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Innovative Marketing Ideas

Adam Steele
Mar 13, 2023

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With the world of marketing constantly evolving, it’s hard to keep up with the latest marketing trends.

As intimidating as this may seem, with these 14 innovative marketing ideas, staying ahead of the game is a breeze.

14 Innovative Marketing Ideas

From social media posts to content marketing ideas, find the inspiration you need for your next marketing campaign here.

1. Leverage Influencer Marketing

As the use of social media platforms continues to grow, so do the opportunities for businesses to connect with their target audience through influencer marketing.

When carried out correctly, influencer marketing can help brands build relationships with customers, drive traffic and sales, and boost overall return on investment (ROI).

Don’t just take our word for it, though. 89% of your fellow business owners report the ROI generated from influencer marketing is comparable to or better than other marketing channels.

But before you jump into influencer marketing, it’s important to keep in mind that not all influencers are created equally. To help you find just the right influencer for your business, consider these pointers:

  1. Define your target audience. Who are you trying to reach with your product or service? This will help you narrow down the pool of potential influencers.
  2. Do your research. Take the time to assess your options. Not every influencer will create content that aligns with your brand’s image and core message.
  3. Look at engagement rates. An influencer with a high engagement rate is more likely to bring more attention your business’ way.
  4. Consider the social media platform. Not all influencers experience the same level of reach on one platform as they do another. Knowing which platforms your target audience is most active on will help you choose the right influencer.
  5. Consider your budget. Working with some influencers can be expensive, so be sure to consider how much you are willing to spend on their services.

Done right, influencer marketing can be a powerful tool in your social media marketing arsenal.

2. Develop a Referral Program

A referral program is a great marketing strategy to improve brand reputation and attract new audiences. By offering incentives to advocates and encouraging referrals, businesses will promote word-of-mouth marketing – an extremely effective means of building relationships with existing and new customers alike.

Customers of all ages trust referral marketing. This makes it somewhat of a unicorn in the marketing world, as certain marketing tactics, like TikTok marketing to older demographics, simply don’t work.

Source

The coolest part?

Referral programs can be customized to fit the needs of any business. By offering reward incentives like discounts or free products for referrals, businesses can create loyalty among their customers and generate a serious level of hype around their products or services.

How do you go about kick-starting a referral program of your very own?

Check this out:

  1. Keep it simple. The best referral programs are those that are easy to understand and execute. When crafting your program, make sure there is a clear value proposition for advocates and friends alike. Keep the program easy to follow so that advocates can start referring with no unnecessary roadblocks.
  2. Create incentives that resonate. Think about what would motivate your customers and partners to refer others to your business and design your program accordingly.
  3. Promote your program. Alert customers to your referral program through marketing channels like email, social media, and your business’ website.

With the right referral marketing strategy and incentives in place, referral programs can be extremely successful in attracting new customers and retaining existing clients.

3. Run a Photo Contest

Are you looking for a fun and easy way to promote your business? A photo contest is a great way to do just that.

What’s involved?

It’s simple enough. All you need to do is create a contest on social media and ask your followers to submit their best photos relevant to a category – ideally, something relevant to your business’ niche.

Once the admissions are in, have your social followers vote for their favorites – an IG story-based poll or a Twitter poll will do the trick.

The winners will get prizes, and your business will get some great user-generated content (UGC) for its social media channels.

So why would you take the time out to host a photo contest?

Here are some benefits of running a social media-based photo contest:

  1. Increase engagement. When users share their photos, they are more likely to tag friends and use hashtags, which increases the reach of your contest and brand.
  2. Generate user-generated content. A photo contest is a great way to generate high-quality, free content you can use on your website or social media channels.
  3. Visual content for more leads. By using infographics, videos, and images – like those submitted in your photo contest – you can capture the attention of your target audience and generate interest around your product or service.

So what are you waiting for? Kick-off a photo contest today. Then, sit back and watch that sweet, sweet UGC flood on-in.

4. Encourage User-Generated Content

As much as you’d like to think your customers perceive your branded content as authentic, that may not be the case.

