9 Unorthodox Ways to Market Your Business Online
When your marketing plan seems a bit stale, it can be tough to figure out how to get your brand noticed.
Maybe you've had some success, but you want more exposure and leads.
The trick is to come up with unorthodox ways of marketing your business online.
To help you get started, we've compiled a list of unconventional or underused business marketing strategies for small enterprises (which isn't to say they aren't helpful).
If your revenue doesn't allow for much traditional marketing, you'll be happy to learn that these online business ideas are either free or very low-cost.
Any entrepreneur can use the strategies below to set their small business apart from the competition. They don't take much time or money, but you do need creativity and tenacity for them to succeed.
Time to Consider Unconventional Marketing Strategies
Many business owners stick to traditional marketing methods because they assume that marketing, in general, is too costly or technologically advanced.
However, when you've tried all the usual marketing strategy methods, you need something fresh and outside of the box to get your name or brand out there.
You are probably on the lookout for a new digital marketing campaign that will set you apart from your rivals and give you a competitive advantage. This is especially important when your marketing budget is limited and you’re still trying to compete against big players.
Some marketing strategies may appear unorthodox, but they are effective. These are low-cost, and innovative, and you have probably never considered some of them before.
In fact, these marketing strategies can even help your online presence by driving traffic to your website and helping you gain more exposure online and in your community in ways that are all but ignored by many online marketers today.
9 Marketing Strategies That Will Get Your Business Noticed
It's more than possible to stand out from the crowd as long as you are willing to put a little time and effort into some unconventional strategies. You'll soon see that marketing your business isn't as difficult or expensive as you might have thought, and it's a lot more rewarding.
Here are 9 unconventional marketing strategies to get your brand out there:
1. Leave Reviews for Local Businesses
An excellent online marketing strategy that takes little time and costs nothing is to offer online reviews for other businesses from your business account's social media profile.
Leaving online reviews from your business profile gives your audience the impression that a person is behind the business and makes you more relatable.
The best part of offering these services is that it costs nothing but your time; you simply have to ask the businesses if they'd be interested in receiving online reviews from your company.
Spend some time thinking of the vendors or businesses in your community (or elsewhere) that you have used or frequent and look for their Google My Business, Facebook, Instagram, Yelp, or other profiles.
Then, reach out on your own to the local business owners in the community who could benefit from more positive exposure online.
Ensure that your logo is clearly displayed in your profile photo so that viewers will associate your business or industry with the logo and will recognize your brand as an authority and presence.
2. Host Giveaways That Reward Engagement
People love free stuff! So, hosting giveaways that offer great rewards is another online marketing strategy that can be effective. Reward audience members that share your giveaway post, likes or follow your account, and tag a friend (or more).
Another great marketing strategy is to offer rewards for people who refer your business to a friend. There are many options when it comes to this:
Offer a discount code to get money off their next purchase.
Offer discounts when an affiliate link is used.
Offer benefits when new purchases come through their social media posts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Tiktok.
Offer free delivery if they send you new customers through referrals.
Offering these types of online rewards can help increase online visibility and online sales.
Along the same line, since your end goal is to be noticed in your local area, getting your brand seen might be as easy as giving away high-quality, comfortable clothing. People are more apt to wear a piece of clothing if it is attractive, made of good quality material, and comfortable.
Also consider giving away wearable merchandise to help boost brand awareness, such as high-quality hats, travel coffee cups, and other items that will showcase your brand.
3. Give Gift Guides
A gift guide is a collection of suggested items or gifts, generally around a holiday (such as Christmas) or a person (like your father).
If you've ever searched for present ideas on Pinterest or followed social media influencers around the holidays, you've undoubtedly come across numerous gift guides.
The best way to stand out from the competition is by creating a unique gift guide or being included in a local offering.
This will allow you and your customers alike an opportunity that isn't available anywhere else, making for increased sales!
If you can create or get into online guides, it's a quick and easy way to increase your service or product exposure.
If your business does not offer a product, such as home improvement contractors, you can still be a part of a gift guide!
Suggest a gift card or service package as part of the guide—this will help drive more traffic to your website, which could mean increased sales if people are looking to buy gifts or were previously unaware of the extent of your services.
4. Online Marketing Videos
One of the best ways to market online is through video marketing, an excellent method for increasing brand awareness and showcasing what products or services you may have available.
Video marketing online has many advantages; one of those is that viewers tend to seek out and watch videos rather than read articles online, as they're easier and faster for them to digest the information without any distractions.
Another advantage is that your viewers can share online videos easily on social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
If you're looking for a way to increase brand awareness online with video marketing, one thing you can do is create an explainer video.
