“Creativity is intelligence having fun.” You may have heard this famous Albert Einstein quote, but how do you apply creativity to your marketing strategy? Stand out from the crowd and reap the benefits of brand recognition. Increase customer engagement. Don’t just upload posts. Promote them using these 7 tricks!
Add Visual Content
Providing appealing visual content to your customers will stop them in their tracks and keep them interested. Thousands of companies use visual content for their social media. Why aren’t you? A simple diagram or graphic design will pull attention and direct focus on your brand’s message. Several free design websites and apps exist, such as Canva, Visme, and Design Wizard.
But! Don’t just use images. Use videos too. Consumers, especially younger generations, are used to endless scrolling and scrolling. Photos make it easy to scroll. Videos stop us and force us to spend an extra moment to understand. Videos generate more engagement than any other form of content. Try uploading a video to Youtube for free. You could quickly overview your business with exciting visuals and examples. Videos are easy to connect your business to a wider range of people.
Newsletters
Newsletters have been used since the 16th century. They were short, sweet, and straight to the point. Not much has changed over the decades, and newsletters remain a popular communication strategy for potential clients.
Communicating directly with your audience through newsletters is a great way to demonstrate your brand’s values and beliefs.
Keep your potential or existing customers in the loop by providing updates and other current happenings. Providing them with something to chew on will keep you in their minds. Newsletters have been named one of the most effective tools for a start-up business. According to Catherine Doyle’s Linkedin Blog, “Every $1 spend on email marketing, you get $44 in return.” Marketing directly to your target audience will actually save money!
Hold a Customer Contest
Raise that engagement with a fun contest! A contest can occur on social media, websites, or in person. Recently, Lime Media hosted an interactive guessing game on their socials. A massive golf ball 3,910 times the size of a regular one was shown to followers, who were asked to guess the number of regular-sized golf balls inside. Users were encouraged to guess the number before the reveal. A guessing game gives them a reason to return to your social media page.
Many interactive contests include photo voting, trivia games, comments to win, and even short videos. These fun ideas can lead to engagement, followers, leads, and brand awareness. Try it out yourself!
Share Your Expertise
Bring fresh faces in by sharing your expertise! Starting a blog detailing problems in the industry and how to solve them is an excellent way to build community. Be an open book by sharing the learning process it took to become the expert you are. There are sure to be many companies with similar problems looking for advice. Be the professional they turn to. Sharing knowledge online raises team spirit while keeping audiences informed.
Blogs aren’t the only way to share advice. Try LinkedIn! Posting info-graphics or stories about your niche makes your company look innovative and successful. Others will notice your openness.
Don’t Sell – Engage
Repeat after me, “Don’t sell, ENGAGE.”
Take, for instance, Nike. When Nike posts advertisements, they don’t mention the quality of the product or why you should buy it. They motivate. If watching a Nike ad doesn’t make you want to jump up and hit the gym, I don’t know what does.
Associating a feeling with your product builds customer connection.
Engage in the community around you, and be the local professional they want to work with. Experiential events are the easiest way to engage customers. A real-world experience gives customers a real connection to your company. They develop a deeper relationship with your product when they can get hands-on. Esther Sauri, a marketer at Linkilaw Solicitors, says, “When a brand connects with us in an emotional way, we not only buy it, [we become] loyal customers.” When clients can participate in your brand’s message, they develop feelings associated with the brand.
Personalization
Stray away from the super serious business persona and add some personalization to your marketing! A more human, friendly approach touches the people you are trying to reach. Provide custom solutions to clients who come to you with problems. Provide each and every individual with a VIP experience. Post meaningful thank you messages on socials, ask for input, and respond to comments.
Take a head-on approach with an experiential marketing event. Chat with your customers in person and let them interact with your brand. Use personalization to boost customer satisfaction with tailored experiences. All of these ideas will lead to long-term customer loyalty.
Encourage Reviews and/or Testimonials
The answer may be evident to some, but reviews make a HUGE difference in whether or not a potential client will use your product. According to BigCommerce, 72% of consumers say positive reviews and testimonials help them trust a business more.
With consumers promoting the product/services to other customers, it appears more authentic. Before purchasing a product, how often do you scroll down to check the reviews? It comes naturally! Encourage clients and customers to leave a Google, Facebook, Yelp, Amazon, or another review that fits your industry.
Be bold and ask current clients to give a testimonial. There are countless ways to do it. Ask during a project milestone or after they’ve tested the product. Asking when emotions are high is likely to produce a positive, enthusiastic response. Let your customers preview your testimonial page, so they know what to expect. You can send a feedback form via email. Or perhaps they already said something usable in a text or email interaction. Ask them for permission to share it publicly. And if all else fails, provide a free sample and ask for an unbiased review afterward!
A positive engagement boost is possible with various creative marketing strategies. Promoting your business is an ever-changing world. Take your company to the next level and reclaim the success you deserve.