As reported by Business Wire, a Stackla survey found around 92 percent of marketers believe their customers find the content they create authentic. Although in reality, 51 percent of consumers say that only half of brands create authentic content.

Why is this important?

Well, Business Wire goes on to report that 90 percent of consumers claim that authenticity is important to them when deciding on which brands they do business with.

So with this customer sentiment in mind, what’s the best way to encourage your customers to create content that’s not only perceived as authentic but also relevant to your business?

You guessed it, user-generated content.

Photo contests aren’t the only type of user-generated content your brand can leverage. In fact, there are a bunch of UGC opportunities that you and your marketing team should be taking advantage of.

Here you can see a collection of UGC images posted by the power tool manufacturer, Festool. The company simply uses the call-to-action: “You want to join in too? Then tag us and use the hashtag #festoolme“.

By using this social media campaign, Festool generates a bunch of UGC content. And, in return, social media users get a feature on Festool’s IG account.

Putting the user’s account in front of Festool’s 480K+ audience.

To help you roll out a UGC campaign that’s as successful as Festool’s, keep these tips in mind:

  1. Create a clear strategy. Are you hoping to build brand awareness? Generate leads? Increase sales? Figure out what your goal is and focus on achieving it.
  2. Use the right platform. If B2C is your thing, IG, TikTok, and Facebook are great options. If B2B is your niche, you’ll likely find more success on LinkedIn and Twitter.
  3. Keep it relevant. Don’t simply produce content just for the sake of producing content. Be sure to use UGC that best communicates what your brand stands for and what you can offer your customers.

With UGC, you can get the fresh, original content you need without spending the time and money creating it yourself.

5. Share Your Expertise With An Online Course

Aligning with the market demands of the day, online courses or tutorials offer a flexibility that traditional marketing methods do not. As they aren’t typically presented live and are – most often – prerecorded, online courses are much more likely to fit around a learner’s schedule. And better yet, can be taken at the learner’s own pace.

This makes an online course ideal for busy people who may not have time to commit to attending a physical class or workshop.

Ahrefs’ video-based tutorials are a great example of a well put together online course looks like.

The Ahrefs team’s tutorial videos provide in-depth, step-by-step instructions on how to use their platform and a bunch of informational videos on all things SEO. The tutorials are clear and concise, making them super easy to follow.

I’d suggest checking out the different playlists they have on their YouTube channel. That way you can get a feel of what a well-constructed course looks like.

Like Ahrefs, how can you construct an online course that will both show off your expertise while also portraying your business in a positive light?

Here are a few tips:

  1. Determining what topics to cover. Think about what information will be most helpful for your students? Create content that aligns with these needs, whatever they may be.
  2. Create relevant content for each topic. If you’re not sure where to start, there are plenty of resources available online, including helpful templates and tutorials.
  3. Keep your target audience in mind. What will they most benefit from learning? How can you make the information easy for them to understand and digest?

With a little work, an online course is the perfect way to showcase your expertise and promote your business.

6. Offer Weather-Based Discount

Happy hour is a discount based on the time of day, so why not offer discounts when the weather changes?

It may sound bizarre at first, but if you’re in the right business, weather-based discounts can be a very effective way of selling products that may otherwise remain on the shelf collecting dust.

As an example of this strategy, by comparing historical weather data against sales metrics, Stella Artois, the infamous Belgium brewer, discovered that a rise in temperature of just 2 degrees celsius resulted in an increase in sales. The Stella team capitalized on this trend by using weather-triggered advertisement that placed the company’s Stella Cidre – a European style cider – at the forefront of the campaign.

Source

The result?

Stella reported a 65.6% year-over-year increase in sales.

Impressive!

So how can your creative marketing efforts replicate this level of success?

You can set up your own weather-triggered marketing campaigns. The process involves using a weather application’s API and integrating it with third-party programmes. If you’d like to go this route, check out this blog post by MerTech. Here, they break down their process for rolling out a weather-based campaign using a variety of different tools.

Although it is a far easier method of creating a marketing campaign based on weather events, the use of an application like WeatherAds may be a better option for you.

