8 Creative Marketing Ideas

In a world where everyone is selling the same thing, how can you ensure your products and services grab consumers’ attention?

By being different, of course.

Whether you’re looking to start a new campaign or simply want to freshen up your current one, we’ve got you covered with these 8 proven strategies and fresh perspectives.

8 Creative Marketing Ideas

It’s time to get creative.

With our help, you’ll be able to come up with marketing ideas that are truly unique.

1. Embellish Memorable Brand Design

When it comes to product, website, or brand design, embellishment can be key to making a memorable impression. While it’s important to remain true to your core design principles, adding a little flair can help you stand out from the competition. This might mean incorporating an eye-catching color scheme, using unique fonts, or adding interesting graphics.

Keep in mind that embellishment should always be consistent with your overall brand image and not feel like an afterthought. It’s also important to make sure that all of your designs are aligned with each other so that there’s a sense of cohesion across all of your marketing materials. Mapping customer touchpoints can help you identify the key areas of your branding that your target audience interacts with and ensure that your embellishments are tailored to their preferences.

Why is this important?

With so many brands on the market, on average, it takes 5 to 7 impressions for people to remember your brand. So without branding that stands out, you’re likely to be quickly forgotten. Color is also incredibly important. According to the University of Loyola, Maryland, “Color increases brand recognition by up to 80 percent.”

Take Spotify’s website here, as an example of both memorable branding and the easily recognizable use of color.

At the top of their web player landing page, you can see their iconic logo. Below, a “GET SHOPIFY FREE” button that works as the page’s call-to-action. And in Spotify’s renowned shade of green, the button, text, and various other page elements make for an effective contrast against the background’s dark blue.

It’s not flashy or overcomplicated, just easily recognized, concise, and eye-catching. The best part, the various elements of a design like this example, align with conversion rate optimization (CRO) and will do well to complement search engine optimization (SEO) and other digital marketing efforts.

And when it comes to product design, there are a few things that can make or break a company’s success. Creating a memorable product is one of those things. It might seem like a daunting task, but with the right approach, it’s definitely doable. Here are a few tips to help you get started:

1. Make sure your product has a well-designed logo, website, and overall brand identity. This will give your customers something to remember, and it will also help them identify your product in a sea of competitors.
2. Once you have the basics in place, focus on the minor details that make your product unique and interesting. This could include anything from the color scheme to the type of materials used.
3. As technologies and consumer preferences evolve, it is essential to keep your business image up-to-date. It’s helpful to follow design blogs and other online resources that focus on these topics.

Whether it requires working with a designer or pulling on your own expertise, without branding that grabs the attention of consumers, your customers will forget you if you blend in with the rest. Make your brand design different and memorable, and you’ll stay top of mind for years to come.

2. Reach Your Audience Across Multiple Platforms

Today, businesses need to be where their customers are and that typically means building a strong presence on multiple social media platforms. According to a study by Sprout Social, the top five social media platforms used by consumers are Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Twitter. However, each platform has its own unique audience and way of using it.

For example, Facebook is excellent for building relationships with customers and driving traffic to your website through Facebook ads. In fact, 60% of consumers say they wish to see more brands using Facebook’s platform.

Instagram is great for creating visual content that engages users, with 48% of consumers wanting brands to use IG even more.

YouTube can be used to reach consumers looking for advice and know how on a range of different topics. And Twitter is great for real-time engagement and newsjacking.

The key is to use the right platform for the right purpose and to tailor your content accordingly. For example, if you’re running a sale, you might want to post about it on Facebook and Instagram, then direct customers to more detailed information on your website.

So what’s the best approach here?

A great way to start is by considering which platforms your target audience is predominantly using. If your target audience is mainly on LinkedIn, then it’s best to focus your marketing efforts there. If your target audience is using Instagram and TikTok, then you should focus on those platforms instead. In this case, you should consider using an Instagram follower tracker and scheduler so that the whole strategy is more organized and on point.

Once you’ve determined which platforms your target audience is most frequently on, begin creating content that resonates with them. For example, if you’re targeting millennials, then you should post humorous and relatable content on both Instagram and TikTok. And if you’re targeting business professionals or B2B businesses, then post professionally engaging content on LinkedIn.

With social media marketing, you can connect with potential and current customers on the channels they use every day. Stay in front of your target audience and increase your reach with a strategic social media marketing plan.

3. Jump Into Seasonal Marketing

The leaves are changing; the air is cooling, and pumpkin spice is in the air. It’s time to take advantage of seasonality and all the wonderful marketing opportunities that come with it.

The holiday season is the pinnacle of American consumerism, sales picking up as early as October and carry through till January. And the amount of money consumers spend in this period is on a serious upward trend. Even with the pandemic in full swing, 2020 holiday sales in America hit 777 billion US dollars.

Impressive!

Okay. Let’s not get too excited. It’s not wintertime just yet. But by getting a head start, you’ll have enough time to create effective marketing strategies that will engage your customers and help boost your bottom line.

