3 Out-Of-The-Box Marketing Ideas

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3 Out-Of-The-Box Marketing Ideas

1. Inspire User-Generated Content

How about some free advertising this year? You can get that with user-generated content (UGC).

Thanks to the advent of social media, other people can advertise for you in a way that doesn't even look like advertising. They can promote your brand to their friends and associates.

Look for ways to encourage people in your target market to act as your ambassadors, taking your marketing message to other people using various social media channels. You'll get a brand name recognition boost out of the effort.

"User-generated content is free marketing," says Dave Allan, CEO of Ecigguide. "If done right, it has an infinite ROI because no money is invested in it."

One of the best ways to get the ball rolling on UGC is to ask people to post a picture of themselves with your product on social media using a specific hashtag. If you're marketing a service, ask them to tweet about how your service helped them, also using a specific hashtag. Be sure to share the best entries on your own social media timelines.

2. More Video

We have entered the era of "binge-watching." Is your brand doing its part to leverage the video era?

"We're looking to ramp up our spend on video in 2016," says Carnival Info Co-Founders Gordon Henry and Rudo Morrison. "Given our target market, we believe that video promotions offer more longevity than other advertising strategies."

The reasoning seems sound. Cisco predicts that by the end of 2016, 69 percent of digital traffic will be due to people binge-watching videos. There's no reason that you, as a marketer, shouldn't leverage that reality to promote your brand.

The good news is that videos don't have to be long. In fact, sometimes brief videos are all you need for a solid promotional message.
3. Newsletters

Do you want to give your business a boost this year? Try sending newsletters.

Yes, physical newsletters. The kind of newsletters that are made of paper and end up in people's real mailboxes.

You might have an objection to that strategy. "It's the Information Age," you're thinking to yourself. "Why would I send a newsletter?"

The fact that you asked that question is exactly why you should send a newsletter. All of your competitors are probably asking themselves the same question and, as a result, aren't bothering to send newsletters.

You'll have a competitive advantage if you send newsletters.

There are a couple of other reasons as well. First, think about how much email you receive versus how much physical mail you receive every day. If you're like most people (and like most entrepreneurs), you receive well over a hundred emails every single day. Among those emails, there's probably quite a bit of spam that you have to weed through to get to the stuff you care about. However, you receive fewer pieces of physical mail so a well-crafted newsletter might make you take notice. That's how it will be with people who receive your newsletters as well.

Also, newsletters last longer than email. When you hit the "Delete" button on an unwanted email, it goes to the virtual trash bin and stays there until it's empty. However, newsletters are often set aside on a desk and can be read days, weeks, or even months later when the recipient has more free time. Your marketing message has more longevity with newsletters.

If the "same old, same old" tactics haven't been working out for you lately, it's time to try a few new initiatives. Think out of the box and determine how you can promote your brand in an unconventional way.


Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/ajagrawal/2016/01/12/3-out-of-the-box-marketing-ideas-for-2016/2/#24a7c2036a04