Increased competition and the recent economic downturn have combined to make effective marketing increasingly difficult. The advent of guerilla marketing tactics, as well as many other unconventional techniques can intimidate even the most adroit marketing professional. The “fighting fire with fire” adage is cliched, but true nonetheless. If you’re looking to distinguish your product or service from the seemingly infinite number of competitors in the marketplace today, you have to use increasingly unorthodox approaches to marketing.
One of the most effective ways of selling your product or service is getting it past the media gatekeepers. One way this can be accomplished is through extreme thinking. Peruse the Guinness Book of World Records and try to find something in it that is related to your service or product. Next, you can attempt to break this record in some type of public forum. Such a bold move will certainly garner attention and, as long as you avoid making a spectacle of yourself, attract positive publicity from at least a few media hounds that gather to witness the event. Another strategy would be to sponsor a local event or sports team. The coverage the event or team draws will provide your company name with publicity.
Along the same vain, you may want to support a local charity or philanthropic group that in some way applies to what you are trying to sell. If you don’t have the capital to make a straight donation to such a cause, try giving out a percentage of your monthly sales as part of a promotion. Ideally, this will give customers added incentive to buy your producdt. You can then advertise your generosity by placing information about the charity on your product if possible.
Another way to get your product known is to send out a bi-monthly or monthly form of literature to serve as advertisement for your business. Given the continuing trend toward visual communication, you can try sending out a photo book instead of the traditional flyer or newsletter. Promoting your business through photo books could be a very effective way of displaying your products as well as separating yourself from the crowded marketplace. Online photo book sites like MemoryEscape.com allow you to upload images, select distinctive templates and backgrounds, and choose a personalized cover – all in a matter of minutes. A retailer, for example, may include photos of their newest products, and even add some copy mentioning promotions or coupons. If your business provides a service rather than a product.g. hair salon, photography studio, etc), a photo book is a great way of informing your customers of updates while providing them with visual images that stand out from the rest. If you find yourself struggling to come up with ideas, MemoryEscape.com has an entire page devoted to ways one can use photo books to promote one’s business.
With the advent of social networking sites, it behooves the savvy business owner to encourage open dialogue between the company and its customers. Your website can serve as an optimal forum for such dialogue. By creating an area specifically designed for customer feedback, you can show your commitment to your customers and learn new ways in which you can improve your business. This should be a type of forum where customers can ask you questions as well as interact with one another.
While new forms of marketing continue to emerge and others are replaced, one technique that will never become obsolte is giving away free products/services to customers. Such items range can range from pens to hats – virtually any free merchandise will work as long as your company name and information are printed on it. It is vital, however, to make sure the item will be useful to your customer. Also, try to make the object something relevant to your company. For example, it you own a hair salon, give away combs, brushes, or samples of hair styling products.http://freearticlesforwebsites.com/business/marketing-business/creative-marketing-ideas-for-your-business.html
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