How to market a company.
January 11, 2012 8:45 AM Subscribe
Help me brainstorm and find new ways to market our company!
Work is asking us in the marketing department to brainstorm new ways of marketing our company and our products. Currently my group creates product flyers and produces web content. I need to find examples of great new ways techniques that are being introduced into our field. This can include websites, or examples of promotional materials so we can add some elements to our website and re-design our flyers.
So I'm looking for some help as I begin my search. We already have a great website, so it wouldn't be along the line of "oh organize or re-design your website like this company." More like, hey, these guys at this company are doing this awesome thing where they (insert example). Does that make sense?
I'm not sure how much we can re-design our product flyers (this is for software products), but if there are any examples out there illustrating great flyer design I would love to see them. The reason I'm seeking examples is to provide some inspiration, and get the juices flowing.
We already do social media etc so I'm not looking for advice on getting a Twitter account, or a Facebook page. Although I realize that these elements are much more advanced and creative then I just put it, we won't be focusing on this area for this project.
As always, thanks for your help in advance!
Work is asking us in the marketing department to brainstorm new ways of marketing our company and our products. Currently my group creates product flyers and produces web content. I need to find examples of great new ways techniques that are being introduced into our field. This can include websites, or examples of promotional materials so we can add some elements to our website and re-design our flyers.
So I'm looking for some help as I begin my search. We already have a great website, so it wouldn't be along the line of "oh organize or re-design your website like this company." More like, hey, these guys at this company are doing this awesome thing where they (insert example). Does that make sense?
I'm not sure how much we can re-design our product flyers (this is for software products), but if there are any examples out there illustrating great flyer design I would love to see them. The reason I'm seeking examples is to provide some inspiration, and get the juices flowing.
We already do social media etc so I'm not looking for advice on getting a Twitter account, or a Facebook page. Although I realize that these elements are much more advanced and creative then I just put it, we won't be focusing on this area for this project.
As always, thanks for your help in advance!
I know you're writing off social media as not your focus.. but when you say you "do social media" does that mean you just randomly post about your products/company on twitter and facebook? Or do you respond to questions, concerns, and complaints directly, out there in public for all to see? Do you retweet someone when they say they love your product? I know for me, the things that have made me warm up to new products almost instantly is seeing some human element from the company. Someone responding to consumers.
Consumers are moving away from being fed information via flyers and commercials and more towards listening what other consumers say.
The main source of introduction to new products, for me, have been blogs and youtube videos. Blogs of people talking about the product, blogs of people hacking the product to do something else, videos of how the product looks in real life (such as unboxing videos), video of how to use the product. All of that. I'm interested in what other consumers are doing with your product and what they think about it.
Find a way to get your product into the hands of people who are likely to blog, tweet, or otherwise show other people what they did with it and what they think.
posted by royalsong at 9:04 AM on January 11, 2012
Consumers are moving away from being fed information via flyers and commercials and more towards listening what other consumers say.
The main source of introduction to new products, for me, have been blogs and youtube videos. Blogs of people talking about the product, blogs of people hacking the product to do something else, videos of how the product looks in real life (such as unboxing videos), video of how to use the product. All of that. I'm interested in what other consumers are doing with your product and what they think about it.
Find a way to get your product into the hands of people who are likely to blog, tweet, or otherwise show other people what they did with it and what they think.
posted by royalsong at 9:04 AM on January 11, 2012
Depends on your target, but even B2B can find social media advertising has decent ROI (FB and Twitter).
posted by dripdripdrop at 9:07 AM on January 11, 2012
posted by dripdripdrop at 9:07 AM on January 11, 2012
how about hosting a moderated discussion forum on your companies server to ostensible launch new product information and allow a community to foster....
posted by chasles at 9:09 AM on January 11, 2012
posted by chasles at 9:09 AM on January 11, 2012
It's not new-fangled in the slightest, but what about a contest? People love to enter sweepstakes.
posted by xingcat at 9:21 AM on January 11, 2012
posted by xingcat at 9:21 AM on January 11, 2012
Find some really popular and deserving local charities, and do a website and flyer for them. On the back of the flyer and on the bottom banner of the website, in tastefully modest way, put the logo and contact info of your company, and mention you did it for free for the charity - "Brochure design and production courtesy XYZ corp", "Web design and facilitation by XYZ corp."
