In order to stay competitive, businesses need to consistently find new ways to market their business. While the traditional methods will likely still work for you – TV ads, fliers, word of mouth – your competitors will be using these methods as well. If you really want to stand out about the rest, you need to look for new and innovative methods of marketing that can give you a boost. Below are a few suggestions that you may want to try that can hopefully give your business exposure that traditional methods cannot provide.
Social Media Contest
There are two things that people love these days – social media and getting free things. Why not combine the two of these and market your business at the same time? If you have social media accounts set up promoting your business- and you should! – you can use them to hold a contest. For example, you can set up a Facebook post, and each person who shares it with their Facebook friends is entered into the contest, and can perhaps win a free or discounted product/service from your company. This gets your current followers to notice you, but also spreads your message by anyone who wants to enter the contest. This exponentially increases your company’s reach on just one social media site – you can hold similar contests on all of them to increase it even further.
Mobile Games
Over the past couple of years, smartphone technology has allowed mobile games to expand beyond the confines of our phones. Now they can take place in the real world, and your business can use this to its advantage. By learning about the different mobile games that take place in the real world, you can leverage the location of your business and draw in people who are playing the game into your store. Here is just one example of a company taking advantage of the hundreds of people playing Pokemon Go in their area. Another game is Geocaching, in which users hunt for treasures that are hidden somewhere in the world. Hide some treasure in your store, and bring in some new customers who are on the hunt.
Car Wraps
Does your business require the use of a vehicle? Whether it is to make house calls or deliver some food, a business that has vehicles can turn them into moving advertisements. With car wraps, you can decorate any car to become an ad for your business. Vehicle wraps for business are a great way to promote your business using things that are already at your disposal. Now, rather than waiting for cars to pass by your billboards, you can bring your advertising to them all over the town. If you are the owner of the business, you can also consider wrapping your own personal car for some additional marketing reach.
Sponsor A Local Event
A great way to promote your business, and earn some goodwill among your community at the same time, is to sponsor a local event. Most towns have events throughout the year that need sponsors, and by chipping in some funds you can have your company name displayed at the event. This build brand awareness to anyone who attends the event, and puts a positive image of your company into their mind. It is a win-win scenario, so consider chipping in the next time a local group needs some assistance.
Storefront Signage
Lastly, many stores overlook the importance of signage. Having an attractive storefront will make it more likely that new customers will come walking in, and will help to build brand awareness for those people who walk on by. It also shows that you care about the appearance of your store, making you look like a reputable business. Look for ways to spice up the outside of your store, and then work your way inward.
Think Outside The Box
In order to stay ahead of your competitors, you are going to need to think outside the box. There are plenty of ways to market your business that don’t include TV commercials or radio ads, and by finding these new avenues, you can take advantage of the opportunities they present. Hopefully the above suggestions will help get you to think about new ways you can market your business, and before long you’ll be bringing in plenty of new customers.