You have an amazing business…but no knows about it.
And it’s not because you haven’t worked hard, failed to legitimize what you’re offering, or lack the quality to get you to where you need to be. It’s probably because of two things: you’re not advertising well, or you simply don’t have the funds.
Don’t worry, though! Marketing your business doesn’t have to be overwhelming or difficult, and it doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg, either. It does, however, require some out-of-the-box thinking sometimes.
Here are four counterintuitive ways to market your business that, in all honesty, might go against everything you’ve always thought.
1. Offer your products and services for free (to a close network of people).
This seems a little outlandish, right? But hear me out. Although you don’t want to get caught up in giving away free services all the time, this can be an extremely useful way to get people interested in what you have to offer.
First, set limitations. What might work best for you could be offering free services to your friends and family, your small subscriber base, email newsletter/exclusive Facebook group, etc. Get creative with how you offer people, too, to create incentive. You could, for example, make a contest on a social media page to also boost your engagement!
Although it seems silly to work for free, it’s so beneficial in helping you build your portfolio! Plus, make sure you share about this online, too, so that it gives validity to your online presence.
2. Coordinate an elaborate, in-person networking event for your ideal audience.
You don’t have time, I get it. The last thing you want to do is carve out hours and hours of your week making another event for people who may or may not grace you with their presence. This sounds counterintuitive to your time, but there are two benefits to this:
A) If you spend time thinking about who your target audience is, you will have a better feel for how to market to them, and thus get them interested.
B) When you host a local, elaborate event you show people in your area that you are someone they should take note of. Beyond the exchanging of business cards and conversations with potential clients, you establish yourself as a leader in both your industry and community. That’s invaluable.
3. Boost another business.
Boosting another seems counterintuitive to your growth. However, when you collaborate with other entities, groups, and people, you create a community that’s more powerful and engaging. Think of it this way: if customers see you working alongside a sister company, they’ll respect the camaraderie and potentially join both.
It’s also an easy way to tap into more than one audience without all the work.
4. Forget social media for a second.
Okay, just for just a second, though, because there is a lot of power in social media. But before you get ahead of yourself trying to post on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, etc. make sure that you have a standout website.
People think that social media rules all, and while it’s very important, it’s not everything.
Depending on where you stand, this may or may not be counterintuitive advice, but by all means—before you start rapidly sharing ‘call to action’ posts on your Facebook, make sure your audience has a place to click to: your website.
Featured Image Credit: Kaleidico
