4 Innovative Marketing & Advertising Ideas for Startups

If a business is to achieve any level of sustained success, it has to promote itself effectively. Customers have to know that your business exists before they can patronize it, after all. This fact may seem beyond obvious to some, but the reality is that many new companies struggle to advertise well, and they may fail to reach their target customer base as a result. Marketing and advertising has never been more complex, and standing out in a crowded field –– particularly for newcomers –– is extremely difficult. Today, we’ll highlight four innovative advertising ideas for startups so that they can hit the ground running and attract the right kind of attention:

Partner with a Charity

More and more businesses are realizing the value of marketing a noble cause. One of the best ways to immediately engender goodwill toward your company is to partner with a local charity. Consider donating half of your opening-weekend profits to a charitable cause and promote that fact on your social media pages. Doing so will incentivize consumers to check out your brand. Plus, this will lead to added exposure for the charity as well!

Participate in an AMA

Reddit has popularized the AMA –– ask me anything –– trope on social media. The major benefit of an AMA is that it allows curious consumers to question business owners, while affording the business owner the chance to explain what their business wants to achieve. Be careful though –– fielding unscreened questions from users on social media platforms can be a bit tricky. And if you’re not willing or able to answer certain queries, then opt for a different tactic.

Utilize Long-Tail Keywords

There’s a big difference between a shop that sells cheese and a shop that sells vegan-friendly cheese. The good news is that if your company sells or manufactures specific products (like vegan-friendly cheese) you can use long-tail keywords to rank for lucrative terms on search engines. Niche audiences offer growing businesses the opportunity to appeal directly to consumer needs. And by focusing on a particular market, a new business can slowly begin to build a solid reputation.

Go Where Your Customers Are

Traditional forms of advertising like billboards, newspapers, and radio ads can still be very effective when used well. Indeed, companies that understand consumer habits and preferences have a great chance of reaching them through traditional media. What’s more, some progressive businesses decide to advertise on barricades designed by companies like OTW Safety. These types of barricades often feature prominently at large sporting events or festivals and can give new businesses high-profile space to make an impression. At the end of the day, being creative and determining your customers’ preferences will go a long way toward winning them over with a marketing and advertising campaign.