Business Journals Leadership Trust is an invite-only network of influential business leaders, executives and entrepreneurs in your community. Original article posted here.
Most businesses run marketing campaigns via multiple channels, utilizing television, radio and print ads as well as social media, SEO tactics and online ads to get the attention of prospective customers. But sometimes, the best publicity happens via often-overlooked strategies or through organic methods such as word-of-mouth referrals from happy customers and employees.
But where can you find untapped marketing resources, and how do you generate unprompted positive attention? Below, 14 members of Business Journals Leadership Trust share their favorite ways to profitably advertise yourself outside of a traditional ad campaign.
1. Run internal marketing campaigns.
Our company runs internal marketing campaigns to create a unique customer experience to generate organic referrals. Our goal is to tap into social media referrals — cases where moms ask other moms who they recommend in our industry. We want to provide our customers with additional talking points that our competitors are not providing. – Brian McCarthy, Birmingham Orthodontics
2. Be generous with your help and advice.
By far the best strategy is being helpful. It almost seems too simple, but it works. In each industry, there is a network, and in a network, you build connections. When it comes to my thoughts or advice, I am generous. Then they call me when they need my paid services as well. – Cody McLain, SupportNinja
3. Improve local search results.
You’d be surprised how many businesses overlook the importance of maximizing the value of their “Google My Business” profile. It collects customer reviews and shares the quality of your products or services with potential customers. This is the kind of information that people see first when looking up your business online. – Keith Woods, KB Woods Public Relations
4. Participate in local competitions.
Our advertising budget is small, so we look for unique ways to build awareness organically. One way we do this is by participating in local competitions. Some award submissions require comprehensive applications while others are as simple as completing a Google form. By participating, we’re often featured in newspapers, magazines and digital outlets, which helps us advertise to a broader audience. – William Balderaz, Futurety
5. Add insightful comments to online discussions.
Go to your audience and add value. Find a discussion involving your target audience (e.g., on LinkedIn) and add comments that not only answer questions and add value but also show your expertise. If your comment has enough merit, it will get pushed to the top of the conversation. Use the organic nature of a popular conversation, fueled with your expertise, to spread your message. – Phillip Oakley, Common Giant
6. Work with microinfluencers and influencers.
Partner with microinfluencers and influencers. When you get the proper people to interact with your product, your brand’s message exponentially spreads. It’s no longer necessary to rely only on your direct audience. Instead, permit influencers to spread the word about your brand. – Wesleyne Greer, Transformed Sales
7. Share behind-the-scenes stories.
Behind every successful business, there are stories and exciting case studies. By offering clients and new connections insight into behind-the-scenes happenings, companies show their authenticity and add a personal touch to integrated marketing solutions with a commitment to thinking “outside of the box.” This might also be reflected in the communications provided to clients and prospects. – Joey Johnsen, Zeevo Group LLC
8. Solve problems in your community.
This is not a new idea, but it may be more important than ever. The most organic way to profitably advertise is to get involved in solving problems in your community — whether that community is a neighborhood, an industry or a global collection of like-minded individuals. Goodwill and self-satisfaction are important, but you will likely also create an army of evangelists for your business. – Scott White, BizCom Associates
9. Focus on building customer relationships.
We have always placed our marketing focus on customer relationships rather than paid advertising, and this has served us well. Hosting lunch-and-learns for continuing education, actively participating in industry groups, writing and speaking on relevant topics that add value, supporting workforce development efforts, hosting client events — these take more time than buying an ad, but they have a greater ROI. – Bill Imhoff, Intertech Flooring / W.E. Imhoff Inc.
10. Develop an eloquent elevator pitch.
There’s nothing that can replace an eloquent and meaningful elevator pitch — it’s an old standard, but it’s tried and true. Nothing tells a story better than direct communication between two people. And when that story is compelling and easy to retell, it spreads organically from employees to customers and well beyond. Spend the time to perfect these few short sentences and then shout them from rooftops. – Paul Weber, EAG Advertising & Marketing
11. Position your company as an industry expert.
Through SEO and well-researched keywords, your business can find its way to the featured snippet on Google. Being included on the first page of Google — especially in this highly sought-after spot — will quickly help your company become the go-to in that keyword’s niche. Google’s featured snippets help create an organic sense of rapport with the users. – Scott Scully, Abstrakt Marketing Group
12. Focus on personal referrals.
Data show us that personal referrals and reviews continue to gain strength as an advertising or promotional tool. Collecting and leveraging positive reviews of your work can be one of the most successful organic strategies in any sector. – Jeff Pinneo, M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust
13. Skip the funnel and develop loops.
Normally, marketers use funnels to measure the success of their advertising, with the acquisition of new customers being at the bottom of the funnel. However, one way to multiply the success of a campaign is to look at it as a loop instead of a funnel, where each new customer has an incentive to refer a friend or talk about the experience with others. – Vincent Phamvan, Vyten Career Coaching
14. Create happy clients.
Happy clients are the best form of organic advertising. In our age of social media (and social advertising), good old word of mouth still stands strong as a rock-solid way to profit and grow socially. – Rachel Namoff, Arapaho Asset Management
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