6 Alternative Marketing Strategies Your Agency Can Use to Stand Out

The digital landscape is continually changing. What worked yesterday may not work tomorrow. For instance, keyword stuffing and buying backlinks were effective SEO tactics in the past but may now result in website penalties. Even paid ads have shifted as consumers turn to ad blockers.

With every change comes opportunity. It’s essential for marketing agencies to find new “blue oceans” of opportunity — areas where there is little to no competition. In contrast, previously effective marketing strategies like link-building and pay-per-click are now “red oceans” full of sharks fighting for a limited number of customers. That’s why it’s important for agencies to keep up with the latest marketing trends and strategies in order to stay ahead of the competition.

So, what are some alternative marketing tactics to consider? Here are six possibilities:

1. Machine Learning Powered Marketing

Data-driven marketing is not a new concept, but with the rise of machine learning, it’s become easier than ever to collect and analyze data. It is essential for marketers to understand how to use data to their advantage and create targeted marketing campaigns.

Big data can be overwhelming, but machine learning can help make sense of it. Machine learning algorithms can analyze data faster and more accurately than humans, making it possible to identify patterns and trends that would otherwise be undetectable.

AI-powered marketing tools can help you track and analyze customer behaviors in real time, identify trends before they happen, and personalize messages for maximum impact. Technologies like CORE AI can predict keyword rankings by analyzing huge amounts of data in real time, making it easier for marketers to adjust their campaigns on the fly and get ahead of the competition. Not only will you be able to make better decisions about where to allocate your marketing budget, but you’ll also be able to deliver more targeted and personalized messages to your audience.

We might be at the beginning of the machine learning revolution, but it’s already starting to change the marketing landscape. Machine learning-powered marketing is worth considering for any agency looking to stay ahead of the curve.

2. Voice Search Optimization

Over 40% of Americans use voice search features, and that number is only going to grow. This calls for a change in how we optimize websites for search engines.

Voice search is way ahead of traditional text search because people use different keywords when speaking than when typing. For instance, someone might say, “What’s the best SEO company in town?” when doing a voice search, but they would type “SEO companies” into a text search engine.

This difference is due to the way we speak versus the way we type. When we type, we tend to use shorter, more concise keywords. However, when we speak, we use longer phrases that sound more natural.

To optimize for voice search, you need to use long-tail keywords that sound like natural conversation. You also need to make sure your website content is easy to understand and digestible, as people will likely be searching while they’re on the go.

If you can optimize your website for voice search, you’ll be ahead of the competition.

3. Interactive Content

Content is king, but in order for it to be successful, it needs to be interesting and engaging. That’s where interactive content comes in. Customers nowadays have shorter attention spans and are bombarded with content from all sides. If they’re not interested in what you have to say, they’ll quickly move on to something else.

Recent Google updates have also shown a preference for websites with interactive content. That’s because interactive content is more engaging and tends to keep users on the site longer.

Interactive content makes use of various media to engage the user and hold their attention. Examples include quizzes, infographics, assessments, and calculators. This type of content promotes virality and is shareable, which can help attract new readers and customers.

For instance, let’s say you’re a travel company. You could create an interactive quiz that asks users where they want to travel and then recommends the perfect destination based on their answers. Or you could create an interactive map that shows users the best places to visit in a certain city.

Interactive content is a great way to stand out from the competition and make your website more engaging. If you’re not using it, you should start.

4. Conversational Marketing

In old times, marketing was one-way. Businesses would create a message and blast it out to the masses in the hopes that some people would take notice. This approach is no longer effective, as consumers are now inundated with marketing messages and have learned to filter them out.

Today’s customers require a more personalized approach. They want to have two-way conversations with brands and be treated like human beings, not just faceless consumers.

This is where conversational marketing comes in. Conversational marketing is all about engaging the customer in a two-way conversation. This can be achieved through chatbots, social media, and even over the phone.

The goal of conversational marketing is to build relationships with customers and create a dialog that initiates a sale. Conversational marketing requires more effort than traditional methods, but it’s worth it — customers want to do business with companies they feel they know and trust.

Initially, it would require in-depth knowledge and a powerful team of developers to do conversational marketing. However, with platforms like Drift, Intercom, and HubSpot, it’s now possible to do conversational marketing with just a few clicks. These platforms have made it easier to create chatbots and manage conversations.

5. User-Generated Content

User-generated content is one of the best ways to infuse trust and social proof into your content strategy. User-generated content is any type of content that has been created by users and not by the business.

The genuine and trustworthy nature of this content makes it more impactful than any other traditional marketing message. When people hear about a great experience from a friend or family member, they believe it more than if they saw the same thing in an ad.

User-generated content can take many different forms, such as product reviews, testimonials, social media posts, and even blog posts. If you can get your customers to create content for you, it’ll save you a lot of time and effort.

There are a few different ways to get user-generated content. The most common is to simply ask for it. You can also run social media contests or offer incentives in exchange for user-generated content.

The important thing is to make sure that the user-generated content is high quality and relevant to your brand. Don’t just accept any old thing — only publish the best of the best.

User-generated content is an incredibly powerful marketing tool, and it’s one you should definitely be using.

6. New-Ad Channels

As mentioned before, the digital landscape is always changing, and new ad channels are constantly emerging. To stay ahead of the curve, businesses need to be on the lookout for new ad channels.

Facebook, Google, and Instagram may have become the go-to places for paid advertising, but as more businesses jump on the bandwagon, the competition gets fiercer, and costs start to rise.

Newer social media platforms, like TikTok and Spotify, offer businesses a fresh opportunity to reach new audiences. And there are options outside of social media altogether, such as podcasts and streaming services.

According to a recent study, the average person spends over 4 hours a day listening to audio. This makes podcasts an incredibly effective way to reach a wide audience. And with over 550,000 active podcasts and more than 30 million episodes, there’s sure to be a show that’s relevant to your business.

OTT platforms, such as Roku, Hulu, and Sling TV, are also growing in popularity. Over-the-top advertising allows businesses to place ads on these platforms and reach a whole new audience.

The important thing is to experiment and find what works for your business. Don’t be afraid to try something new — you never know what might take off.

There’s no doubt that the digital landscape is constantly changing. And as it does, businesses need to be prepared to change their marketing strategies. The good news is there are a lot of different marketing channels and tactics to choose from. So, if one doesn’t work, you can always try something else.

The most important thing is to always be on the lookout for new opportunities. With the right approach, you can stay ahead of the competition and find success in the ever-changing digital landscape.