The alternative market is absolutely booming, and with the rise of social media marketing strategies, there has never been a better time to get your name out there. Whether you have a brick-and-mortar store or you are based online, there is so much marketing potential for you.
An alternative brand calls for some alternative marketing strategies, and we have quite the list for you. From personalised marketing and online events all the way to vlogging and collaborations, we have some great tips to help you reach potential customers and really build your brand.
What Exactly is an Alternative Store?
An alternative store encapsulates so many different areas of the market. It can refer to alternative fashion as well as skate shops and tattoo studios. Tarot readers and sellers, as well as crystal and charm stores also fall under this category as a store that offers something a little different from the norm.
However, there are other business pages that fall under this category. Vegan stores and health food stores can also be classed as alternative – they offer a different way to eat and live. If your business offers something that would be considered a little out of the ordinary or unique, you might just find that it falls under the alternative brand.
While there are some big brand alternative stores out there, many of them are small businesses and often work within a local market. This is why a solid online marketing strategy is such an important step – it helps alternative stores like yours reach a wider audience and find new customers.
5 Marketing Efforts for Alternative Brands
There are so many great pieces of marketing advice that we can give you, but you’ve probably heard most of them before. An alternative brand can often benefit from a little alternative marketing, and these tips aren’t just fairly unique. They are also highly effective if you put the work in.
Personalised Marketing
This is becoming more popular, but it hits different when it comes from local businesses because you can feel how much they care. Personalised images can work great for emails, but you can also go a step further than this.
It’s a little more work, but writing a short handwritten thank you with each order that you send out can have a massive impact on customers. It shows them that you really love your business and that you value the money they have spent with you.
Put your personality into the business a little more, let customers see who you are and get an idea of how your business operates. They want to feel connected to you, and the personal touch (even the tiny ones) can make a huge difference to your retail store.
Online Events and Communities
Hosting online events can be pretty exciting and offer up new opportunities for your company. Things like tarot reading events, and showcasing new clothing lines, they can all be part of online events for your store. Plus, hosting things online has become more popular in recent years – widening your potential customer base.
You also have the option to host local events if you have the ability to do so. This can really help with your local presence, which is often just as important as boosting your online business presence and can help you garner more prospective customers.
There is a lot to be said about building communities as well, and it is easiest to do this online. This can include forums and Facebook Groups, both of which are great for opening up discussions as well as bringing like-minded people together. Just remember that you should always stick to 20% advertising and 80% general posts that relate to your business.
Podcasting and Vlogging
This is massive, and it’s a fantastic way to engage with existing customers as well as reach your target audience to bring in new ones. Podcasting gives you the opportunity to talk about important issues and events that relate to your specific alternative brand, allowing you to expand on that personal touch and bring people together.
Vlogging is more centred around TikTok and YouTube at the moment, with the former being the best platform for advertising and creating short yet memorable videos. Many alternative brands use TikTok to engage with their audience and boost their social media presence quickly. Things like tarot readings and crystal pulls are increasingly popular.
Additionally, videos where people get to watch you pack specific orders have become a really engaging form of content marketing and really capture the attention of those scrolling through their For You Page. If you want more customers, this is a great place to start.
Strategic Collaborations
Turning your competition into your collaborator can have a massive impact on your online store as well as help to increase sales. Instead of making online shoppers choose between you and other local businesses or bigger companies, you can collaborate to create something new together. It benefits you both and helps boost your reputation.
It can help to bring in new customers from their business, and your existing ones will have the opportunity to try something new. It might seem like a great way to lose customers, but it actually tends to have the opposite effect – it shows confidence in your product and capabilities. It’s a whole new way to look at influencer marketing.
You don’t even need to create new products together. Sharing a podcast, videos, or even writing a blog post for the other’s website can all be forms of strategic collaboration. It’s something every online store can benefit from.
Building a Unique Marketing Campaign
The process of building strong and unique digital marketing campaigns means you need to think outside of the box and really pour the soul of your company into your process. Things like incorporating user-generated content into your advertising can have a massive impact on those who come across them.
It shows people that you are a real business, one that connects with its customer base and really cares about what they think. You want to show potential customers what makes you different from the other businesses out there while also appealing to local customers as well as those who are a little further afield.
You also need to consider things like search engine optimization (SEO) and how this will help your visibility when customers search for your products on the web so that they find you quickly on search engine results pages. A strong marketing strategy will have a good focus on the visual and personal side as well as the SEO (both local and global).
Your campaign is a way for you to increase brand awareness while also building a community and loyal following that wants to keep coming back to your store (as well as bringing their friends). YOU are your company, and that’s what you need to put into your marketing.
Final Thoughts
It can feel a little tough at first, especially when you are a new business and are looking to reach customers as well as build your presence on social media. However, with a little hard work and our five tips, you’re sure to be well on the way to success in no time.
Strong SEO and a good website are little extras that help boost your credibility and your visibility when people are searching for the services you offer. At One Web Creations, we are here to help build you the website your business deserves. Whether you want a free quote or just have questions, we’re always happy to lend a hand. What are you waiting for? Get in touch today.