Some people think that marketing is completely sales, and if one were to speak to an insurance salesman at a networking event, they would probably agree. I have been on numerous interviews where the description was a vague “marketing and advertising” position and it ended up being strictly sales (these employers have now been used for practice interviews before my more important ones take place :). Moral of the story, be genuine and show value and the sales will come.
It isn’t hard to come across as being too “salesy” when posting on social media. No one wants to know about which current promotion you have when the majority of the page posts are promotions (now that’s a lot of P’s!). Holidays are an easy way to break from being too salesy and may actually begin to show traction to your business. Starting off with my favorite holiday of the year, Halloween is one of the most mindless holiday marketing months and I am not talking about zombies; though when I read some of these Facebook pages it makes me wish I was one… What I mean is that it’s relatively easy to research and find quality content that can be used to boost interest in your cause, so why not do something more ghoulish? Start by creating your own Zombie walk, haunted house or other attraction which you can pass out candies with your business’ logo on them. If you aren’t willing to embark on this yourself then communicate with an already established event and be one of their sponsors. Make contact far enough in advance because most of the time spots get filled up pretty quickly and you will be lying dead in the dust.
Another great idea that can be used for both Thanksgiving and Christmas is donating food and/or volunteering with a relative theme. Reward with appropriate incentives for employee contribution and the outcome will be much greater than you think! Take pictures and video so you can put together a collage or short movie of what you did. Make this a yearly thing and watch your attendance and social fellowship grow! The art is patience, but if you work hard enough and spread the word, you may surprise yourself. According to the Institute for Volunteering Research, in 2012-13 44% of adults volunteered formally (giving unpaid help through a group, club or organization) at least once a year and 29% did so at least once a month.If you find it hard to recruit, attend a similar event and recruit there. Make sure you track your progress and more importantly your results. Do a case study and see if what you did made a big enough splash, if not, then try something different!
Easily enough we can make posts about zombie walks and local children volunteering at food drives. What truly sets us apart is whether we decide to become the story and drive further participation. Creating crafts around the office and posting them to Pinterest is a fun, inexpensive bonding experience as well. Put your thinking caps on, strap yourself into your very own rocket ship and blast off into the space of creativity! There is no limit to what you can imagine and think up in order to have a fun marketing experience not only for your employees, but for your prospective new customers too. Don’t hesitate to be imaginative or have fun with your business, the best ones create their own world.
Steven McMurry’s passion, energy and excitement bring new life to the people around him. Being a visual pioneer, Steven sees the world with the inspiration to continue to learn, experience and imagine. On his free time he likes to play video games and take adventures to explore new places! Image courtesy Tax Credits
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