By Funding Gates
It’s high time you’ve started to think outside the box as a small business owner. Traditional forms of advertising are great if you’re hoping to target a specific demographic or geographic location. If you’re wanting to reach the masses, however, you’re going to need to be a bit more creative.
With hundreds of thousands of businesses competing for your customers’ dollars, you need to stand out in a new and exciting way. Magazine and newspaper ads, commercials, and radio spots are only going to get you so far. The likelihood of your YouTube video going viral is slim (although possible).
So, what do you do to get others to take notice of your business and the products and services that it offers? Organize a flash mob and have them wear t-shirts with your business name on them? That’s always a possibility. It’s that kind of thinking that will put you ahead of the advertising game.
Here are a few suggestions that will help you put your marketing skills to good use.
1. Create a business card on wood or plastic.
Use a print service like Moo.com to create promotional items using non-traditional materials like wood or plastic. Sure they’ll cost more than paper business cards but they’ll work wonders by grabbing people’s attention and giving them something to talk about.
2. Wrap a vehicle with your business information.
If you don’t have a vehicle of your own that you can wrap, pay a local resident to drive around town in their own wrapped vehicle. It’s well worth the cost to have a “mobile billboard.” Hold a contest and award the winner the privilege of being your “mobile advertising director.”
3. Have custom sticky notes made and attach them to every surface you come into contact with.
Use a service like VistaPrint to create your own custom sticky notes. Hire someone to distribute them throughout the city. Like fliers, notes with your business name, address, phone number, and website URL can get people through your doors and inquiring about your products and services.
4. Throw a party.
Choose a theme that fits your business. Invite your customers to come out and enjoy your products and services. Offer a special discount for everyone in attendance. Create swag bags filled with your products to hand out to the first 25 people to RSVP. Use a service like Evite to send invitations electronically. You can also create a Facebook event to draw people in through the social networks and online advertising.
5. Create and distribute temporary tattoos before your event.
Some businesses have offered a lifetime of perks to people who tattoo a logo on their bodies. You don’t need to go to such extremes. Instead, you can create temporary tattoos and hand them out before an event. Encourage people to wear the tattoos to gain attendance to your party or soiree. Tattoo Sales is one company that makes custom temporary tattoos.
In today’s world, you’ve got to be remarkable to make it big. Use your talent and creativity to come up with new ways to advertise your business. Get your community involved. This is a fun and lucrative way to boost sales, gain new customers, and stand out in your city as one of the businesses to buy from.
This article was originally published on Funding Gates. Funding Gates is the world’s first