5 Unusual Marketing Tactics That Actually Work

Getting your message out into the world is an essential part of making it as a modern business, yet many entrepreneurs and business owners are finding it difficult if not downright impossible to set themselves apart from their competitors.

Despite the increased reliance on digital technology across the marketing industry in recent years, too many marketing professionals find themselves sick and tired of traditional social media campaigns that keep generating lackluster results. In this day and age, you need an unusual tactic to achieve your marketing goals.

Here are 5 unusual marketing tactics that actually work, and why you’ll need to think outside of the box in order to succeed.

1. Join the trend of augmented reality

While many people have been breathlessly waiting for virtual reality technology for years now, the truth of the matter is that augmented reality tech is much more impressive and already here and disrupting our markets. Augmented reality, or a virtual overlay that fits onto a real-world video, is being harnessed by clever marketers for a wide variety of uses, including selling real estate and marketing new games.

The AR software market is growing incredibly quickly, meaning AR marketing techniques are going to keep growing more popular as they become cheaper and more accessible to a wider array of companies.

Already, however, there are reasons to believe that businesses of all shapes and sizes can tap into AR to impress potential customers. From Ikea to Coca-Cola, some of the world’s biggest brands are tapping into augmented reality with use cases that produce enviable results.

2. Respond to social media mentions

Responding to social media mentions is a natural part of any good marketing strategy on today’s most popular platforms, yet too few businesses and marketing gurus are taking the necessary amount of time and attention to reach out to consumers directly.

For the most part, people who directly mention your brand on social media are likely already engaged with it in some form, having already purchased your products or services or finding themselves likely to do so in the near-future. Often, these mentioners have suffered from a bad product or poor experience and need help, so reaching out to them can illustrate that your business cares about its customers and delivering meaningful results.

As Twitter itself points out, responding to customer mentions yields good results only when done properly, so do your homework if you don’t want to accidentally spoil your name in public.

3. Get creative with your content

One of the only surefire ways to ensure that your customers actually remember your marketing campaign is to ensure that it’s creative and presents a unique digital customer experience. Yet far too many businesses avoid anything controversial out of fear they’ll offend the public. In reality, however, getting creative is necessary if you want to generate a buzz, so don’t be afraid to release your wild side when it comes to generating marketing content.

As Dollar Shave Club recently demonstrated with a wild ad campaign that generated tremendous success for the brand, sometimes you really need to think outside of the box and jar customers in order to get them interested in your products or services.

4. Enter into local contests

Far too many entrepreneurs have their eyes on the national stage, eager to become overnight successes when in reality they should be focusing on mastering their local markets before moving on to bigger fish. Entering into local contests is a great way to build your brand in your home town while simultaneously demonstrating that your business is a cut above the rest. The types of contests you can enter will vary drastically depending on your business, but don’t be afraid to survey local or regional events for opportunities to bolster the prestige of your company by winning a lofty award or title.

Sometimes, customers make a commercial decision on the basis of a company’s authenticity and prestige. Being locally renowned for winning contests is important, so don’t be afraid to put your hat in the ring and get competitive to bolster your marketing efforts.

5. Generate an interesting quiz

Finally, if there’s one thing that’s been proven over recent years, it’s that digital users respond positively to engaging quizzes that make them feel involved in the marketing efforts they’re being exposed to. Many companies think that getting creative and ambitious by offering a quiz is out of bounds, yet many customers in countless industries are looking for something interesting to break up the dull events scrolling past their timelines.

Digital advertising is often about bolstering engagement and getting people to pay attention when they’re otherwise scrolling mindlessly past endless content, so don’t think that a quiz will hurt your prospects of drawing their eye.

Before long, you’ll learn that unusual marketing tactics are necessary to generate a buzz. Rely on these tips, and soon you’ll be seeing more customers than ever.