So how exactly does seasonal marketing work?

Seasonal marketing is a strategic marketing approach that takes advantage of predictable changes in consumer behavior that are associated with different times of the year. For example, many businesses will ramp up their advertising and promotional efforts around the winter holidays, when consumers are more likely to buy gifts. Similarly, retailers may offer special discounts and deals in the weeks leading up to Father’s Day or Mother’s Day.

As an example of how powerful some buying trends can be, let’s turn to Google Trends.

As you can see here, leading up to 4th of July every year, there’s an enormous spike in Google searches for firecrackers. Of course, this doesn’t mean you have to enter the pyrotechnics industry. But you sure can stock seasonal products and take serious advantage of seasonal marketing trends.

The best part?

Seasonal marketing doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, sometimes the simplest ideas make the biggest impact. Here are a few tips to help get you started:

1. Plan ahead. The key to a successful seasonal campaign is preparation. Start mapping out your ideas early and give yourself enough time to execute them properly.
2. Use seasonal themes in your marketing materials. If you have a website or blog, use seasonal themes in your design and content. This will help to create a sense of continuity between your marketing activities and the seasons themselves.
3. Take advantage of seasonal opportunities. There are always opportunities to take advantage of during the holiday season – special discounts, limited-time offers, etc. Make sure you promote these offers prominently on your website and in other marketing materials.

Get ahead of the curve with seasonal marketing. You can be the first to offer your products or services to customers before your competitors know what’s hit them. Stay ahead of the curve this season by unleashing your inner artist.

4. Leverage Trending Topics

Products that trend at the same time each year aren’t the only way to attract customers. There are, of course, other market trends that pop up on their own accord that you can take advantage of.

For instance, according to Nielsen’s 2014 Global Survey on Corporate Social Responsibility, 55% of consumers claim they are willing to pay more for a product or service if they believe it will have a positive social or environmental impact.

And with the increasingly intense focus on these issues, a percentage that’s likely only trended upward in recent years.

If you’re worried trending topics are simply a fad that is likely to pass, this intuition may not be as sound as you may think it is. In fact, the team at Exploding Topics found that the average lifespan of a trending topic is just shy of 1,000 days.

That’s plenty of time to cash in.

By understanding what people are talking about and what they’re interested in, you can create content that is relevant and engaging, which can help you attract more customers.

And aligning your marketing campaigns with popular topics, like environmental and social issues, you can reach a larger audience and create a more engaging experience. Here are a few tips for taking advantage of trending topics:

1. Monitor social media and news outlets to stay ahead of the curve.
2. Identify relevant keywords and hashtags that you can use in your marketing campaigns.
3. Create content that resonates with your target audience and aligns with the trending topic.
4. Promote your content through social media and other channels.
5. Analyze the results of your campaigns and make adjustments as needed.

Once you know what’s trending, you can create content around those topics. This could involve writing blog posts, creating videos, or even designing infographics. The key is to make sure that your content is interesting and relevant, and that it provides value to your audience.

If you’re not constantly monitoring and jumping on trending topics, you’re falling behind your competition.

5. Turn Customers Into Content Creators

Marketing is all about getting your product or service in front of the right people. And what’s more effective than getting customers to do the marketing for you?

Surely, nothing. Right?!

And in this regard, user generated content is your best friend.

User-generated content (UGC) is any form of content created by customers or fans, as opposed to professional marketers. UGC can take many forms, from blog posts and videos to tweets, comments, or photos uploaded to social media.

A great example of this in practice is Virgin Atlantic Airlines’s previous approach to UGC.

A few years back, Virgin Atlantic Airlines announced it was offering flight upgrades to passengers who submit user-generated content (UGC) to the airline’s social media platforms. One such campaign asked their customers to share their #BestRequests on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.

The UGC could be social media posts that were photos, video content, or written descriptions that detailed why the passenger thought they deserved an upgraded Virgin Atlantic flight. Upgrades were available to existing customers who submit content that is judged to be of high quality and that meets the airline’s standards for appropriateness and taste.

Source

Virgin Atlantic used the submitted UGC to promote its brand and improve customer satisfaction. And, in addition to being rewarded with an upgrade, passengers who submit quality UGC may also have their content featured on Virgin Atlantic’s social media channels or website.

So why is a marketing strategy such as this so effective?

There are a few reasons UGC is so powerful. For one, it’s trusted more than traditional advertising. According to a study by Nielsen, 92% of consumers trust peer recommendations over branded content. UGC is also more engaging than paid ads. People are more likely to share or comment on UGC than they are on traditional ads.

To help you encourage your very own user-generated content, here are a few handy tips:

1. Make it easy for users to submit content by providing a simple form or using social media integrations.
2. Promote user-generated content on your website and social media pages with eye-catching visuals or calls to action.
3. Reward users who submit the best content with prizes, discounts, or recognition on your website or social media pages.
4. Display user-generated content prominently on your website or social media pages to show that you value the contributions of your users.
5. Regularly update and curate user-generated content to keep it fresh and relevant.

