everyone who passes by. They can just stand there and hold the sign, spin the sign or even do a little dance to make people look in their direction. Also, if you wanted to take this one step further, you could get the sign holder a fancy dress costume, as this tends to work well.
5 – Create Hangers & Leave Them On Doors
Instead of simply having some flyers or brochures made and posting them through letterboxes, many companies find the door hanger tactic to be much more effective. Imagine the situation; you’ve just opened your front door and notice something hanging from it. Are you going to have a look and see what it is? Of course you are. This technique has been around since the 1960’s when Coca Cola were known to use it throughout certain states in America. There’s no guarantee it will create lots of extra business, but it will get your name out there as people are more inclined to read something hanging from their door, than they are to read something crushed up on the floor in their hallway.
So, having read through all my suggestions, and now that you’ve learned a little more about some of the most innovative marketing techniques you could use to promote your new business, I sincerely hope you’ll be better prepared when the time comes to spend money on advertising. The best thing about these ideas is that they’re all relatively cheap to set up, and they’ve all been used in the past with astonishing results, which means you won’t be taking the level of risk you might imagine. Implemented properly, these methods should help you to find new customers or clients and grow your firm at a reasonable rate.
Good luck with every marketing technique you try over the next twelve months. Just remember what I said about flexibility at the start of this post, and you should be fine.
Catch you next time!
