9 Key Marketing Strategies You May Have Neglected

Most companies today spend a good portion of time and resources marketing to consumers. There are basic strategies that nearly every good marketer uses, such as ensuring they have solid call to action buttons and that they know their target audience.

Unfortunately, a mere 22 percent of companies say they're happy with their conversion rates. If you want to take your marketing to the next level and gain even more leads and conversions, choose key tactics to implement. The following are strategies you might not initially think about but should use as soon as you're able to.

1. Host an Event

No matter where your business is located, there's a local event that ties into your niche. If you run an HVAC service, for example, a local garden club may need hosts for their annual garden tea party. You can play host in countless ways. Act as a sponsor, for instance, among many other sponsors, or create an entire event on your own.

Red Bull sponsors extreme sporting events, which ties into their brand perfectly. The events are high energy and targeted at youth, which is Red Bull's target demographic. Events vary widely. You might see Red Bull tees at an event, a banner on a bike course or a sponsorship of a race car.

2. Enhance Usability

One thing that's often overlooked by marketers is the experience the user has once they land on the target page. It takes a lot of effort to drive traffic to your site, so once you get that traffic to your landing page, make sure you engage site visitors and keep them there. If your goal is to convert site visitors into newsletter subscribers, the process to subscribe needs to be simple and intuitive.

3. Find Your USP

You've likely heard about your unique selling proposition (USP) before, but take the time to really dig into this concept. What's completely unique about your company or product that no one else has to offer? This idea requires studying your competition to see what their USP is and then making yours different or better.

Quincy Compressor does a good job of showing the uniqueness of their compressors by highlighting how they keep you healthy and safe. They utilize a series of videos to show their USP clearly and highlight what makes their compressors better than the competition's.

4. Figure Out Who Your Undesirable Customers Are

You've likely already created a user persona for your ideal customers. It's a common tactic for marketers to study their target audience inside and out. However, figuring out who your undesirable customers are can help you as well. These are the people you never want to deal with - those who complain non-stop or cost your company a lot of money because of returns.

Knowing both your desirable and undesirable customers allows you to figure out the best places to reach those you want to reach and avoid those you don't want as customers.

5. Reach a Global Market

Unless you run a local service business, you'll benefit from global outreach. One way to expand your customer base is by reaching out to global markets. If you sell a physical product, factor in shipping or foreign warehouse and delivery costs. If you sell a digital product or service, global marketing becomes a simple matter of getting to know the customers in those markets and what they want.

Pearse Trust's Twitter feed shows their global outreach. You'll find posts about different industry laws and how they impact businesses for Ireland and the UK. The company also covers news from the United States, Canada and New Zealand. Their focus on tax changes and laws that impact business draws in clients from all over the world.

6. Go Mobile

You've heard it over and over again - mobile is the wave of the future. Seven out of every 10 media minutes is spent on mobile devices, with smartphones accounting for about half. However, just making an ad mobile-responsive is no longer enough. Businesses need to look ahead to what mobile devices will be like and embrace changes now, such as the ability to interact in-store via an app.

7. Show Your Personality

Don't be afraid to show the quirky side of your business. The exception might be if you are in a very serious industry, such as finance or funeral services. Otherwise, let your goofy sense of humor show, and allow people to see what is unique not only about your company but also about its owners.

Innocent makes smoothies and drinks, which in and of itself could be fun. However, they also show their personality in much of their branding. Note the bright colors and cute sayings, such as "call the banana phone" or "visit the Fruit Towers." By adding a fun twist to their contact info while staying on the theme of fruity drinks, they add a lot of personality to their website.

8. Choose Your Favorite Clients

Is there a celebrity or local star you feel would be a perfect match for your product? Don't be afraid to reach out to that person and offer some free samples. You may just get a shout-out in exchange and a loyal fan who will tell their very large following about what you have to offer. Ideally, these people will be influencers online or on the radio.

9. Start a Column

Develop a loyal fan base by writing a column related to your business. If you sell golf clubs, start a column offering tips on everything to do with golf clubs - how to choose the right club, improving grip and so on. Next, find a site that will publish your column in exchange for a bio, and link back to your website (or find several). Alternatively, you can simply start a blog on your website and share the posts to social media.

Try New Marketing Strategies

You can get the word out about your business in several ways. When you see something clever, figure out the best way to repeat a similar strategy for your own business. Add new methods to your repertoire until you find the perfect mix of marketing tactics. With a lot of creativity and a little perseverance, you'll create a successful marketing campaign in no time.

About the Author: Lexie Lu is a web designer and writer. Her work is featured on CreativeBloq, Envato, Marketo and JUSTCreative. She manages her own design blog, Design Roast, and loves connecting with people on Twitter @lexieludesigner.