Using a reference list of creative marketing ideas can assist the business owner as a source of inspiration for planning new ideas about everyday events. The idea is not to repeat a marketing idea verbatim but to create a variation, a personalized version of the marketing idea. Once a list is created it should be kept, added to and referred to when inspired ideas are slow to form.
Use Photos
Words are not always the best form of marketing. Photographs or images can direct the customer to action: purchase, consume, request further information. Start photographing what the business does or creates. If it's baking cakes, then take photos of chefs making cakes, decorating cakes, happy customers with their cakes, delivering cakes, artful photos of ingredients for baking cakes. Ask a student photographer or local photography teacher to help set up a photography corner in the business, to capture products as they are created.
Identify Everyday Activities
Creative marketing does not have to be outrageous or expensive. Start taking note of everyday interactions with customers by making a list of the tasks and activities that happen during a day. Assess each interaction, or task, and note at what point marketing can occur: when handing the customer a receipt, handing the customer the bag, dropping off a completed project or product, meeting with the client, interacting with the public. For example, using a business logo linked with the word "quality" on every invoice, bag or receipt is a subtle reminder that the business can be trusted.
Create A Newsletter
Send customers a targeted marketing message every month by creating a newsletter. Target the message by choosing a product or service to focus on each month. Newsletters can be a single page (front and back) or several pages. Hire a local creative business writer to assist in writing articles and brainstorm attention-grabbing headlines. Use the newsletter to pull customers in by offering a coupon or a special gift each month. Collect addresses (postal and email) through a website, when services are rendered, or through other promotional events like conferences, trade shows or festivals.
Tags: baking cakes, each month, handing customer, marketing idea