[A Guest Blog Post for Ripl Customers]
By: Katrina Hatchett | Blogger at Academic Brits and writer for Origin Writings
In marketing, it can sometimes seem like every idea has been done before and it can create pressure to come up with an original concept. Luckily for you, an idea doesn’t have to be new or different to be successful. We’ve come up with 10 marketing ideas to help inspire your next venture.
1. Get Blogging
Blogging is really important as it allows you to produce high-quality content for your product or business. This is helpful in terms of your website’s SEO, builds your reputation and trustworthiness, and will stay around longer than other content you create. If you struggle with writing, you can always hire a blogger for your business!
2. Start an Email Campaign
Studies show that for every dollar invested into an email marketing campaign, the average return on investment is roughly 38 dollars. This is a huge investment considering you can set up your campaign parameters once and have it working for you in the background while you focus on other marketing ideas.
3. Develop a Strategy for Social Media
Most likely you already have social media accounts for your business, but have you developed a clear strategy for how and when to use these? Lucinda Freeland, senior marketer at Writemyx and Brit student, says that “the research behind a successful social media strategy is constantly evolving with users’ needs, and your strategy should evolve accordingly.” Review your strategy to see if it’s up to date, or develop one from scratch if you haven’t yet.
4. Check Out Pinterest
Pinterest is a great place to look for design examples, infographics, page layouts, etc. It can take time to sort through them all, but if you’re patient you can find some great content. It’s also extremely useful to get on Pinterest as it can increase your website’s traffic immensely, and is a free platform that is almost like another social media account.
5. Organize an Event
A great way to build your network quickly and efficiently is by hosting an event for your company. This will have multiple benefits, such as give you some good PR, expand your customer base and outreach, and grow your network with other business insiders. This doesn’t need to be a complicated, elaborate event; an informal meet and greet or wine and cheese would do the trick!
6. Get Involved in the Community
It’s important for businesses to be seen to be involved in the community and giving back. Consider sponsoring a local team or event, or host a contest or game to win prizes from the company. Yes, this is an added expense, but the exposure and potential for return are well worth the investment. Also, this is a great PR opportunity and shows the community you’re invited in them as well.
7. Re-energize your Brand
Hold a survey and find out what people think of your branding. Is it current, exciting, and user-friendly? Or do people find it boring or uninspiring. There’s never a bad time for a rebranding or tweaking your brand – this includes your website, messaging, graphics, motto, etc. What are your values and what image do you want your company to project? Once you know that, it should be simple to make consistent changes to the brand.
8. Advertising
Start an ad campaign by looking into Facebook or LinkedIn advertising. If your scope is local, reach out to radio or TV stations for the area to see if that could work for you. Don’t dismiss newspaper advertising, either! Many people still read the newspaper, and also placing an ad in their online publication will expand your exposure.
9. Don’t Forget About the Post
Most people love getting a good old-fashioned letter in the mail, as this is much less common now. Rhonda Jones, marketing manager at 1Day2write and Australia2write has this tip: “don’t stop your marketing strategy at email deliveries, but add that friendly touch with a flyer or postcard which lets prospective buyers know you’re willing to go above and beyond.”
10. Focus on Customer Relationships
The takeaway here is to focus on having strong and lasting relationships with your clientele. Known your audience and target your marketing towards them, or it won’t be successful. If your marketing focus is on the right customer base, your added efforts will be recognized and you’ll be rewarded with loyal customers.
Katrina Hatchett, a lifestyle blogger at Academic Brits and writer for Origin Writings, is involved in many business projects. She enjoys identifying project problems and find solutions for these, and her goal is to improve the effectiveness of our communication.
