3 Underrated Marketing Tactics You Should Be Using

According to CSS Schedule, only 58% of marketers achieve their goals. While the majority of businesses invest in common marketing tactics like a website and social media, what about the tactics they’re not using? What underrated marketing tactics might be the missing link your brand needs to better achieve your goals?

#1) User-Generated Content

Content marketing is a great way to facilitate interest in your brand. At the same time, creating relevant, engaging content regularly can be pretty taxing. You have to keep constant tabs on industry trends, customer behaviors, and of course–the metrics on how said content is performing. Rather than carry the burden of creating high-quality content, let your customers do it for you!

User-generated content is a great way to establish credibility, increase your overall visibility, and augment your overall brand image. But what is it? UGC is any brand content that your brand didn’t create. That includes testimonials, reviews, videos, podcasts, and any other mentions of your business in a digital space. 

Even the most compelling branded content isn’t perfect. A study by Lab42 found over 75% of consumers are skeptical of the claims made in brand advertisements. Most brands won’t admit their flaws and even fewer brands are fully transparent. User-generated content, on the other hand, is credible because its creators have no incentive to lie. 

The most important thing to remember is that your UGC should help customers make buying decisions. Consider setting up a system to encourage your audience to create their own UGC-but remember to stay ethical. If you compensate the creators of UGC, they become de facto employees of your brand. More importantly, their content becomes just an extension of your own branded content, and all the benefits of UGC are lost. User-generated content might be one of the more underrated marketing tactics, but it pays dividends. 

#2) Interactive Content

The whole idea behind content marketing is to educate your audience so they can come to an informed buying decision. Interactive content takes that a step further, allowing visitors to engage with products and services before buying. It should come as no surprise, therefore, that 93% of marketers consider interactive content to be highly effective. 

Interactive content works because rather than allowing visitors to simply pass on by, it encourages interaction and engagement. Immersive, personalized content attracts visitors, fosters brand loyalty, and most importantly, inspires visitors to come back for more. Add on more shares of that content and you have the perfect recipe to get your customers interested and motivated. 

So what kind of interactive content should your brand create? Polls and surveys are a great way to get your audience to interact-and it counts as a valuable feedback channel. Folks might ignore text-based content, but they won’t ignore immersive videos. Personalized product recommendations can boost traffic, conversions, and your customer experience. 

Whatever content you decide to create, make sure it helps your customers visualize not only the customer experience but the experience of buying that product or service. Try to answer questions before they’re asked, show customers a side they might not normally see, and above all else-be fully transparent! 

#3) Work With Another Brand

Cooperation with another ubiquitous brand might seem counter-productive, but it can actually be symbiotic. However, it goes without saying that any partnership should involve two non-competing entities. For instance, one pizza shop isn’t going to coordinate and create content with a competing pizza shop. However, a pizza shop may coordinate with an animal rescue organization–extending the reach and offering more opportunities for both parties. 

There’s no limit to the number of cooperative partnerships your brand can take part in. As long as the other brands in question are reputable, you can branch out as much as you’d like. And as long as you’re not jeopardizing your brand’s reputation or taking away from other valuable marketing activities, brand cooperation can be one of the more beneficial underrated marketing tactics out there. 

Cooperative marketing not only boosts your visibility but can be more cost-effective as well. By working together on content and advertising, you can share costs while reaping the benefits individually. Whether you decide to sell another brand’s products or work together on a digital advertisement, co-operation with other brands, when used strategically, can be a major boon for your business. 

Think Big Picture!

Achieving your digital marketing goals means thinking big picture. It’s difficult to earn the traffic, impressions, and conversions you yearn for when you limit your exposure to a select few channels. Think outside the box and consider utilizing underrated marketing tactics. Chances are, your competitors aren’t!