5 Uncommon Marketing Strategies for Startups
Most small businesses cost $3,000 to start, which isn’t little money. And if you’re a young entrepreneur, it’s very likely that your marketing budget is tight. But you don’t have to break the bank to get your name out there. Just focus on unique marketing strategies. In fact, the more unusual your marketing is, the more likely it is to convert into actual sales (remember the famous dollar shave club video?). Here’s what you should do.
Focus on Building Your Reputation
Being known for how good your products are is one of the secrets to being successful. But you’ve just started your business, and there’s no way for potential customers to know if they can trust you or not. Here’s what you can do to build a great reputation. Partner with other brands. If your product goes well with another brand’s product, partner with them and collaborate. It doesn’t have to be a large company, just be strategic about choosing the brand and make sure they give you good market visibility.
Have a Referral Program
A referral program can help you get a huge following quickly. Make the most of referral marketing and use existing customers to help you promote your product. A report by Nielsen found that 92% of people trust personal recommendations (from family and friends) more than any other recommendations. Everyone wants to buy a tried and tested product, they don’t want to be guinea pigs. Take advantage of this and give a reward to every customer that refers to someone.
Give Away Stickers
Sounds too simple to work? It not only works but has no competition when it comes to advertising value. The versatility of stickers allows you to use them in different places. Post them on cars, (with the owners’ consent, of course). Cars are great marketing tools because they’re always in motion. When printing the stickers, go for premium quality. This will make them look great and keep your brand visible for many years to come.
Have a Bigger Brand Feature You
Even before launching your startup, build relationships with bigger brands online. Social media gives you direct access to big brands that would have otherwise been inaccessible. Share their posts, comment on them, and engage with their content. After you start your business, ask if they can feature you in one of their posts. If you get featured by a large brand, you can be sure of a massive spike in traffic. For example, having a big brand share car stock photos of your dealership would give you a big traffic surge.
Give a Free Gift with Every Purchase
Everyone loves a free gift, so it’s an easy way to encourage people to try out what you’re selling. This research study broke it down to a science and found that promotions reduce the likelihood of customers returning a product. You can give a free gift with each product at the beginning, just make sure it’s something your business can afford to give. It doesn’t have to be an expensive gift, it can be as simple as a keychain. Building a brand is a never-ending process. Be creative from the start about how you market yours.