Follow these tips and you will begin generating socially proofed quality content that you can use to boost both customer trust and your profits.

Remember, your customers are your best advocates. Empower them to create content that sells for you.

6. Using Contests and Sweepstakes to Attract Customers

People love contests and sweepstakes. They provide a sense of excitement and anticipation that can be hard to find in other aspects of life. This makes them a brilliant marketing strategy.

When used correctly, contests and sweepstakes can help you attract new customers and increase brand awareness. They can also help you boost sales, create loyalty, and increase the size of your customer base.

On average, 34% of new customers are acquired through contests, while Instagram accounts that hold contests grow 70% faster than those accounts that don’t.

Source

The best part?

Just under 95% of contestants share the promotion immediately after they have entered. And 62% share the promotion with a friend or family member. So this type of marketing campaign is also great at promoting word-of-mouth marketing.

However, not all promotions are a sure thing. That’s why it’s important to make sure that your contests and sweepstakes are well-planned and well-executed. Otherwise, you’ll end up forking out a bunch of cash for no reward.

To avoid this, here are a few tips for using contests and sweepstakes to attract customers:

1. Make sure the contest or sweepstakes are relevant to your business.
2. Keep the rules simple and easy to understand.
3. Promote the contest or sweepstakes on your website, social media pages, website, and other online channels.
4. Award winners promptly and publicly.
5. Thank everyone who takes part in the contest or sweepstakes.

Paradoxically, free stuff sells.

By leveraging contest marketing ideas, you’re not only attracting potential customers, but you’re also building goodwill and creating a fun environment for your current customers.

7. Ditch the Typical Corporate Speak

Goodbye, corporate speak.

Hello, conversational marketing.

In a world where customers are bombarded with marketing messages, it’s more important than ever to cut through the noise and connect with your audience on a personal level.

When most people think of corporate speak, they think of a bunch of jargon-filled nonsense that doesn’t really mean anything. This type of communication can make your business seem stuffy and unapproachable. It can also be difficult for customers or clients to understand what you’re trying to say.

That’s where conversational marketing comes in.

By ditching the corporate speak and adopting a more conversational tone, you can create a more personal connection with your customers that will help you stand out from the competition.

Why is this important?

Well, 73% of consumers would pay more for a product that is sourced from a business that offers complete transparency. And 94% of customers claim they are more likely to show loyalty to a brand that offers complete transparency.

To be sure your business doesn’t come across corporatist, ditch the corporate speak and opt for clear, concise language that everyone will understand.

You’ll come across as more relatable and your message will be easier to digest. Plus, it’s always refreshing to hear someone talk without using a bunch of buzzwords.

Here are three reasons you should ditch the typical corporate speak:

1. It often sounds fake and insincere, making your business appear out-of-touch and unapproachable.
2. It confuses customers and makes it difficult for them to understand what you’re trying to say.
3. It can hurt your business’ reputation and make it seem like you’re trying to hide something.

So to truly grab people’s attention, go ahead and ditch the corporate speak – your business will be better off for it!

8. Get More From Your SEO Efforts with Schema Markup

If you’re looking for ways to get more from your SEO efforts, consider using schema markup.

Schema markup is a form of micro-data that site owners can add to certain aspects of a site’s HTML code. It helps search engines interpret the meaning of content and provides additional information about your pages. This can include things like product information, ratings, reviews, event dates, geographical locations, and heaps more.

When used correctly, schema markup can help improve your SEO ranking, click-through-rate (CTR), and increase traffic to your website.

In fact, as Search Engine Land reports, structured markup like schema micro-data can boost conversions by up to 30%.

Here are some tips for using schema markup to boost your conversions:

1. Start by identifying the types of data that you want to mark up. There are many types of data that you can mark up with schema, including articles, blog posts, reviews, products, services, events, locations, and more.
2. Use the correct type of schema for the type of content on your page. There are different types of schema for different types of content, so make sure you’re using the correct one.
3. Don’t go overboard with schema markup. Too much schema markup can actually backfire and hurt your SEO and conversions. Use only as much as you need to accurately describe your content.

Schema markup is a powerful tool that can help your website rank higher in search engine results pages. Used in the right way and you will soon be generating more leads from the SERPs than ever before.

Summary

The use of creative marketing ideas can help businesses stand out from their competitors and reach new customers. By using a mix of digital and traditional marketing strategies, businesses can create a campaign that is both effective and affordable. Additionally, using content marketing ideas that are tailored to the specific needs of the business can be a great way to achieve success.

If you’d like help with anything that pertains to SEO, digital, or content marketing, be sure to check out our services.

Here at Loganix, we provide content marketing and SEO services that help businesses increase website traffic, leads, and sales. Our team of experienced marketers creates and promotes engaging content that attracts visitors and encourages them to take action. Loganix’s SEO services optimize websites for Google search engine ranking, helping your business to appear higher in search results and attract better quality leads.