Whichever you decide on, just be sure to tailor the campaign around the strengths of your business.

For instance, you don’t have to sell cider, like Stella. If you are in the business of selling clothes, discounts on cold weather items like jackets or swimwear discounts during the hot days of summer may just be what boost your yearly sales figures.

7. Sell Merchandise and Swag

If you’ve ever delved into investing, no doubt you’ll have heard the Warren Buffets of the world claim that a diverse portfolio stands up to both the test of time and uncertain economic times.

This same sentiment is true for diversifying your business’ revenue streams – branded merchandise and swag, proving to be one of the best ways to do this.

Take Semrush’s line of merch as an example of this.

From hoodies to printed socks, or reusable water bottles, their merchandise not only looks great but further adds to the level of brand recognition that the company has already built for itself.

How do you go about creating your very own line of swag?

Here are a few tips:

  1. Keep it simple. A simple logo or slogan on a quality item will be more effective than something that’s overly busy or cheap-looking (Semrush’s swag nails this).
  2. Make it useful. Think about what your target audience would find helpful or needed in their daily lives, and design your swag accordingly.
  3. Be unique. There’s a lot of competition out there, so you’ll need to stand out from the rest. Take it from us. Working with a reputable artist will make this process much easier than tackling it yourself.

Heads up, shameless plug incoming.

We’ve also got a line of Loganix swag coming your way. So be sure to look out for when it drops.

8. Hype Your New Launch

A product launch is a critical moment for any company. When a new product is introduced to the market, it’s the first chance your customers will get to putting their hands on it.

Exciting stuff.

The thing is, from small businesses to large companies, far too many brands allow a new product or service to go unnoticed.

Don’t fall into this same trap. Instead, get about creating a considerable level of hype and anticipation around the newest addition to your business’ arsenal.

Why?

Hype builds momentum for a product launch. It will lead to increased sales, positive word-of-mouth, and improved brand reputation.

The creation of hype doesn’t have to be complicated. If you’ve already got a solid social media following, something as simple as a short video will do the trick.

@kasemedesign Our new product launching tomorrow is…. 👀 #newproductalert #newproductlaunch #productlaunch #teaservideo #staytunedformore #newproductalert🚨 ♬ nhạc nền – Nguyễn Như Hoài Niệm

Of course, you can get as elaborate as you like.

In just a couple of minutes, Willo, an electric toothbrush company, details the launch of their newest product. The video is concise, easy on the eye, and squeaky clean – just like the company claims their customer’s teeth will be.

So rather than resting on your laurels, start generating that much needed hype to skyrocket the success of your next product or service launch.

9. Venture Into the World of Podcasting

If you aren’t already, it may be time to pick up a mic and start a podcast.

To give you an idea of how much the popularity of podcasts has grown over time, as reported by the Pew Research Center, back in 2008, only 9% of Americans had listened to a podcast in the month prior to being surveyed. Last year, 2021, that number has now grown to 41%.

So with more and more people turning to podcasts for their latest injection of information, how can you use podcasts to market your business?

There are many ways to market a business through podcasts. Here are three tips to get started:

  1. Appear as a guest. You don’t have to start a podcast of your very own. Instead, reach out to already established podcasters in your niche and ask to appear as a guest.
  2. Find an interesting topic to discuss. If you have the time to kick-off your own podcast, make sure your podcast topics apply to your target audience.
  3. Plan ahead. Figure out what you want to say in each episode and develop a plan for how you will say it. This will help you stay organized and on track while recording.
  4. Benefit from podcast ads. Podcast advertising services can strategically place your ads in relevant podcasts, targeting audiences that align with your brand, and providing valuable analytics for tracking ad performance.

Remember, podcasts are a great way to connect with potential customers. By providing valuable content, you can build trust and credibility with both new and existing customers.

10. Create Helpful Templates

The creation of helpful, downloadable templates is another creative marketing idea that is sure to please your audience.

The best part?

Whether it be a guide for email marketing, an online store landing page, or social media post, templates can come in a variety of shapes and sizes, allowing you to create content that’s not only super helpful to your audience’s needs but also shows off your company’s expertise.

