Changes in consumer behavior, worldwide events, and new offerings from competitors can quickly throw a wrench in your marketing plans. The ability to pivot your marketing strategies on a moment’s notice ensures your brand remains relevant to your audience—no matter what’s going on around you. We offer flexible marketing strategies and giveaway ideas to help your brand go with the flow.
Incorporate current news and trends
The easiest way to create a flexible marketing strategy is to plan for last-minute changes. In other words, expect the unexpected. Encourage your team to contribute relevant ideas that may be of interest to your audience and your brand, and leave room in your content calendar to share “in-the-moment” information. Reward staff who consistently contribute with a marketing giveaway, like these fun-shaped stress relievers or mint tins.
Use a dry erase calendar and different coloured markers or colour-coded adhesive notes to organize and view your content calendar and easily shift plans to remain relevant.
Create multiple campaign strategies
When planning your campaigns, first define your goal. Then, create two or three strategies to help reach each goal, just in case one of your plans becomes irrelevant. For instance, let’s say you planned to promote a product feature that was unique to your brand, but then a customer launched a comparable product with a similar feature. Being prepared allows you to pivot your promotional strategy quickly. Perhaps consider promoting your brand’s excellent service or warranty packages, or offer a free marketing gift with purchase.
An attentive team that cares about the smallest details can give your brand a strong competitive edge. Maybe your salespeople never forget a birthday or always offer a fun giveaway, like a colouring book, to keep the youngest customers busy while their parents shop. Or maybe you provide a highly coveted gift, like a rolling picnic cooler or wireless charging stand, with purchase. Whatever strategy you choose, planning ahead and having a back-up plan ensures you’re ready for anything.
Make decisions and act quickly
When the unexpected happens, making quick decisions can be a business-saver. Use data to react swiftly and with confidence. For instance, are you presented with an unexpected opportunity to potentially grow your business? How large is the opportunity? And what types of resources will be required to implement it? If the investment is too much, you can quickly decline, freeing up time to focus on something more within reach. After all, many small wins can quickly add up.
Bring ideas to your leadership team in a daily stand-up meeting. Rate opportunities as non-starters, future ideas or “pursue now”. Marketing giveaways for small businesses can help you achieve fast wins. For example, does your data show you need more leads? Offer a high-value prize, like a premium embroidered duffel and a free night at a luxury hotel, to the salesperson who pulls in the most qualified leads. Do you need to grow your email list? A brushed twill cap or microfibre rally towel are great incentives to encourage customers to join your email list.
Focus on interaction
Focus on interaction and engagement. No matter what’s happening in the world, encouraging customers to engage with your brand—in person and online—and responding to them in a timely manner is always relevant.
What concerns can you address? What questions can you answer? What recent customer experiences can you highlight? What contests can you host? To incentivize high engagement, offer people who comment on your blogs and engage with you on social media an entry into a prize draw. Choose small business marketing giveaways, such as a chocolate box with truffles or a Manicure Pod as a prize. Or if people continuously sing your praises online or provide you with referral business, thank them with a useful gift, like a multi-tool or vacuum tumbler.
Create strategies for the unexpected
Unexpected changes that affect your marketing do happen. But by using marketing giveaways and ideas, like incorporating current news, making fast decisions and focusing on interaction—your brand can easily go with the flow. Good luck!