An explainer video shows your services or products available quickly and concisely. You may have to hire a graphic designer or video production company to put it together for you.
Still, if done well, an explainer video is a great way to reach your website visitors efficiently.
5. How-to Videos
Another way that online videos help market your brand or products is through how-to videos. When people need help with a product or service online, they'll often turn to YouTube videos for information before buying the item.
This type of video marketing online is especially effective if you can offer how-to tutorials on using your products and services.
It is important to create how-to videos that are interesting and provide valuable information. When your viewers can discover how beneficial your product or service is through video instead of reading text, you can lead more clients toward purchasing your products.
6. Geofence
Although geofencing may be new to you, it is gaining popularity as a marketing strategy.
Geofencing is essentially a virtual barrier to a geographical or digital location.
What does this mean for you? You can advertise to a specific area or radius using GPS or radio frequency identification (RFID). Since most people carry cell phones—this type of marketing can benefit both your target audience and your business.
The field of location-based marketing is progressing rapidly.
Geofences are used to track the movement of mobile devices in and around areas or online activity or purchase information online, which may trigger a variety of responses when the phone or user enters a specified zone.
This might include advertisements being sent via text messages, but push notifications, and even programmatic advertising have become increasingly prevalent!
Geofencing can be effective, especially if you're able to offer promotions and discounts for local clients.
Your geofence means creating an online "fenced" area around where your clients frequently gather online (including with your competitors) in an online setting. This will help increase online exposure as well as online sales.
7. Partner with Other Businesses
Partnering with other businesses that share clientele but do not offer the same product or services can prove advantageous.
For example, if you run a restaurant, consider partnering with a winery or brewery. You can both offer coupons or online discounts for customers who purchase wine or beer with their meal, giveaways, or referral rewards for bringing a friend.
Or, suppose you own a landscaping company, partner with the garden store to provide online discounts for clients who buy plants and supplies there.
Partnering with businesses that share clientele but do not directly compete with your business will help increase your visibility and drive sales.
8. Join Local Events
Getting noticed locally can mean being seen in the community. You can find local events in your area that coordinate with your expertise or industry and offer a free webinar or in-person class.
You can also help attract prospective clients interested enough by the headline on these announcements for them to attend- even if they're not sure what it entails!
You may draw those interested in your experience or product and those curious about local happenings. A bonus- offer a giveaway for attending the class or bringing a friend along.
9. Join Facebook Groups
Another underutilized but low-cost marketing strategy uses Facebook groups related to your industry to find users looking for or asking about your industry.
Joining these groups and offering advice or suggestions to online users will ensure that you are viewed as an industry authority and can even secure referrals from group members who do not necessarily require your services or product but remember your posts.
Engage with the group's members, direct them back to your website for more information about services or products you offer as well as discounts associated with those items, and then provide updates on online giveaways or promotions.
Marketing Your Business Effectively With Kyber Digital
Effective marketing is crucial to the success of small businesses. Successful marketing strategies can be the difference between exposure and crickets.
There are many different strategies out there when executing an effective marketing campaign: from investing heavily in Facebook ads or Google Adwords and diversifying across Instagram and Twitter too (depending on what platform seems most profitable at any given time). Using unorthodox strategies may not require an ad budget but it can still result in new clients by expanding your customer base through word-of-mouth advertising and networking.
There is often an element of trial and error when it comes to finding your marketing strategy, but if you know what works for your business and what doesn't, there is no reason why you can't be successful.
When it comes to increasing sales and visibility, there are many ways to get creative!
You can use unorthodox marketing strategies to help boost your business's online and local brand awareness if you're looking for ways to market it online and in your community.
The online marketing strategies we've covered in this article are proven to work for online businesses looking to increase online awareness and drive more sales.
If you want help boosting your online brand, contact us today! We will partner with you on a unique SEO or digital marketing plan tailored specifically to your business's needs.
Rationale
When your marketing plan seems a bit stale, it can be tough to figure out how to get your brand noticed. Maybe you've had some success, but you want more exposure and leads.
It’s time to consider these 9 unorthodox ways to market your business online:
Leave reviews for local businesses
Host giveaways to reward engagement
Give gift guides
Use online promotional and educational videos
Show how-to videos
Use geofencing
Partner with other businesses
Join local events
Join Facebook groups
When it comes to increasing sales and visibility, there are many ways to get creative! You can use unorthodox marketing strategies to help boost your business's online and local brand awareness if you're looking for ways to market it online and in your community.
Kyber Digital
343 Harbor View
Forked River, NJ
08731
(215) 305-8769
