It’s no exaggeration to say content is king in our digital landscape. It is at once a tool for information and a contributing factor to successful top-of-funnel marketing. Indeed, the various formats you can create content in make it an agile way to approach consumer engagement. However, it can still be challenging to drive audiences toward your content in the first place.
There are certainly some relatively reliable methods most brands in the digital marketplace use. However, these can become a little stale if you depend on them too often. As such, a little outside-of-the-box thinking can be a way to entice audiences toward your content and boost your brand.
Let’s face it, going guerilla now and then helps to spur innovative ways of thinking in your business, too. We’re going to examine some of the unconventional ways you can drive audiences toward your content. What methods can be effective? How should you use them for the biggest impact?
Table of Contents
Creative Collaborations
In all likelihood, your content largely revolves around pinpointing the attention of your target demographic and improving their customer experience. This can be a positive and impactful approach. Not to mention that you’ve probably put a lot of time, energy, and investment in learning about your demographic so you can cater to them. However, there are times when exploring outside of your buyer personas can help you engage with a much wider audience.
Creative collaborations can be a good route to follow here. This involves having the confidence to buck against conventional wisdom by teaming up with businesses, personalities, or influencers you wouldn’t normally be associated with. Find ways to join your various areas of expertise for a mutually interesting result.
Capitalize on the juxtaposition of your brands. This isn’t just about each of you benefiting from exposure to one another’s audiences; it is a chance to create unexpected content that can drive further engagement.
You may find this is particularly effective when making video collaborations. One of the reasons video is a great form of content marketing is its attractive consumable nature and ability to offer a wide selection of formats. You can also be effective here on a small budget.
There are free and accessible video editing tools you and your collaborators can use to create high-quality and impactful content. Alongside seamlessly putting together shots you and your collaborator film separately, many platforms allow you to incorporate professional-looking transitions and special effects.
Physical Spaces
When it comes to the online marketplace, there is a tendency to get stuck in the digital feedback loop. A lot of brands make the mistake of thinking the only way to get people to engage with their online content is by utilizing online methods. The result is these companies miss out on some valuable tools by ignoring the unconventional. The truth is, physical spaces can be a great resource for driving audiences to your content marketing too.
Street art has been a particularly effective approach in recent years. Rather than invest in an easily ignored billboard, creating art results in a more engaging experience for audiences. Aside from the immediate emotional response of public art, it also offers a reason for people to take photos and share the results on social media.
Large brands like Netflix and Oatly have found success with this approach, but it’s far from outside the reach of small to medium-sized businesses. Indeed, working with emerging and local artists adds a valuable element of authenticity.
However, it’s also worth noting your physical spaces don’t need to be static. Producing vehicle wraps or billboards with quick response (QR) codes directly to your content can be effective. It also offers wider exposure due to the mobile nature of the approach.
That said, you need to apply careful consideration if you’re planning on buying a vehicle for this purpose. Will your finances stretch not just to the cost of the car but also to the running expenses? What design elements ensure the public can easily see your advertising elements? It may be the case that renting a vehicle for a short time is more appropriate.
Ambushing Audiences
The audience ambush has long been a part of effective guerilla marketing. It can be an engaging and surprising way to introduce people to a new product or service. There are also times this has helped to refresh a brand that has fallen out of favor. You may find it’s an effective — if unconventional — way to drive traffic to your online content.
Ambushing is almost exactly what it sounds like. You are interacting with your audience in places they wouldn’t otherwise connect with your brand. In physical environments, this has included approaches like flash mobbing. However, you do have to exercise some caution here.
In online spaces, hijacking a live stream chat or YouTube video comment section with links to your product is neither effective nor positive. Similarly, you have to be careful not to infringe on any copyrights or trademarks in your efforts. You certainly shouldn’t be coat-tailing social activism campaigns.
However, indirect ambushing can be a great and creative way to engage. Adidas’ official sponsorship of the 2010 FIFA World Cup was seen as a huge threat to Nike. However, Nike countered this by running soccer-related ads that often featured satirical uses of the Adidas logo and World Cup visuals.
This can be impactful on a smaller scale, too. Create social media posts about an event you have no official connection to but can provide relevant perspectives on. This can capture the attention of those already engaged with an event and provide opportunities for you to link to your website or blog.
Conclusion
The digital marketing industry has built up some reliable methods to drive content traffic over the years. However, adopting unconventional approaches occasionally can be an effective way to drive engagement. Work with unexpected collaborators, make use of physical environments, and find positive ways to ambush your audience. With some planning and creativity, you can tap into a wider section of the market.
- Best Upsell Emails To Boost Your Revenue - January 26, 2023
- Considering Automation in Your Marketing Process - January 19, 2023
- Content Marketing for the Hospitality Industry - December 8, 2022
Hi Luke, Thanks for the suggestions. I have to think more about collaboration with others. Something that’s been on my mind – just need time to formulate the plan. Which type of collaboration works best?
Hey Lisa!
It all depends on your end goal, but some ways that have been successful for me are:
-Reaching out to people I want to work with on social media and offering a real benefit to them in return (for example, I write copy, my collaborator provides design).
-Like Anthony said, building a genuine helpful environment. Sharing the work of others is a great way to plant the seeds of collaboration for everyone.
-Social media now has options to collaborate on posts and lives, or hosting webinars and summits across businesses can help connect each other to others in your field who want to access similar services.
-For articles or content pieces, reaching out to professionals in the fields or areas you’re focusing on to answer concise questions can build more collaborative articles and content.
These are just a few ideas but maybe they can serve as a jumping-off point!
Thanks for dropping by to read the post, Lisa! Collaboration is key. I’ve always enjoyed working with you. Things like sharing guest posts, helping one another spread the word on social media, opening up link building opportunities to others, etc. are really great ways to collaborate. Thanks for everything you do!