The days of big hair and flashy advertising campaigns are over. Thankfully, social media and the wide variety of mobile text messaging and digital marketing tools out there have made campaign delivery much more affordable and effective.
Yet, ask any marketer about what he or she thinks is the single most crucial component of a successful campaign. And you’re likely to get an age-old answer – it’s all about the content.
Ironically, the modern media explosion has made the hunt for great content even fiercer.
Smart businesses have used this reality to their advantage. They are turning their marketing department, which was once riddled with costs, to not only a division that offers a measureable, return-on investment – but one that pays for itself.
In fact, extreme marketers have taken this Marketing 2.0 model to another level.
TerraCycle, a company known for its PR, spends its marketing dollars wisely by focusing its budget largely on generating about 17 articles a week on average – according to a recent article in The New York Times. The company saves even more by creating content that promotes the company brand while also generating a direct payment that more than covers its cost.
Borrowing a page out of the TerraCycle play book, here are some outside-the-box mobile marketing ideas that can actually deliver leads plus transform your marketing into a new source of revenue for your company.
- Create a podcast and earn a commission with each download. Link people who scan your QR Code on your website, Facebook fan page or in-store signage to a podcast you create and feature on the iTunes store. You can become an iTunes affiliate and earn a commission on any iTunes items – songs, movies, TV shows and audio books – that they purchase – even when they are simply just linking to your free podcast. According to the Apple iTunes store, when you sign up as an iTunes Affiliate, you are given an affiliate tag to embed in your web links. When users click on these links, a session variable is set in their iTunes client application and anything they purchase in the next 24 hours is credited to your affiliate account.
- Write and publish a book that positions you as a thought leader in your field. Talk about the hard lessons you have learned as a business owner. Another idea is to write a book that offers do-it-yourself insights to help your customers either find new ways of doing things or solve some thorny issue. You’ll gain goodwill and make an impression for the next time they need your services or expert advice. Gear up for the launch of your book with Facebook and email marketing. And invite people to opt-in to receive your special mobile eCard invitation to your coming out party. They’ll be able to purchase the book at your event or link from your SMS text message to your store on Amazon. Keep the campaign going and watch the dollars roll-in.
- Produce a docu-drama style reality show, with the story centered on your industry or company. Then, let your customers know to look for it by conducting a mobile text marketing campaign, leading them to the show trailer on YouTube. According to TV Writer’s Vault, TV producers want compelling business and lifestyle subjects. Media companies pay for the production of these series and you can get a percentage of the production value for both thinking of the idea and being the on-air talent.
By implementing multi-channel and SMS marketing ideas like these to help your company turn a profit, you can gain a new lease on marketing for the life of your business. It’s exciting to think that just a few simple ideas like these can turn any behind-the-scenes marketing initiative into a rock star -- front-and-center.
