Sometimes All It Takes Is Getting A Little Creative with Your Marketing

Have a little fun with your marketing and get creative. A game or trinket might be all it takes... 

If you know me or my company, you know I am a Certified Constant Contact Solution Provider. Don't stop reading yet! This article isn't about Constant Contact per se...

What it is about is Constant Contact's (CTCT) unique marketing program geared to the reseller, not you the end user. Sort of. 

For the past two summers, CTCT has run a program called Summer Camp for us Solution Providers. All we had to do is register to participate and play the game. Once registered, a great box of CTCT swag arrived along with our mtrail map for Summer Camp. It's kind of unique in that, the trail map outlines 7 weeks of activities we as solution providers have to do. Each week we are asked to complete the task on the trail map. We then get to put a sticker on the map for that activity. At the end of the 7 weeks we have received ballots for prizes to be drawn from those who participated. We receive a ballot for each successful activity completed, and bonus ballots as well for extra activities. Some of the activities were as simple as attending a webinar, others asked us to post or send out a video. Simple stuff. 

I called it a 'unique marketing program' for two reasons: 

1. As solution providers it forced us to participate in the activities, learning about new product updates, getting to know the team at CTCT, and;
2. It forced us as solution providers to be more active in our own marketing about Constant Contact and it's great selection of email marketing and social tools. 

BONUS! 

The result:

Well educated Solution Providers and more activity in promoting their brand. 

Creative Marketing Helps People Remember Your Brand

A few years ago, I was looking for an idea for my own company -- if you met me then, or attended one of my Niagara area workshops, you probably saw this. Basically, I wanted a brochure to hand out when I was out networking -- and I do a ton of networking. My problem is, with everything I offer, that brochure would have been a book... So instead, I started thinking about creative ways to give people an idea of what I do, without writing that book.  The next thing I knew, I had an origami brochure -- you know that little finger game kids play. 

Getting creative accomplished a few things:

1. It told people what I did and how to reach me
2. It became a conversation piece
3. It showed my creativity 
4. It made people remember me and my brand
5. It made them work -- (often I handed it out flat and asked the recipient to fold it correctly) 

Getting creative with your marketing doesn't need to cost a fortune. In this case, it was a graphic design and printing. Done. 

10 Creative Marketing Ideas that Don't Cost a Fortune

1. Make an origami brochure like above - just search origami patterns, you'll find a whack of them. 
2. Try making your marketing piece a paper airplane instead -- of course you'll have to have a catchy message to go with it. 
3. Do a spoof on your product or service -- One of my customers years ago handed out band-aids as his business card. He was in the knife sharpening business. 
4. Make your business card stand out - different size, different shape, or if you do have a few bucks to spend, really make it unique. ie. If you sell cheese, make your card a cheese grater...
5. Mail your potential clients a unique letter with something in the envelope. ie. pen, tiny toy, anything that makes the envelope lumpy. Curiosity killed the cat you know... 
6. Create a game similar to the one above, if the prize is what people are looking for, they will participate. 
7. Tie a sample of your product to a business card
8. Here's an oldie but a goodie -- mail a personalized greeting card, thank you, welcome - anything.   Snail mail is making a come back. 
9. One of my favourites - the good old fashion post-it-note. Hand deliver your brochure in an envelope, on the outside of the envelope, put a post-it-note with the words 'Knock. Knock'. People just have to find out what the joke is.. 
10. and the bonus... idea, again snail mail, put a length of string tied (long enough for that old string game on the fingers -- you know the one) in an envelope with a bit of the string sticking out when you seal it. Again, curiosity killed the cat.  The reason for the string -- nastalgia! People love almost anything that makes them think of their childhood...

The point is: Be Different. Stand out from your competitors. 

and don't forget the follow up! Get just as creative with your drip campaigns!

If you need a little help with that 'creative marketing idea', give us a call 905-734-8273. 

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