Getting noticed in business is hard. Unless you’ve managed to think of a business idea that nobody else has come up with before, the chances are that you’re one of dozens – perhaps even hundreds – of companies operating within the same industry. Each of those companies has an advertising budget. If you’re a startup or a smaller business, those budgets are probably bigger than yours. That makes it almost impossible to attract customers away from them by using the same promotional tactics.
Most of us are already familiar with the usual promotional and marketing techniques that companies use in the 2020s. We’re aware of the importance of social media marketing. Email marketing still works to an extent, too. We’re not saying you should stop using those approaches – that would probably be commercial suicide – but there’s something to be said for the idea of trying something new to run alongside them. To find something new, you have to think outside the box a little. It might mean taking a few risks or using counter-intuitive techniques. If you’re struggling to find traction in the marketplace at the moment and you’re willing to listen to new ideas, how about giving one of these five low-cost marketing concepts a try?
Announce A Price Increase
We know that this sounds like the stupidest idea you’ve ever heard but stick with us for a moment. Although customers like to feel like they’re getting a bargain, they’re also hard-wired to believe that quality and price are connected. There’s such a thing as being “suspiciously cheap,” which is why offering endless deep discounts isn’t a road you want to go down when you’re trying to source new business opportunities. For many years, Stella Artois marketed its lager with the slogan “reassuringly expensive” and reaped excellent rewards from doing so. The idea was that Stella’s lager was so good that people should pay more to drink it, and customers fell for it hook, line, and sinker. Push the quality of your product, and use that as justification for charging more than your rivals. High prices also suggest high demand, which is never a bad thing for customers to think even if it isn’t true.
Use Time Or Unit Limited Offers
High prices tell customers that they’re getting luxury or quality. Short-term offers tell customers that they’re getting exclusivity. No matter whether you’re selling a service or a product, it’s possible to give something away for a limited time based on either the number of units you have available to sell or the window of time you’re willing to offer the price for. A ticking clock on the homepage of your website often helps to sell this idea. It triggers the “act now” impulse in a customer’s brain and makes them more likely to buy than to go away and think about it. It’s easier to do this with products than it is with something intangible like a service, but there are ways around it if you think creatively.
Give Yourself An Award
How many times have you seen a company advertise that it was “voted number one” or “voted best product” by either an awards ceremony you’ve never heard of or a poll company that doesn’t sound familiar? How many times have you taken the time to research that polling company or awards ceremony? We imagine it’s “never,” which is exactly what companies rely on. If you take the time to contact one hundred or so (or less – it’s really up to you) people and ask them to vote on the quality of whatever your selling versus whatever your rivals are selling, most of them will vote for your product because you’re the person performing the survey. You then have the right to declare yourself as “voted number one.” You can even use a third-party survey company to build a little distance between yourself and the poll. All people see is the “voted number one” part. They never read the small print.
Get Involved With Casinos
Here’s something we imagine you didn’t know: online slots websites and casinos are among the fastest-growing websites in the world, with millions of players and massive visibility. They also have high bandwidth costs and are always on the lookout for new themes and ideas for their online slots. Even getting a banner advert on an online slots website will probably cost less than it would with, for example, a news website, but it might be seen by more people if you pick the right one. You might even be able to persuade an online slots developer to use your logos or aesthetics in the design of a new game to go on sites like Rose Slots for New Zealand players if the design is subtle enough. Branded online slots are all the rage at the moment, with car companies, football teams, celebrities and TV shows all getting involved. If your business is right for that kind of promotion, why shouldn’t you be next?
Turn To Reddit
Most companies market on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Very few look to Reddit. That’s despite the fact that Reddit proudly markets itself as “the internet’s front page” and is one of the busiest websites in the whole world. It’s little more than a series of forums – the simplicity of Reddit is the genius of it – but it contains opportunities for marketers if you’re very clever in the way you go about using it. Find the subreddit boards that are relevant to the product or service you sell. Speak to your customers before you try to pitch to them. Answer questions. Be friendly. Be honest. A brand new Reddit account trying to throw out a sales pitch is going to stick out like a sore thumb, but a more subtle approach from an account that has multiple past posts to its name will be taken more seriously. Try looking specifically for mentions of your product or service because that’s the easiest way in. Start with the marketing subreddit if you’re unsure of how to begin, but branch out from there when you feel comfortable and get the hang of posting. If you can get onto the homepage of Reddit, the world is watching.
You might not feel comfortable with a few of these approaches, but that’s the whole point. If you really don’t think it’s for you, don’t do it. If you’re willing to give something a try, though, you might be pleasantly surprised.
