Are your marketing methods as dull as dishwater? It shouldn’t be the case, marketing and advertising are areas in your business where you can get creative- and really have fun! Here are some surprisingly effective methods to get your company name out there.

Host an event

Hosting an event is a great way to get people down to your business, while it works for many kinds of companies it’s especially useful for retail stores. Perhaps you have new offers and deals on, or if you’re a food establishment you might have created a new menu that you want to promote. Maybe you’ve introduced new products to your range. These things are all easy to show people once they’re at your event having fun. Have some entertainers to set up at your event, hire a bouncy castle and a face painter for the kids and arrange some games and activities to get people involved. You can run competitions, give out samples and make it generally a fun packed day. While people are enjoying your event, show them some of your products, hand out flyers and collect email addresses. You could even get in a little market research, asking them what they think of certain things or asking them to fill in a short questionnaire (perhaps doing this could be their entry into a competition) You get to improve your marketing, and they get to be in with a chance of winning something exciting. 

Set Up an Interesting Stall At a Business Expo

When you attend a business expo you get to chat with customers and clients directly, and if you have the kind of product that needs to be shown to be properly appreciated then this is a good way to go. You can to show or explain your product or service in detail (one on one, or in small groups) to people that are already interested. Since expos bring together businesses and decision makers and clients, you’re not just pitching what you do to the general public. Those attending are actively looking to work with businesses like yours. Make your stall fun and engaging to increase the chances that people will come and speak to you. Expos are big places, most people will make judgements on the stalls they want to visit based on the way they look. 

Run Giveaways and Competitions

Everyone likes free stuff, and so running giveaways and competitions are great ways to get people excited about your business. You could promote the giveaway of a mystery product or a freebie to everyone that orders from you in a certain time frame, or offer a large prize that people need to enter to win. This can be the perfect way to get email addresses for your marketing, and follows on your social media accounts. Make the prize something really exciting like a car or a holiday and more people will enter. While this can seem like an expensive way to advertise, the amount of coverage and entries that you can get can make it so worth it. 

Create an ad

Tv advertising might not be your first thought these days, after all, tv viewing is declining especially in younger age groups. However, with this being said, it’s still a way to reach a massive number of people. Tv advertising can build trust with customers, they will know that anyone advertising on tv is going to be a professional company which can be really helpful for you. Another kinds of ad to consider is one for your website, research shows that sites with a video on the landing page are far more likely to secure a sale than ones that don’t. Of course, every advertiser wants their video to go viral and while there’s no guarantee it will, there are a few ways you can increase your chances. Work with a professional company who has experience,work on creating something exciting, interesting, funny, unique, maybe even a little strange it should get people sharing like crazy! They will know the psychology and science behind viral ad marketing and what’s effective, so don’t just try and ‘have a go’ yourself. Send your ad to as many viral video sites as you can, and encourage people to share as much as possible. Radio ads are another great way to reach people, despite music streaming sites really taking off, many people still do listen to the radio. From those at home pottering around the house to at certain workplaces and driving in the car, you can often reach people of all ages. Come up with a jingle and an interesting radio ad, as it’s a way to get your business name into people’s heads without them even really realising which actually creates familiarity and trust. Next time they need the services of a business like yours, chances are it will be yours that springs to mind without them even knowing why. 

Give away marketing merch

Giving things away might not sound like the best strategy when you’re trying to gain profit, but done in the right way it can be so effective. The word ‘free’ is the most powerful of all in marketing, so make use of that information. If you host an event or go to an expo, give away marketing merchandise to anyone interested in what you do, it could be branded mugs, pens with your name on or USB flash drives with a logo. They don’t have to cost much, lots of companies offer printing services. Make these the kinds of products people use every day, and they’ll be exposed to your brand (again, creating familiarity) without even realising it. 

Utilise influencers

The idea of ‘influencers’ has really taken off in recent years. People now earn a living influencing others, building a huge following and then promoting products on their blogs, social media pages and Youtube channels. Influencers tend to have loyal fans who really trust what they’re selling to them, meaning as a business it can be useful to utilise them. Of course, you’ll need to find an influencer that’s a good fit for your company and you sell things that they genuinely like. You’ll also need to pay them the right amount, or agree a commissions program on sales they drive. This can be a complex area, so if you’re unsure speak to a marketing agency. They can connect businesses with the right influencers, acting as a trusted middleman and negotiating everything on both of your parts.