Many marketing techniques can help improve your business. However, some of these techniques are more common than others.
Here are some unusual marketing techniques that you may not have considered before but could be effective for your business. Implementing even one of these techniques could make a difference to your results. And if you need financial support for it or improve your business, there are small business loans to turn to.
Sponsor a charity event
Sponsoring charity events is a great way to build brand awareness and expose your brand to potential customers who may not have heard about your business yet.
Such causes show that your company is closely involved with society, which helps build a positive relationship with the community.
You get a chance to display banners and signs carrying your marketing message and mentions in media coverage or advertising of the event, hence spreading the news about your business to wider audiences.
If the event is online, you can have a link to your site on the sponsorship fundraising platform or the online event site to send potential buyers to your website.
You can also sponsor other community events like biking, running, music festivals, and others where individuals or teams wear your company name, banners, and signs to promote your business as they participate.
Another great way is to donate part of your sales to a local charity or athletic team or fund scholarships for underprivileged students.
Develop partnerships with other businesses
Partnering with other local businesses is a great way to win more customers, benefit from word-of-mouth recommendations, and expand your reach to potential customers who may not already know your brand and the type of products/services you offer.
First, start by creating a list of businesses in your area that you think complement yours, then narrow down to ones you want to partner with.
For instance, if you are a wedding/event planner, you can partner with photo studios, venue decorators, DJs, cake bakers, caterers, and bartenders in your area.
If you are a nutritionist, you can partner with personal trainers or vendors in the local farmer’s market.
The point is to collaborate with complementary businesses and share information about each other’s companies when you see customers/clients looking for goods/services either of your partners offers.
Attend trade shows and important networking events
Trade shows and networking events come with opportunities to connect with like-minded entrepreneurs and build a relationship with complementary businesses.
You can pay to put your business log on event swag or participate in presentations and panel sessions to position your brand as a leader in your vertical to raise brand awareness.
It’s also an opportunity to circulate flyers, brochures, business cards, folders, and other marketing materials to relevant audiences.
You can listen to industry leaders and experts as they share their knowledge and real-world insights about emerging business trends in your space.
Promote your product towards a social cause
Cause-related marketing is a great way to cultivate customer loyalty and encourage them to spend more, resulting in an increased average order value.
They help your business show social responsibility by bringing awareness to societal issues in line with your brand values and beliefs.
Thus, people feel more obliged and motivated to support your brand because they know money is going towards an important cause to help others in society.
Important causes that you can promote your goods/services towards include:
- Education for the needy
- Democracy
- Healthcare and treatment of chronic diseases
- Hunger, to make food accessible to all
- Climate change to help save the planet
Take advantage of the popular news and trends of the moment
Knowing what people are talking about or searching at any given time is a great way to align your marketing efforts with seasonal and current trends.
It helps you know the type of marketing campaigns you should run and the content you write and share with your audience. Also, you should allocate your budget between the different marketing channels you are using to maximize returns.
For instance, you can use Google trends to determine when to start running seasonal campaigns, like back-to-school sales or popular hashtags, to engage with users posting the hashtag.
A great way to discover current trends is through the “Trending” section or popular #hashtags on social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, etc.
Google trends, Buzzsumo, and social media listening tools like Tweetdeck also come in handy to determine seasonal and current trends.
Send handwritten thank-you cards to customers and clients
Writing thank-you cards and sending them to your customers/clients is a great way to cultivate customer loyalty and improve customer retention. One study shows that you can improve customer retention by up to 50%.
That’s because they help express gratitude, respect, and value to your customers and clients for doing business with you, hence creating deep, meaningful relationships for the long run.
Fund your marketing budget with small business loans
It takes money to sponsor charity events, create networks, and fund other social causes, and taking a one-time lump sum out of your business revenue streams may create a serious cash-flow crisis.
Small business loans are a great option to fund your marketing budget and spread the cost over a period with monthly installments.
Visit the link in the intro to see how you can apply for a small business loan in 3 simple steps.
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