In saturated tech niches, it’s vital that you have a fresh marketing approach to stand out. Keep reading to discover 15 unusual product marketing strategies.
Does your tech business have competition?
Well, of course, it does. The real question is how are you differentiating yourself amongst those competitors?
It would be nice to be the only product in the market, but that’s quite unrealistic.
In saturated tech niches, it’s vital that you have a fresh marketing approach to stand out. Keep reading to discover 15 unusual product marketing strategies.
1. Utilize Influencer Marketing
74% of people trust social networks to guide purchasing decisions, which makes influencer marketing an awesome strategy.
Not only is it impactful, but it is also an easy and cost-effective strategy to implement.
Select an influencer that aligns with your brand and its mission. Instagram ranks #1 as the best influencer platform. Evaluate their engagement, as a large following is not enough. Allow them space for creativity while setting clear guidelines and goals.
A great influencer will be authentic and not “pushy”. Your customers will appreciate this approach.
2. Try Affiliate Marketing
Similar to influencer marketing, affiliate marketing utilizes someone else’s following and influence.
With affiliate marketing, you hire “salespeople”, on commission or a flat fee, to market your product. You create a special link for these marketers to use so that their sales can be measured.
For example, Bluehost employs web designers as affiliate marketers who influence their clients to use Bluehost as their hosting provider.
As with influencer marketing, make sure your affiliates align with your brand.
3. Create a Challenge
Social media challenges often generate a lot of buzz. Create a challenge within your niche, and make it fun to encourage your social media followers to participate.
You can raise the stakes and offer a cash prize, gift, or free product.
A great example is Youtube. During their growth phase, they offered iPod Nanos to users who uploaded videos.
Your startup can challenge users to create their own mobile app or website. Any challenge will work as long as it incorporates a product that you provide.
select a winner to receive the aforementioned prize and share it on your website and socials.
4. Establish a Partnership
Partnering with another brand is a win-win for both parties involved. You’re able to leverage the networks of both brands and generate interest.
An example of a great and unusual partnership is Android and Kitkat. Android’s promotion with KitKat helped it reach new customers through collaboration. In turn, KitKat customers learned about phones and tablets.
Partnerships can be more in sync like a development company and a design company, or they can be completely off the wall like Android and Kitkat.
5. Create a Viral Video
Video marketing is becoming increasingly popular. Studies show that 54% of consumers want to see more video content from a brand or business they support.
Social video also gets shared 1200% more than text and images combined.
You could go with a more traditional video marketing technique, but why not create a funny and captivating video that explains your product in a unique way?
Poo-Pourri created a viral “girls don’t poop” video that highlighted their product in a very unusual way, but at over 40 million views, it’s safe to say that it worked.
Break a laptop by having a daredevil run over it on a crash course, then rebuild it. Create a horrifying virtual reality game that reminds users of an episode of Black Mirror.
Whatever you do, just make it interesting.
6. Create a Viral Meme
Wendy’s is the perfect example of viral content on social media. Their witty replies and humored attacks on their competition make them a social success.
They consistently use the latest viral memes to discuss their business and get people talking.
Memes and videos show customers that you’re human behind your brand, and they create memorable interactions.
7. Do a Giveaway
Throwing cash at your customers is never strategic, but a well-thought-out giveaway is different.
You can use a giveaway to gain social media followers and create engagement. Choose a product to give away to a lucky winner from your Facebook or Instagram.
They will inevitably review your product and company, providing you with positive publicity.
8. Partner with a Non-profit
We mentioned partnerships already, but let’s get more specific.
Partnering with a non-profit will display your brand’s mission to serve the community while simultaneously building your brand presence.
Can your product help the environment or assist people with disabilities? Can it enhance education?
Establish a partnership with a group that can benefit from your product, and leverage their audience to generate growth for your brand.
It’s a win-win.
9. Sell on Pinterest
Pinterest is more than just pretty pictures. In fact, Pinterest’s ad revenue is projected to surpass 1 billion in 2020.
Marketers are on Pinterest.
83% of women on Pinterest use it to plan life moments, compared to 44% for Instagram and 53% for Facebook.
What life moments are they planning, and how does your startup fit in? Well, they’re building homes and starting families, but they’re also starting businesses.
Your startup can provide insight into the technical aspects of their business.
Do they need web design, a mobile app, or automation tools? Pin blog content, how-to videos, and infographics that all lead back to your website.
You can also create shoppable pins that link to your products.
P.S. Men are also on Pinterest!
10. Sell on Etsy
Similar to Pinterest, you probably thought Etsy was just full of home decor, clothes, and monogrammed tumbler cups.
With 39.4 million active buyers in 2018, Etsy is a goldmine of opportunity.
There are graphic designers who sell their services and offer products such as design templates and downloadable graphics. Why not sell your products there also?
You can sell products directly or providing a related service then upselling.
11. Host a Live Video Event
From Redbull to Coachella, lifestyle brands have mastered the art of Facebook Live, and your tech startup can too.
Take users on a journey with you.
Coachella took users to Beychella. Redbull shared the Stratus Jump.
Create an event that is fun and engaging but also demonstrates what your company is about. You can host tech workshops or share awesome live footage of the Grand Canyon from your drone.
The sky is the limit, and it costs you way less.
12. Host a Physical Event
Experiential marketing is another great strategy. Get creative with your event ideas, and you will inevitably attract new customers.
Refinery29 is a great example of experiential marketing success. Their 29Rooms event is “an interactive funhouse of style, culture, & technology.”
As the name suggests, it consists of 29 individually branded and curated rooms — and attendees can experience something different in each one. The rooms are designed and created with brand partners, who range from personalities like artists and musicians to consumer-facing companies like Dunkin’ Donuts, Dyson, and Cadillac.
Allow your potential customers to experience your brand and its product. Free food isn’t captivating enough.
13. Launch an Email Marketing Course
As a tech startup, you have expertise that people want to learn. Why not use that your advantage?
Email courses are great lead generation strategies because they engage your audience and build trust. They’re particularly great for companies selling online courses.
If you sell coding courses, you could create an email course on “how to become a career coder”. You can then offer content upgrades so your potential client can continue their learning.
Maybe you offer web design services. You could offer a mini-email course on how to create a website in an hour.
Educating your potential customers establishes your expertise and builds a level of trust that will influence them to purchase from you.
14. Create a Blog
Blogging is not such an unusual strategy, as content marketing is proving to be very successful, but the content you provide doesn’t have to be typical.
Use forums like Reddit to get an idea of what users in your target market are talking about and use that knowledge to create content.
Get creative and go places no competitor is going.
Guest blogging is also a great way to expand your network and reach. Write content for bigger authorities in exchange for their audience’s viewership.
If your team isn’t content savvy, companies like SEOEXPLODE are here to help you.
15. Narrow Your Niche
Who exactly is your audience?
Trying to target all men ages 21 to 34 will prove to be exhausting and unsuccessful. Get specific about who your target demographic is and how your product makes their lives better.
A travel blogger can cover all things travel or they could focus on adventure trips. They know exactly who their audience is and how they should market to them.
Find your niche.
Implement These Product Marketing Strategies Today
Implementing these product marketing strategies will help you increase sales in a competitive market.
Utilize your team’s creativity when executing, and the ROI will certainly prove to be positive.
Keep browsing our blog for more tech marketing tips.