You spent an incredible amount of time and energy theorizing and developing a product or service. Now, it’s time to make money. While a well-planned launch can usher interest, sales, and advocacy, overall, a brand needs to continue on sparking brand recognition. Here’s how to get people talking about your product or service.
Host an Event
If you have a physical location, invite people to come celebrate an event. Depending on the nature of product and interest of target market, it could be activity or informationally oriented. Similarly, you could rent space at a local hotel or building. While the event does not have to focus on the unveiling of a product or service, consider ways to draw attention to what you offer the market.
Donate to a Charity
People love advocacy and the act of giving. Make a one-time or ongoing donation to a popular charity, specifically one that pulls on the heartstrings of your target market. Reach out to charity representatives and inquire about an ongoing relationship which prolongs the exposure of your brand. Some companies orchestrate campaigns where they will match the donations of clients, which ushers more goodwill and positive association to the brand.
Hire a Driver
Mobile advertising comes naturally to some business models. For example, a pizza shop dresses a driver and car in company advertising. When on delivery, a driver is advertising for the shop and building awareness. However, you don’t need to provide the public with pizza to advertise in that manner. Hire a driver and provide them with a car wrap.
Buy Radio Advertising
While some businesses are discouraged by the number of people listening to traditional radio, there’s plenty of opportunity for small and midsize businesses to reach target markets from the airwaves. Similarly, you could buy advertising from a streaming service, which is more popular with younger markets and part of a rising trend of listening.
Hire a PR Person
While you could devote time toward formulating a campaign and identifying clever ways to reach your target market, your time could be better spent on getting clients, watching workers, etc. Therefore, a PR person could spearhead an advertising and marketing campaign from end to end. Opt to hire a college grad or recruit a seasoned veteran with years of experience.
Label Swag
People love getting free stuff. Do research while purchasing swag labeled with your company name. Choose an opportune moment, such as when attending a conference or a crowded concert venue, then start giving stuff away. People will be blown away by the act of kindness and hopefully spread good cheer about your business.
Offer Scholarships
People appreciate businesses that are looking out for youngsters. Give opportunity to people in the area looking to attend school but need financial aid. Spread the word via press releases, writing to local news people, and buying advertising on appropriate channels (Google, etc).
Sponsor Local Teams
If you live in an area with local sports teams, it may be a worthwhile business venture to back a team, reserving your name in the mouths of announcers as well as amid basketball courts, baseball diamonds, and skate rinks. It’s a clever way for a smaller business to make major headway in an area full of sports fanatics.
Create a Hashtag
You see them everywhere, and associated content can cause a viral stir on and offline. You may benefit from the help of a social media expert or advertising agency familiar with online campaigns and effectively creating hashtags to build awareness, drive traffic to web pages, and sell items and services.
Ideate a Mascot
How can you make car insurance a bit more interesting? Associate the brand with a talking lizard perhaps? Creating a mascot seems out of place in some situations and maybe a bit more appealing to children, yet people of all ages appreciate creativity. Ideating a mascot could make a lot of sense given the right context and may attract more interest. It also lends itself to more ideas regarding advertising and marketing products. It’s a good idea for owners who are shy or businesses that lack a brand ‘face.’
Content Marketing
Content marketing is a broad area of online marketing that seeks to drive more traffic and build awareness to a brand. Optimizing on and off site pages, a content marketing campaign can draw attention, drive traffic, inspire sales, and gain links to a brand’s homepage, all of which are sound online initiatives.
