5 Weird Marketing Tactics That Work Like a Charm

In the world of marketing, we've all got our bread-and-butter staples.

They're strategies and tactics that are tried and true, reliable standbys that are always a solid bet.

Sure, the particular staples we use can change a lot over time.

Fifty years ago, ads in magazines and newspapers were a must-have.

Today, a lot of businesses get far more mileage out of newer techniques like content marketing and PPC ads.

Marketing is a pretty dynamic profession.

But whatever your bread and butter may be, it's worth looking into tactics you may not have thought of before.

This is especially true if you've been getting lukewarm results lately, or what you're doing is starting to feel a little stale.

In a recent blog post, marketing guru Neil Patel offers some pretty cool ideas, all of which are definitely off the beaten path.

Some of them might even seem a little quirky and off the wall.

But all of these options have been successful for brands in the past.

1. Launch a referral program

If you want to develop a huge following very quickly, you need to look into referral marketing.

This is a basic strategy where you allow customers to help promote your product for you. It’s a simple concept, but it isn’t used nearly enough by most of the startups I’ve seen.

It’s especially critical to use since 92% of people trust personal recommendations more than all other forms of marketing.

[image source: Neil Patel]

You want to get your customers excited to share the news of your startup with their friends and promote it heavily.

To do this effectively, don’t build a referral program from scratch. After all, other companies have done the hard work for you.

I recommend using a tool like Ambassador.

It will handle all the difficult details of the referral program, allowing you to focus on the product creation and promotion.

[image source: Neil Patel]

This is a great way to build a viral interest in what you have to offer.

2. Turn your product into a challenge

One of the biggest problems with viral marketing is that it’s often difficult to tell exactly what the company has to offer.

If you create a video that everyone loves, you might suffer a lack of recognition. A clever video might not necessarily explain your product or even direct viewers to buy.

So, what’s the solution?

Make your product the focal point of the viral marketing campaign you decide to run.

Codecademy challenged people to learn to code as their 2012 New Year’s resolution. Since learning to code was easiest to do on their platform, it became a viral success.

Codecademy’s New Year’s campaign led to the site growing to its current user base.

[image source: Neil Patel]

To make this work, try to find the exact need your product solves, and turn it into a challenge for others to solve that need. They’ll think of your startup when they do.

3. Give away stickers

While it might seem ridiculously simple, you can actually create a giant user base by giving away free stickers and placing them where people can see them publicly.

When he launched the community site Reddit, Alexis Ohanian spent $500 on stickers. This was the only investment the company made in marketing.

He traveled around the country, putting them in visible places and even giving them away to strangers. This unique marketing tactic was how Reddit grew into the site it is today.

[image source: Neil Patel]

If you’re going to create multiple stickers to give away, I’d recommend using a company dedicated to printing custom stickers in bulk.

A site like StickerMule offers big discounts if you’re going to print hundreds of stickers, as the founders of Reddit did to promote their startup.

[image source: Neil Patel]

This can be a cost-effective way to stand out and create a massive movement of people interested in your startup.

4. Create a viral explainer video

Looking to generate massive traffic while encouraging people to buy more of your product?

Look no further than a hilarious explainer video that paints your product in a humorous light. This has worked for dozens of brand-new startups in the past, and it can work for you, too.

Poo-Pourri created a cringe-worthy promotional video that went viral, resulting in the product developing significant name recognition and market share.

[image source: Neil Patel]

To date, their primary explainer video has gotten almost 40-million views.

[image source: Neil Patel]

But this isn’t because they paid for massive advertising. The video is so unusual and clever, people recommend it to their friends by word of mouth.

To make this work for you, create a unique angle through which you can promote your startup, and film a short video promoting it.

5. Book a flash mob

If you’re looking to do something crazy to promote your startup, you should look no further than using a flash mob.

If you’re not familiar with a flash mob, it’s when a group of people in a crowd suddenly start doing a choreographed song and dance.

While they appear to happen spontaneously, these kinds of performances require extensive preparation and planning.

But all that planning makes for a fascinating spectacle that’s sure to go big.

In addition to creating an exciting offline event, they can also be used in a viral video. This is what happened when Sears used a flash mob to promote their jeans giveaway.

[image source: Neil Patel]

If you’re not sure where to get started creating this kind of promotional event, you can hire a flash mob to do all the work for you.

A site like BookAFlashMob.com is a great way to get started if you’re unsure of where to begin.

[image source: Neil Patel]

This is a unique and unexpected way to draw interest for your startup, and the traffic it generates with a viral video can serve your company for years to come.

For best results, look to have the flash mob center around your product, service, or branding in some way.