Don’t Be Basic: Unconventional Marketing Tactics Every Startup Should Consider
Fed up with the monotonous repetition of generic marketing advice for your startup? When it comes to marketing the product you run, it’s inevitable to fall into a tedious circle, particularly if you’re inundated with tried-and-true strategies like paid advertisements, email campaigns, blog posts, and SEO. Let’s unleash the beast that will make you stand out from the competitive startup crowd!
1- Guerrilla Marketing: The Art of the Unexpected
Guerrilla marketing is all about thinking outside the box and capturing the attention of your target audience in unexpected ways. Alternatives to typical promotional tactics like print advertising, television advertisements, billboards, and direct mail include unconventional methods for engaging and surprising people.
Guerrilla marketing trusts experimental promotions to trigger people’s emotions to build brand awareness. This marketing strategy is intended for goods and services as unique as the strategy itself. It’s worth a go if your business isn’t the average.
Let’s dive into the examples!
Jeep Example: While researching samples for Guerilla Marketing, one of the most impressive examples I came across was that of Jeep.
This outdoor guerilla marketing tactic addresses the potent parking and driving features Jeep provides its drivers. Here is the recipe for guerilla marketing, a proper amount of edgy and fun. Advertisements like Jeep’s convey the company’s perspective, create interaction with the outside world, and generate interest leading people to share their discoveries digitally.
Nike Example: One of the innovative applications of the strategy employed by Nike, sticks out unique.
Integration of brand values is a fundamental aspect that cannot be overlooked when developing an influential guerrilla marketing concept. Known for encouraging people to push the limits and taglines like “Just do it,” Nike has implemented a guerilla marketing tactic that serves its purpose with this ad. Imagine yourself as someone who would expose to this ad, and you’ll quickly realize there’s something strange on the other bench, but once you spot the Nike logo, everything will become obvious, isn’t it?
What makes guerilla marketing effective is sparks echo through word-of-mouth by amplifying brand visibility and driving sales growth. Guerilla marketing unlocks a marketing campaign that echoes through time, all accomplished with a catchy modest exertion. The only prerequisite? Let your creativity run!
2- Leveraging Your Brand: Let Your Personality Shine
Start boosting your startup by strengthening your social media. Work on positioning yourself as an influencer in the field of expertise, build an audience, and share suggestions and publications to various media to gain the same impression. Visibly positioning your social media presence will help you get to know your target audience and nurture your community.
3- Vertical Victors: Conquering the Screen with Vertical Video Marketing Prowess
Let’s face it, going vertical is the name of the game of digital marketing. Why swim against the current when a whopping 94% of users naturally hold their smartphones vertically? You’re scrolling through your feed, and suddenly, an ad appears. Will you bother to turn your phone sideways? Well, statistically speaking, less than 30% of users do, and what about others? With its Story and Reels format, Instagram is one of the places where you will appeal to a lively and diverse range of people. With the inclusion of Tiktok in the game, you can escalate your visibility by integrating the vertical video format into your content.
3- Speak, Record, Dominate: Commanding Crowds with One Earbud at a Time
We mentioned that creating your presence in digital channels is a meaningful part of your startup promotion; what about podcasts? Podcasts, where people turn to discover fresh entertainment or to be educated about something, are one of the most all-powerful ways you can reach more people.
Imagine whispering your brand indirectly to your audience, that’s what a podcast is! Nurturing good storytelling and sharing your insights, suggestions, and know-how with your audience allows you to build a reputation and engage with new people.
Friendly Reminder: Podcasting is a long-term investment that requires patience to reap the harvest of brand awareness and sales growth.
4- The Hashtag Hustle: Magic for Marketing Success
Specifically on Instagram, original hashtags may make your content visible and discoverable by encouraging people to take action. A unique hashtag that aligns with your startup turns users into organic promoters.
If you’re struggling to get others to join the conversation about your brand, steer clear of the “everyday” hashtags.
#ShotinPhone by Apple Example: Apple announced a photo contest by using the power of little words as ShotinPhone. All Apple wants to do contesters shoot creative photos with iPhones. Rules are simple, upload photographs on Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag. The best ones were shown on Apple’s official accounts. Result? We could scroll through thousands of Instagram and Twitter posts with stunning iPhone photographs that could generate traffic.
Note that: Update your strategies according to the platform you want to stand out. While you need to encourage people to talk and write more to be visible on Twitter, you need to develop a tactic for Instagram to encourage people to post images.
Conclusion
Marketing outcomes are not coincidences but stem from the meticulous crafting of a strategic blueprint. Beyond a reasoned strategy, marketing becomes a futile effort, consuming valuable time and yielding minimal results. As you invest your time and efforts into the creation of a clear and well-thought-out strategy, you unlock many opportunities paving the way for successful sales by adopting unconventional marketing approaches.
