How does a small business like yours cut through, stand out and succeed in a competitive market?
Competing head-on with major players and their marketing budgets is not going to happen. Bigger brands have always dominated advertising channels and always will. Do what they do and your voice won't get heard.
So what can you do about it? Creative marketing tactics need to become the lifeblood of your businesses. Creativity is a great equaliser. Imposing restrictions, like a lack of money, will force you to come up with different ideas.
By out-thinking your competition, you can carve out a niche and captivate audiences in ways that big brands can only dream of.
Embrace Creativity on a Budget
Effective marketing doesn't have to break the bank. Indeed, most impactful marketing is born out of creativity rather than cash. So, how can you do it without draining your resources?
Start by storytelling: Stories have a unique ability to engage audiences and forge emotional connections. It will help you humanise your brand, share your journey, and engage people on a deeper level. You have every distribution channel available to be seen and heard, so find ways to bring your story to life.
Create experiences: If you interact and connect with your audience, you can leave a lasting impression. Physical and virtual events are the easiest way to do this.
User-generated content: Your customers can be your best brand ambassadors. Encourage participation from your audience and use it to amplify your voice. Not only does this build trust and credibility, but it also creates a sense of community around your brand. At its most basic, this is customer testimonials, reviews, and user-generated photos or videos.
Partnerships: Collaborate with people in your niche to grow your brand's reach. This works for B2B and B2C. Look for people and businesses whose values align with yours and whose audience overlaps with your target market. Authenticity is key — only choose those who genuinely resonate with your brand and can authentically add something.
Design Thinking is your Secret Weapon
It's difficult to come up with ideas on your own, so get together with others for short and intense bursts to generate ideas. We use a design thinking approach.
Think about the restrictions that will force you to think differently:
What if I had no money at all?
What if I had to spend £250k on it by the end of the week?
What if I had to triple my money on the activity?
You can even impose other restrictions to force your thinking:
What if I had to do it tomorrow?
What if I had to outsource it completely?
What if I had to get a five-year-old to run it?
What if I could only use offline activity?
Creativity can be the secret weapon that sets your businesses apart. You don’t have a choice.
Measuring the Success of Your Creative Marketing Tactics
Experimentation is the key. Not every idea will work, and that's fine. The key is to quickly measure the success of your efforts, learn from your experiences, and iterate accordingly.
Track the performance of your marketing activity to identify what's working and what's not, and refine your strategies for optimal results.
Your marketing tactics can be cost-effective and your message can break through the noise and engage your audiences in meaningful ways.
Think big, come up with ideas, and make them happen to let your brand be heard.
If this issue resonates and you want some help, drop us a line and we'll take you through some solutions.
