CAPTIVATE Audiences With These 3 Cool Marketing Ideas
In this 21st-century modern world, technology has become such a heavy part of existence, and marketing patterns follow just the same. The industry of Advertising Communication is saturated with so many companies and businesses relying on techniques to sell more products, create brand awareness and generate leads online through different direct marketing tactics. With all this competition, how can your business stand out and leave a lasting impact on consumers, all while reaching performance goals?
The key is to turn your plain old mandatory marketing strategy into an exceptionally creative work of art – entice and captivate audiences to WANT your product, SIGN UP for your services and become AWARE of your company’s brand.
Obviously, you need to utilize social platforms, advertising networks and various forms of media to communicate with your target audience. Build brand loyalty that eventually results in sales and find an accessible way to market, that makes people feel personally connected and related to your brand. But, what happens when those channels become expensive, crammed with competition or just simply do not work?
The first step to creating a KILLER marketing strategy that will CAPTIVATE your audience and leave them awe inspired, is to recognise who your target audience is and where they are hanging out. Who is your product or brand directly marketed towards? A cosmetic company will have a completely different marketing strategy than a medical insurance company, and this is directly related to a difference in consumer market.
If you’re looking to shake up your marketing strategy, here are
3 Cool Marketing Ideas to Astound and Drive Conversion:
1. Video Marketing – Use the Power of Film to Inform and Influence Your Market
Although video marketing may seem complex and expensive to many companies and brands, it’s really not as difficult as one may think. Currently, the quality of inexpensive recording equipment and editing software have made video marketing that much more of a reality for those looking to spice up their presentation.
Face it, consumers love visuals. Being able to see a chain of moving pictures, or even hear the voice of someone they are supposed to trust in an interview, can greatly impact the way a person chooses for or against a company’s services.
Video is a media that can be incredibly persuasive. Through moving picture, you can quite simply motivate your audience to see a product or service in a specific light, while keeping them fascinated with the content, unlike words which can sometimes lose their meaning for a world that is currently running off of a low attention span, especially in regards to purchases or sales.
By producing a professional yet simple video, you can accurately portray a brand’s goals, intents and promises, and all in the span of under 4 minutes, the maximum amount an average individual is willing to watch or listen to an informative clip.
Consider commissioning a freelancer to assist you with your video needs, such as a skilled professional on Fiverr or another freelancing site. Often on sites such as Fiverr, you are able to receive professional results for a very reasonable cost.
Other alternatives include Powtoon which starts at $59/month (or $19/month if paid annually) if you want an animated video. Or you can use Camtasia, a unique software used to record onscreen activity, audio and webcam video and narrate existing PowerPoint presentations.
It is important to distribute your video on various social media platforms such as Youtube or Vimeo after it is complete, and be sure to make the video prominent on your company’s website or brand page.
2. Engage Users by Producing Interactive Games
An audience wants to feel involved, engaged and part of something bigger. A fun way for a company to gain a closer connection to their customers is by releasing games, quizzes or tools pertaining to a topic that ties in with a product or service. For example, if you are a travel company, you may want to produce a quiz that tests geography knowledge, or allows a consumer to explore the world virtually behind a screen. These features add another element into the brand/consumer relationship, and help to establish a trust between a company and its viewers.
In order to develop an interactive game or tool, your company will need to find a skilled developer, who can produce a clean and glitch-free experience for your viewers. Definitely don’t cut back on good User Experience.
Maybe develop an App. iOS and Android apps are some of the most accessible because smartphone use has increased tenfold in the last few years alone. A majority of individuals now own a smartphone of some model, whether Apple or Android. Developing a game that is easily available at their fingertips even when they are on the go, will encourage more people to download and actually interact with your brand. And remember, it doesn’t even have to be a game! It can be a useful widget or tool that your users might need.
It is vital to strategize and plan the development of your game/tool prior to spending a large budget or moving forward with interactive production. This will save you money in the long run, ensuring that your goals are reached once the game is set for release. Additionally, setting up a measure of reporting can allow your business to optimise the product and make adjustments as necessary to improve its performance.
For example, if your end goal is leads or sales, then you can drive traffic into your game/tool and then try to convert that traffic with different promotions within the game. Measurement tools will allow you to optimize the different conversion points and see which works best. If you can’t convert users, make sure that they opt in and provide you details, so that you can market to them at a later stage (through retargeting methods or email marketing).
3. WOW Audiences With Content Marketing
If you want to truly wow your audience, engage and gain their full attention, using Content Marketing can truly make your company stand out – you just have to be willing to think outside the box.
Put significance upon quality content, work that will actually interest your readers or viewers, and not simply try to sell them a product. Create buzzy content in the forms of infographics, blogs posts, articles and videos to lock in consumers, and distribute this content on relevant channels. Many resources exist for content distribution including sources such as Outbrain and Taboola, plus major social network sites such as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
The development of content that actually adds value to the lives of your consumers requires careful planning and a performance oriented content marketing strategy. Otherwise, you will be wasting time and money producing content and simply hoping for the best – this technique won’t provide results.
By creating a plan and combining correct website UI within your business’s content, you will be able to select words that leave the greatest emotional impact on a viewer, sparking a genuine interest throughout the entire article. A great user interface and impressive look and feel will only help to build trust and eventually attract viewers to complete your conversion goals.
What’s Your Next Step?
Plan, organize and budget carefully. Seek assistance from qualified professionals. In the 21st century competitive market, success means thinking outside of the box. Stand out against your competitors and brainstorm innovative ideas with your team that are guaranteed to captivate audiences. Ponder the channels your business is already utilizing and discover how you can adapt the ones that aren’t working as well as you might want. Even improve the techniques that are working, for keeping relevant is vital in today’s ever-changing market!