Surviving as a business in today's challenging and competitive world means being innovative enough to reach new audiences. You have to break through the noise and get creative if you want to reach potential customers who might not be so easily impressed by traditional efforts.
Are you ready to push the boundaries and captivate a new crowd with your brand? Check out these five unconventional ways to expand your audience:
1. Brand Your Way To Success
Branded promotional products are an incredibly easy way to expand your audience as a business. They will, of course, please your existing clients and customers. After all, who doesn’t want to receive high-quality products they can enjoy and use for free? However, the best aspect of branded products is that they have the power to reach beyond the people you gift them to.
Your quality merchandise will also have an impact on the people around your customers who may not otherwise hear about you. This includes their families, friends, colleagues, business partners, investors – the list is endless. Items like branded calendars, pens, mugs and other office staples are particularly effective as they are often utilised in places where fresh eyes will see them.
2. Educate And Entertain
Entertaining content can do wonders for your brand, but combining it with educational content (explainers, behind-the-scenes, industry-relevant talks) gives you a much broader reach. This approach may feel unconventional for brands that focus exclusively on promotions and don’t expand their content beyond that theme.
The impact can be exceptionally high if you’re creating high-quality content that utilises popular content forms like video, which is thought to enhance backlinks, keep visitors on your site longer, improve your ROI, and increase customer trust in your brand. The more entertaining, well-considered, and relevant your content is, the more people you will reach.
3. Collaborate With New Influencers
With influencer marketing, it’s best to focus on influencers who are relevant to your target markets. However, it is also important to source the freshest talent. Instead of looking for the biggest players, be open to influencers who may niche audiences you want to access.
It’s also a good idea to work with influencers across different platforms. Statistics show that Instagram is one of the most popular places for influencer collaborations. However, TikTok is rapidly growing. It’s also an excellent option for short-form videos and collaboration with micro-influencers.
4. Gamify
Gamification can boost customer acquisitions by a massive 700%. People love playing games, so by integrating game mechanics into your marketing efforts, you can incentivise engagement with a new audience.
You’re also likely to increase loyalty. Think of reward systems, virtual competitions, benefits, or bonus interactive animations (e.g. spins the wheel to win a percentage off your shop). This novelty factor cannot be underestimated in your quest to reach a wider audience.
5. Sponsor, Host, Or Participate In Events
Whether it’s a seminar, local festival, workshop, or charity fundraiser, being involved in these kinds of events allows you to directly interact with potential customers in a way that will be memorable and long-lasting. You can showcase your brand's values, personality and benefits with signage, talks, promotional brand items and engagement.
The more impactful the event, the more likely it will be that you gain a few new brand fans. You can then further that reach with social media coverage, using the event to acquire customer details and then staying in touch on social media and via email.
Break Boundaries & Expand Your Brand Horizons
Standing out in a crowded and competitive environment requires equal parts creativity and courage. Embrace unconventional audience expansion strategies like the ones described above, and confidently delve into new markets.