Canva is the master of visual assets, customizable templates being just one of their most notable specialities.

In fact, whether it be for video marketing, custom prints, or for educational purposes, Canva has an entire library with literally thousands of helpful templates for all purposes.

Obviously, not every business has a billion dollar budget like Canva. But if you can put together templates that are helpful to your target audience, you are sure to be rewarded with their trust and loyalty.

To help you out, here are a few tips for creating templates that are sure to be helpful to your customers:

  1. Know who your target audience is. Take some time to segment your customers and figure out who your ideal client is.
  2. Consider what your audience wants. Note your customers’ needs and preferences when making decisions on a template’s layout and other elements.
  3. Keep it simple. Use clear fonts and colors that are easy on the eyes. Avoid using too much text or images that could clutter the design.

By creating helpful templates, you’ll show off your company’s expertise and build trust with potential customers.

11. Make Use of Your Business’ Unique Data Insights

The access your business has to customer or market data can provide unique insights that are useful to other professionals within your industry.

By packaging up these insights into a helpful chart, infographic, or video content, you can create high-quality content that both resonates with your audience and positions your business as an industry leader.

Ahrefs’ blog is a perfect example of this.

Thanks to the wealth of data gathered by their SEO tool, the Ahrefs’ team creates written and video-based guides as well as informative charts and infographics based around all things SEO.

This type of helpful content has established Ahrefs as the go-to SEO tool for marketers all around the world.

How can you take your business’ access to data and replicate Ahrefs’ level of success?

There are several ways to collect data. Here’s a look at the most effective of these methods:

  1. Surveys. By surveying customers and employees, businesses can get a better understanding of what they want and need. Surveys can also help businesses identify areas where they need to improve.
  2. Web analytics. By tracking how users interact with your website, you will gain valuable insights into their behavior. This information can improve your website design and user experience.
  3. Social media. Various social media platforms, particularly professional accounts, give you access to a wealth of data insights that can be used to create unique and helpful content.

Don’t let your data go to waste. Data-rich insights can help create a competitive advantage for your business.

12. Run Contests and Giveaways

The age-old adage that “people love free stuff” still rings as true today as it always has. In light of this, offering your customers something for (seemingly) nothing is definitely a marketing idea you should consider.

But why would you give away free stuff when you’re in the business of making money?

Well, a contest or giveaway is one of the best ways to collect customer data. By offering a freebie in exchange for, let’s say, a customer’s email address, you can quickly grow your business’ database of customers’ emails for use later on in email marketing campaigns.

It’s a win-win.

Better yet, the use of a promotional giveaway — the prize typically being a product that contains your business’ logo or slogan — doubles to get your business’ name before the eyes of even more customers.

Just like this recent promotional giveaway, Navitas Organics put together.

Another option is to team up with a partner brand, ideally within your niche. In doing so, you’ll expose your brand to a previously untapped audience. As the partner brand resides in the same niche as you, their customer base will find your products relevant to their interests.

Here eSalon has teamed up with Kai Fragrance to offer their Instagram followers an exclusive body care and fragrance package.

Of course, giveaways aren’t exclusive to Instagram. Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok are all great platforms to host your very own promotional giveaways.

To help you get started with your first promotional giveaway, here are a few tips:

  1. Plan your giveaway campaign well in advance. Have all the necessary information ready (i.e., the brand name, what type of prize is being offered, how to enter), and set a deadline for entries. This will help you avoid running out of prizes or having too many submissions left unclaimed.
  2. Consider the timing of your giveaway. Giveaways that happen right before or after major holidays or events can be especially popular, as customers spend more time on social media during these periods.
  3. Think creatively. A range of prizes will appeal to different customers, encouraging more entrants to take part in your giveaway.

Through promotional giveaways, you can reach a wider audience and promote your business all at the same time.

Nice!

13. Re-Engage Your Audience With Remarketing

Not to be confused with retargeting (this is covered in the next creative idea), remarketing primarily uses email marketing to re-engage customers that have previously conducted business with your brand.