These will go over in a big way at the usual local business events - successful and well-off (as in they have money to pay you) clients will likely be donors or know donors to the charity, and it will please them to see something they care about given professional treatment.
posted by Slap*Happy at 9:30 AM on January 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
These will go over in a big way at the usual local business events - successful and well-off (as in they have money to pay you) clients will likely be donors or know donors to the charity, and it will please them to see something they care about given professional treatment.
posted by Slap*Happy at 9:30 AM on January 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
"Web design and facilitation donated by by XYZ corp.", I meant to type.
posted by Slap*Happy at 9:32 AM on January 11, 2012
posted by Slap*Happy at 9:32 AM on January 11, 2012
I question why anything would sound robotic in the first place. Speak as you would in real life. If you believe in what you are selling you are passionate about, speak with that passion. If what you are selling is interesting, speak with that interest. If what you are selling does something really good for the customer, speak of the good. Get real and away from the bullet points. It's the way of good new marketing, in my opinion. Don't bullshit and be honest. Amazing how your customers will support you, and help do your work for you that way.
posted by Vaike at 9:56 AM on January 11, 2012
posted by Vaike at 9:56 AM on January 11, 2012
organize a free luncheon/seminar and invite your target audience to experience what you are trying to sell them.
posted by JXBeach at 10:16 AM on January 11, 2012
posted by JXBeach at 10:16 AM on January 11, 2012
You've made no mention of email marketing.
posted by DarlingBri at 2:04 PM on January 11, 2012
posted by DarlingBri at 2:04 PM on January 11, 2012
It's really difficult to come up with "innovative" ideas for marketing a product when I don't know what that product is, except that it's software.
So I'll fall back on this generic advice. WWIC Why wasn't I consulted?
Here's his advice for book snobs:
In short - are you focusing on the customers or are you focusing on the product? At the end of the day, the product exists to fill a customer need. Unless you really, really, really know your customers, nothing else falls into place.
posted by MesoFilter at 3:16 PM on January 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
So I'll fall back on this generic advice. WWIC Why wasn't I consulted?
Here's his advice for book snobs:
The web is not, despite the desires of so many, a publishing medium. The web is a customer service medium. “Intense moderation” in a customer service medium is what “editing” was for publishing.You know... Do you engage your community? Do you have a community? Do your have some mechanism for customers to tell others how much they love you? Do you have some mechanism for your customers to tell you what could be improved in the products?
That's what I tell my Gutenbourgeois friends, if they'll listen. I say: Create a service experience around what you publish and sell. Whatever “customer service” means when it comes to books and authors, figure it out and do it. Do it in partnership with your readers. Turn your readers into members. Not visitors, not subscribers; you want members. And then don't just consult them, but give them tools to consult amongst themselves. These things are cheap and easy now if you hire one or two smart people instead of a large consultancy. Define what the boundaries are in your community and punish transgressors without fear of losing a sale. Then, if your product is good, you'll sell things. (Don't count on your fellow Gutenbourgeois to buy things. They're clicking the little thumb icon on YouTube like everyone else.) If you don't want to do that then just find niche communities who might conceivably care about your products and buy great ad placements. It's a better online spend.
In short - are you focusing on the customers or are you focusing on the product? At the end of the day, the product exists to fill a customer need. Unless you really, really, really know your customers, nothing else falls into place.
posted by MesoFilter at 3:16 PM on January 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
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posted by modoriculous at 8:50 AM on January 11, 2012