Marketing Strategies That Inspire Strategic Thinkers

It takes a lot of time and energy to develop and maintain marketing activities that resonate with the target audience. However, as a strategic thinker, the formulation of marketing activities requires more consideration. After all, we are always looking for ways to gain such an important competitive advantage. Below are some marketing activities that might help to inspire your creativity.

1. Work with allies.

Marketing partnerships have many benefits for driving marketing activities. First, when you collaborate with other people, you tend to provide better content. Most importantly, marketing partnerships are cheaper to create, you can see success faster, and you can show your brand to new audiences.

For example, before being acquired by eBay, Half.com worked in Halfway, Oregon, and changed its name to Half.com in exchange for stocks, Internet access and other gifts. This strategy has attracted widespread attention from textbook rental companies. 

2. Embrace user generated content.

According to a survey of 839 millennials, they spend 5.4 hours a day watching content created by their peers. This accounts for 30% of their total media time and only competes with all traditional media types (print, radio and television) by 33%). “In the same survey,” Millennials reported that UGC’s influence on purchasing decisions is 20% higher than other media. “

You can share personal stories (Estee Lauder’s International Breast Cancer Action), exchange ideas (Salesforce’s Idea Exchange), and provide them with tools to create ads for you (in Instagram and Vine) or humor (Doritos Roulette). bag).

3. Collaborate with influential people.

Another way to work with the top influencers in your industry to gain new audiences and expand brand awareness. Home decor store Lowe’s allows “top designers and mom bloggers to take over Instagram accounts for several days at a time.” By allowing these influencers to share inspiring content, Lowe’s is able to attract new audiences.

4. Help customers solve problems.

Just like what HubSpot said: “You are in business because you provide solutions.” Some of the ways you can help customers solve problems are: create content descriptions; provide exclusive products that make life easier; listen /Respond to them; or create applications/tools.

You can also create a campaign like Orca Chevrolet did in Brazil. The company worked with a local towing company to reach the new Orca and rescue the stuck driver. Chevrolet not only saves the day, but also provides the driver with the opportunity to test drive the car.

5. Let customers interact.

No matter what product or service you provide, your customers want to interact with your company or at least other customers. For example, AMC has created an online tool that allows you to be a madman. American Express connects small business owners with each other and provides useful resources through its OPEN forum.

6. Try new channels and platforms.

Don’t hesitate to try new channels and platforms to promote your brand. As Clare McDermott, editor of Chief Content Officer magazine and owner of SoloPortfolio, pointed out in the Content Marketing Academy, the Pin.Pack.Go program was introduced on Pinterest for four seasons. This is an industry-first event that allows guests to jointly develop customer travel routes through the Pinterest board.

7. Take a bite of an apple.

Apple deserves special mention, mainly because it is a brand that has created a whole generation of lifelong supporters. How did they do it? Remember when the iPod was launched? When they use the figure of people who like iPods, Apple’s signature strategy now involves empathy, focus, and attribution. It may not be the best MP3 player, but it creates brand awareness and thus dominates the market.

8. Have fun.

You may have never heard of Dollar Shave Club before the company released a humorous YouTube video. The company continues to grow in the shaving industry. Taco Bell and Old Spice are other examples of companies having fun in marketing activities. You can participate in events you didn’t expect.

9. Get employees involved.

Let employees become your biggest advocates and brand advocates. This is the movement Caterpillar designed for It. These videos fully reflect the brand’s loyalty, thus inspiring their ability to share videos with friends and family.

10. A bit strange.

Sometimes you want to use it out of the box, which becomes a little strange. For example, to help launch the new FM 96.3 radio station in Glasgow, Scotland, the station has placed empty guitar stands throughout the city. hook? There is a slogan on each rack that reads: “Free air guitar. Please get one.” It is unique and perfectly matches the brand-who does not play air guitar when listening to the radio?

11. Don’t forget existing customers.

It is important to acquire new customers. But don’t forget the customers you already have. As Belle Beth Cooper pointed out in the Buffer blog, you can use the “inverted funnel” method. This may include making customers feel like members of an exclusive club, giving them extra discounts, and making them feel like VIPs.

12. Use big data to locate customers.

Big data is now helping retailers target specific customers. Red Roof Hotel uses the cancelled flight information to send messages to stranded passengers. The pizza chain uses data to send coupons to customers experiencing severe weather or power outages. In short, big data can be used to predict buying trends. With this information, you can contact consumers before they search for your product or service.

13. Enter the concrete jungle.

You can still do some offline marketing​​ to buzz around your product or service. For example, you can hire a painter to paint murals (permission is of course required). You can also take the Citi Bike Route. Getting cyclists to ride your logo or name is a smart way to attract attention. 

14. Nostalgia.

The entrepreneur shared an interesting discovery in the Consumer Research Magazine. The study found: “People who are asked to think about the past are willing to pay more for the product than people who are asked to think about new or future memories; another experiment shows that people who think of nostalgia are willing to pay for it. Perhaps this is why brands such as Coca-Cola, Calvin Klein and Internet Explorer have launched a series of campaigns to bring millennials back to the 90s.

15. Storytelling.

Storytelling is one of the most effective methods in marketing. But how do you modernize it? Axe’s “Susan Glenn” is a perfect example of modern stories shared on various media platforms. If you don’t remember, the axe will grab the memory of the girl who walked away. Stories involve not only repackaging of content, but also stories told in different ways on different channels. Times Square also screened a 60-second movie, interactive billboards and unbranded memes.

Summary

Using your marketing tools to hit a wall can stall your business and increase frustration. You need to think strategically in all your work and establish a strategic culture with the company. What strategy do you use to breathe life into marketing.

source from : https://www.inc.com/murray-newlands/15-marketing-strategies-that-inspire-strategic-thinkers.html