There’s nothing wrong with ‘regular’ marketing, but there are always other approaches that can garner good results. Alternative marketing is simply about looking at things differently. You might not find this advice in a textbook, or a ‘get good at marketing quick’ course, but when you think about it, it all makes sense.
Nowadays, almost all of our marketing is done in bulk, with the idea of cutting out the competition and reaching as many potential customers as possible. What if we turned that idea on its head and instead of reaching as many people as possible, we connected with just one or two really, really well? Having a handful of loyal customers is more valuable to a business than having a couple of dozen one-purchase-only customers. Your loyal customers will come back time and time again, but what’s more is that they’ll tell other people about your company, creating more loyal customers in their wake. These alternative marketing techniques are all about creating loyal new customers.
Try a Giveaway
One of the sectors that spends a great deal of time and money on customer acquisition is the gaming sector. In order to stand out from the noise of the crowd, offering customers deals like free slot machine spins or deposit match bonuses can make a site more appealing than the competition. These sorts of marketing tools can be invaluable, particularly to businesses that are service-based, or who sell low-cost products. The way that your giveaway is going to differ is that you’ll be giving away different things to different customers. If you’re looking to acquire brand new customers who’ve not heard of your brand before, then put out a call to ask what people would like to see given away on your social media channels. Once you’ve got a winner, contact the people who chose it and offer it to them. Not only will the interaction on social media gather interest, but the people who voted will be touched that you reached out to them individually.
Email As You Would a Friend
To expand on the idea of reaching out to customers individually, make sure you tailor your approach to each one. When sending out emails, always address the customer with their first name; if you have the luxury of working in a small business, then try to remember something about each customer. Maybe they had a wedding coming up, a promotion at work, or even an appointment with the hairdresser. Mention this in your outreach emails and ask them how it went, as you would if you were talking to a friend. Providing your existing customers with the personal touch lets them know that they’re cared for and this will spur them on to tell their friends about you. If you work for or own an enormous business then there are shortcuts to this approach, which may not generate such outstanding results in every individual case, but will be effective at scale. There are some companies, such as Nifty, that will personalize your email images so that when you send out your mailing list, the images will be adorned with the customer’s name. It might seem like a small touch, but it works!
Stop, Collaborate & Listen
One of the things that we’re taught in traditional marketing, and that we desperately need to unlearn, is the need to stamp out all competition. Whilst standing out from the competition is important, smothering the competition simply isn’t. We grow better through competing, so instead of fighting against them, we could learn to work with them. Identify some of your competitors and whittle down the selection into businesses that you could successfully collaborate with. A company that does exactly the same thing as you might not be ideal, but a company that could operate parallel to yours would be the perfect choice. Think about how you could benefit each other and approach them with the idea. You might be surprised at how many of your previously identified competitors could actually become your best and most valued collaborators.