But why bother with previous customers when there are endless numbers of new customers?

Well, compared to customer retention, or the practice of encouraging repeat business from previous or existing customers, acquiring new customers is a costly and time-consuming affair.

In fact, customer acquisition can take up a significant portion of a business’ marketing budget.

According to a survey conducted by Elasticpath, it can cost as much as five times more to attract new customers to your business than to retain existing customers. Further, Elasticpath’s research found that the likelihood of selling to an existing customer lies somewhere between 60-70%. Whereas, the likelihood of selling to a new prospect is far less – between 5-20%.

Steam, the online game marketplace, is a master of remarketing.

The company uses its customer’s interests, A.K.A. anything they’ve added to their wishlist, to remarket. This keeps existing customers coming back regularly to make new purchases.

And like Steam, what’s the best way to go about remarketing to existing customers?

As mentioned above, email marketing is the go-to marketing strategy. Here are some marketing techniques you can implement when rolling out remarketing email campaigns:

  1. Make it personal. As we’ve just covered, existing customers are your business’ bread and butter. So when emailing them, be sure to make them feel appreciated. Use their first name, offer products and services that match their interests and previous purchasing habits, and thank them for their past patronage.
  2. Be direct. Keep your emails short, make them easy to read, and cut to the chase.
  3. Stay relevant. Keep your email content fresh and relevant by regularly sending new offers, announcements, and updates. This will keep your customers coming back for more.
  4. Track campaign metrics. Set up a system for tracking results of your email campaigns. This will help you determine which messages are working best and which need to be tweaked or revised.
  5. Offer attractive promotions. Whether you offer a discount code or use, like Steam, use a wishlist system to keep your audience engaged, be sure to remarket your customers with offers they simply can’t resist.

By integrating remarketing into your marketing arsenal, you’ll not only re-engage your most loyal customers, but you’ll also save money.

14. Retain With Retargeting

Similar to remarketing, retargeting allows businesses to reach people who have previously shown an interest in their products or services. Although instead of using email marketing strategies like remarketing, retargeting leverages paid ads.

By tracking users’ online behavior, through the use of cookies-based technology as JavaScript code, businesses can display targeted ads to internet users as they browse through third-party websites and social media feeds.

For example, an accommodation company may run ads on a heavily visited news website, retargeting vacationers who have previously visited their booking portal but are yet to make a reservation.

Source

To successfully use retargeting, businesses need to establish clear targeting criteria and create suitable ads that are both relevant and engaging. It’s also important to track results and ensure that ads are being delivered to the right people, as well as measuring the impact of these campaigns on customer acquisition costs (CAC).

Here are some tips to get started with retargeting:

  1. Use relevant ads targeting. This means using ads that are specifically targeted toward those who have interacted with your brand before.
  2. Make the ad creative. Ads that are creative and well designed will intrigue customers and generate leads through high click-through rates (CTR).
  3. Track ad metrics. You may also wish to set up ad tracking so you know for sure which advertisements are working and which should be discontinued or tweaked for better performance.

By customizing ads based on individual behavior, you can increase your chances of converting those interested consumers into loyal customers.

g customers.

Ultimately, small businesses should remember that retaining customers is about building relationships. By taking the time to understand what customers want and need, small businesses can create a loyal base of customers who will continue to do business with them long into the future.

Want more marketing tactics?

Looking for more? Check out the collection of hundreds of actionable marketing ideas.

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Summary

By thinking outside the box and coming up with creative solutions to common marketing problems, businesses can stay ahead of the competition and keep their customers engaged.

If you need a hand brainstorming fresh, new marketing ideas, reach out to us here at Loganix.

We provide SEO, PPC, and a suite of other digital marketing services that are sure to take your business to new heights. To see a full breakdown, check out our various services here.

Hand off the toughest tasks in SEO, PPC, and content without compromising quality

Explore Services

Written by Adam Steele on March 13, 2023

COO and Product Director at Loganix. Recovering SEO, now focused on the understanding how Loganix can make the work-lives of SEO and agency folks more enjoyable, and profitable. Writing from beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia.