{"id":157044,"date":"2023-04-13T00:05:28","date_gmt":"2023-04-13T05:05:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/?p=157044"},"modified":"2024-10-17T11:00:37","modified_gmt":"2024-10-17T16:00:37","slug":"marketing-ideas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/marketing-ideas\/","title":{"rendered":"11 Creative Marketing Ideas (Suggested by 18 Marketers)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"intro-txt\">Sometimes, all you need are ideas to get your creative juices flowing.<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>So I want to give you marketing ideas to riff off. That\u2019s why I asked 18 marketers for the most unconventional marketing ideas they\u2019ve seen or executed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"intro-tok\" id=\"intro_tok\" style=\"display:none;\"><div class=\"intro-title\">Contents<\/div><a href=\"#\" class=\"expand-dots\"><span><\/span><span><\/span><span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"1. Create friction\" data-section=\"create-friction\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Create friction<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The psychological concept of <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Effort_justification\">effort justification<\/a> states that people tend to attribute a higher value to an outcome <em>if<\/em> they have put effort into&nbsp;it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If your customer has to jump through hoops to buy your product, it means they\u2019re motivated\u2014and therefore likely to be a great customer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Creating friction seems counterintuitive, but it&nbsp;works:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>People are willing to pay more for furniture they assemble than comparable pre-assembled items, also known as the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/IKEA_effect\">IKEA effect<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>We previously offered a seven-day trial for $7, and it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=09avD7Y4xpc\">improved our lead quality<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/stores\/Dan-S.-Kennedy\/author\/B000AP7EBS\">Dan Kennedy<\/a> was once the world\u2019s highest-paid marketing consultant, yet you could only <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/roncaruthers\/status\/1270748635945250816\">reach him via fax<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Longer forms are (sometimes) better. In a <a href=\"https:\/\/cxl.com\/blog\/reduce-form-fields\/\">study<\/a> by conversion rate optimizer <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/contentverve\">Michael Aagaard<\/a>, reducing the number of form fields <strong>decreased<\/strong> form conversions by&nbsp;14%.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"2. Disqualify your audience\" data-section=\"disqualify-your-audience\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Disqualify your audience<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>In an earlier version of our <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20210715023648\/https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/\">homepage<\/a>, we explicitly told prospects <strong>not <\/strong>to spend money on our trial before consuming any of our educational content. We wanted them to be familiar with our toolset and how it could solve their problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"886\" class=\"wp-image-157079\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image14-5.png\" alt=\"Ahrefs CMO Tim Soulo cautioning people not to buy the $7, seven-day trial until they learn more about Ahrefs\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image14-5.png 1440w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image14-5-680x418.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image14-5-768x473.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1440px) 100vw, 1440px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Marketing automation tool Metadata wrote a <a href=\"https:\/\/metadata.io\/resources\/blog\/6-reasons-why-you-shouldnt-buy-metadata\/\">blog post<\/a> telling prospects why they shouldn\u2019t buy. New York Times bestselling author <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ramit_Sethi\">Ramit Sethi<\/a> forbids anyone with credit card debt to join his programs.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">https:\/\/twitter.com\/ramit\/status\/1361387666583953408<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Defining your audience is about describing who they are <em>and<\/em> who they are&nbsp;<strong>not. <\/strong>Not only does disqualifying your customers signal confidence, but it also prevents low-quality customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, if you\u2019re an <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/what-does-an-seo-agency-do\/\">SEO agency<\/a>, you don\u2019t want to spend 80% of your time hand-holding a horrible customer who\u2019s only paying 20% compared to the&nbsp;rest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By the way, this is not a gimmick. It <strong>must<\/strong> reflect your values and absolute confidence in your product.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We <em>dare <\/em>to tell people not to take up the trial because it\u2019s our sincere belief. We\u2019d much prefer it if they consumed our <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/\">educational material<\/a> first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Likewise for Ramit. If he publicly announces that he forbids people with credit card debt to join\u2014but secretly lets everyone in\u2014people will notice and his positioning will crumble.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"3. Use ads to get links\" data-section=\"use-ads-to-get-links\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Use ads to get&nbsp;links<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Some pages earn links consistently because they rank at the top of Google. This creates a vicious cycle of&nbsp;SEO:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1871\" class=\"wp-image-157075\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/marketing-ideas_1.png\" alt=\"The vicious cycle of SEO\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/marketing-ideas_1.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/marketing-ideas_1-363x425.png 363w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/marketing-ideas_1-768x898.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/marketing-ideas_1-1314x1536.png 1314w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>So <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/samsgoh\">Sam Oh<\/a> wondered, \u201cWhat if I could bypass all of them and be at the top of Google? Would I get&nbsp;links?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And there was a way: Google Ads. With Google Ads, he could pay to have our page appear at the top of the&nbsp;SERPs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2020, he ran an experiment where we spent around <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Uz2bGhdnJN0\">$1,200 on Google ads<\/a> to promote our <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-statistics\/\">post on SEO statistics<\/a>. It helped us acquire around <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/high-quality-backlinks\/\">12 high-quality links<\/a> and propelled the post to position #1\u2014which we still maintain today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1180\" height=\"744\" class=\"wp-image-157081\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image13-3.png\" alt=\"Ahrefs' post on SEO statistics ranks #1 for the query, &quot;seo statistics&quot;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image13-3.png 1180w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image13-3-674x425.png 674w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image13-3-768x484.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1180px) 100vw, 1180px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The secret behind this tactic is that he targeted queries with \u201clink intent.\u201d These are keywords where people, such as bloggers and journalists, are searching for resources to link to. Most of the time, they\u2019re looking for statistics to back up their claims.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s why Sam specifically chose our post on SEO statistics. If you want to do something similar, you should target \u201cstatistics\u201d-related queries too.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s how to find these keywords:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Go to Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/keywords-explorer\">Keywords Explorer<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Enter one or a few relevant keywords (e.g., SEO, content marketing, blogging)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Go to the <strong>Matching terms <\/strong>report<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Search for \u201cstatistics\u201d with the <strong>Include <\/strong>filter<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1820\" height=\"982\" class=\"wp-image-157083\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image7-6.png\" alt=\"Statistics-related keywords, via Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image7-6.png 1820w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image7-6-680x367.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image7-6-768x414.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image7-6-1536x829.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1820px) 100vw, 1820px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>From here, you can click the <strong>SERP <\/strong>button to see if these pages have&nbsp;links:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1980\" height=\"958\" class=\"wp-image-157085\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image4-5.png\" alt=\"Referring domains going to the top-ranking pages, via Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image4-5.png 1980w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image4-5-680x329.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image4-5-768x372.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image4-5-1536x743.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Seems like the pages ranking for \u201cblogging statistics\u201d have plenty of links\u2014which makes it perfect for us to run Google Ads&nbsp;to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"further-reading\"><div class=\"reading-title\">Further Viewing<\/div><div class=\"reading-content\">\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Uz2bGhdnJN0\">Link Building With Google Ads: Results From $1,245 in PPC Ads [Ep.&nbsp;3]<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=iZwr2mAmIxE\">How to Use Google Ads to Improve SEO<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"4. Trendjack\u2026 tastefully\" data-section=\"trendjack-tastefully\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Trendjack\u2026 tastefully<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2018, Swedish financial company Advisa made a game\u2014<a href=\"https:\/\/advisa.se\/en\/research\/brexit-bus\/\">Brexit Bus<\/a>\u2014to indirectly comment on the British pound after Brexit was confirmed. It was a hit, scoring tons of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk\/news\/uk-news\/play-the-brexit-bus-game-14004276\">media<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ibtimes.co.uk\/taking-back-control-your-chance-drive-infamous-brexit-bus-1649449\">mentions<\/a> and thousands of social shares.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Collaborative video editor Kapwing does something similar: It finds trending memes and makes videos on how to do&nbsp;them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1252\" class=\"wp-image-157077\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/marketing-ideas_2.jpg\" alt=\"Examples of meme-inspired videos\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/marketing-ideas_2.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/marketing-ideas_2-543x425.jpg 543w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/marketing-ideas_2-768x601.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/marketing-ideas_2-1536x1202.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This has scored it over 180,000 subscribers and ~32 million views on its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@Kapwing\">YouTube channel<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1784\" height=\"974\" class=\"wp-image-157087\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image5-6.png\" alt=\"Kapwing's YouTube subscribers and views\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image5-6.png 1784w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image5-6-680x371.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image5-6-768x419.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image5-6-1536x839.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1784px) 100vw, 1784px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This strategy is known as trendjacking\/newsjacking, and it\u2019s finding something trending in your niche or the world and latching on to it for attention.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, you should refrain from jumping on every trend. Not only is that impossible, but you may also damage your brand in the long term if you do it incorrectly.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Think about all the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marketingbrew.com\/stories\/2022\/03\/30\/yes-some-brands-made-memes-of-the-slap-were-they-in-the-wrong\">brands that jumped on the Will Smith slapping incident<\/a>\u2014do you think better of them? Probably not\u2014after all, they\u2019re brands, not edgy teenagers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So how do you evaluate the right opportunity to jump in on a trend? According to marketer <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/amandanat\">Amanda Natividad<\/a>, you should ask yourself these five questions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>What\u2019s the question everyone is asking but no one else is answering?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How can I answer that question?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How can I comment on culture (or call out bad behavior) in a way that advances the conversation?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Does my core value proposition directly align with this&nbsp;trend?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Can I be the fastest mover on this&nbsp;trend?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>These will set you on the path to hijacking trends to build a long-term brand rather than short-term thrills and attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"further-reading\"><div class=\"reading-title\">Further reading<\/div><div class=\"reading-content\">\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/sparktoro.com\/blog\/trendjacking-without-the-cringe\/\">Trendjacking Without the Cringe<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"5. Create content in unconventional formats\" data-section=\"create-content-in-unconventional-formats\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Create content in unconventional formats<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>When it comes to <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/content-creation\/\">content creation<\/a>, most brands default to blog posts, podcasts, or videos. But these aren\u2019t the only <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/types-of-content-marketing\/\">types of content<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are other options too.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Books<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1900, there were &lt;3,000 cars in France. To encourage people to drive more, and therefore buy more tires, the Michelin brothers produced a series of guidebooks with content like tire repair and change instructions, hotels, restaurants, gas stations, and&nbsp;more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not only did it propel Michelin to become the second-largest tire manufacturer in the world, but <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Michelin_Guide\">the book<\/a> is now also world-renowned for its restaurant reviews.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You may think that creating a book is hard work. It is, but you can shorten the process if you\u2019ve already been creating content for other channels. For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>We turned our <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\">blog posts<\/a> into a <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-for-beginners-book\/\">book<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cognism turned its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/officialg_marketing-activity-7034575788062449664-q95F\/\">Chief Marketing Officer\u2019s LinkedIn posts into a book<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Wondery turned its <a href=\"https:\/\/wondery.com\/shows\/business-wars\/\">podcast series<\/a> into a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Art-Business-Wars-Battle-Tested-Entrepreneurs\/dp\/0063019523\">book<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>ASAPScience turned its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@AsapSCIENCE\">YouTube videos<\/a> into a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/AsapSCIENCE-Questions-Persistent-Unexplained-Phenomena\/dp\/1476756228\">book<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Quizzes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Beyond free tools, a quiz can be a great way to generate leads, segment your audience, or acquire links.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, Todoist has a <a href=\"https:\/\/todoist.com\/productivity-methods\">simple Typeform quiz<\/a> that lets its audience figure out which productivity method works best for&nbsp;them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1574\" height=\"638\" class=\"wp-image-157089\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image16-4.png\" alt=\"Todoist's productivity methods quiz\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image16-4.png 1574w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image16-4-680x276.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image16-4-768x311.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image16-4-1536x623.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1574px) 100vw, 1574px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This has generated over 70,000 search visits and earned it tons of&nbsp;links:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1368\" height=\"496\" class=\"wp-image-157091\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image6-6.png\" alt=\"Number of search visits and backlinks going to Todoist's productivity methods quiz, via Ahrefs' Site Explorer\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image6-6.png 1368w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image6-6-680x247.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image6-6-768x278.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1368px) 100vw, 1368px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>With Todoist asking for your email at the end, this likely generates a ton of leads&nbsp;too:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1528\" height=\"738\" class=\"wp-image-157093\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image3-5.png\" alt=\"Todoist's call-to-action to sign up for its newsletter\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image3-5.png 1528w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image3-5-680x328.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image3-5-768x371.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1528px) 100vw, 1528px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Spotify playlists<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Pasta producer Barilla <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/user\/w2p1oq867ns7jele6g3lw66fk\">created Spotify playlists<\/a> for the exact length of time it takes to cook different types of&nbsp;pasta.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">https:\/\/twitter.com\/GoodMarketingHQ\/status\/1496421139320647686<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s unconventional, thoughtful, and well aligned with the audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Comics<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When my colleague, <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/author\/rebecca-liew\/\">Rebecca Liew<\/a>, worked for personal finance startup Seedly, she created a weekly comic series for Instagram:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" style=\"background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);\" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CSTJVEIFu3g\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\">\n<div style=\"padding: 16px;\">\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 19% 0;\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding-top: 8px;\">\n<div style=\"color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;\">View this post on Instagram<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\">\n<div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: auto;\">\n<div style=\"width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p style=\"color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;\"><a style=\"color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CSTJVEIFu3g\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A post shared by Seedly (@seedlysg)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With thousands of likes for each post, it did incredibly well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I asked Rebecca for tips on how to get started with a comic series for your brand. She advised to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Look at comic series you enjoy. Identify what aspect appeals to you. It can be the topic, how something is written, the character design, color palette, or&nbsp;more.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Chat with other comic series founders\/illustrators who have seen success.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Design and stick to one or two easy-to-draw characters. The goal is for them to be simple to recreate over time. Give each character a short but memorable name.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Choose your topics first before storyboarding.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Decide on the format. Single-panel or multi-panel? This depends on the platforms you plan to publish your comic&nbsp;on.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Keep sentences short and digestible.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Get feedback from readers and iterate.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"6. \u201cSteal\u201d traffic from big sites\" data-section=\"steal-traffic-from-big-sites\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6. \u201cSteal\u201d traffic from big&nbsp;sites<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Many successful startups got their initial users by creatively leveraging existing platforms.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The most famous example is Airbnb, which \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/hackernoon.com\/how-airbnb-hacked-craigslist-for-viral-growth-24l35eg\">hacked\u201d Craigslist<\/a> by automatically inviting everyone who listed a bed and breakfast on Craigslist to also list on its platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But it\u2019s not limited to startups too\u2014we\u2019ve seen above how Barilla, a company more than 140 years old, leveraged Spotify for brand awareness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are more examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Stock photo websites<\/strong> \u2013 In his previous job, my colleague, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/di_ry\">Igor Gorbenko<\/a>, arranged a photoshoot to take pictures of workspaces with his SaaS on computer screens. He then uploaded these images to free stock photo sites targeting relevant keywords. (These images are still being used&nbsp;today.)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>GIPHY<\/strong> \u2013 Karla &amp; Co. pulls in <a href=\"https:\/\/marketingexamples.com\/content\/giphy\">100,000 views each day<\/a> from stickers it uploaded onto&nbsp;GIPHY.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Reddit<\/strong> \u2013 Reddit is notoriously hostile to marketers. But it\u2019s still possible to promote your brand. For example, marketer Ken Savage helped <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/kensavage\/status\/1603079413872136193\">promote a blog post on Reddit<\/a>, leading to 25,000 upvotes and hundreds of thousands of visitors. Another smart way is looking at how marketer Jaskaran Saini <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/marketing\/comments\/122m2dh\/google_bard_is_disappointing_instagrams_new\/\">drives subscribers to his newsletter via his Reddit bio<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Product Hunt<\/strong> \u2013 Zapier, Notion, Loom: These are <a href=\"https:\/\/publer.io\/blog\/products-that-started-off-on-product-hunt\/\">some of the companies<\/a> that started off on Product Hunt.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Imgur<\/strong> \u2013 This <a href=\"https:\/\/imgur.com\/gallery\/dux6m\">series of images<\/a>, with a simple giveaway, hit the front page of Imgur and likely drove thousands of visitors to the OP\u2019s&nbsp;site.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Hacker News<\/strong> \u2013 Getting on the front page of HN means thousands of visitors to your site, <a href=\"https:\/\/marketingexamples.com\/content\/hacker-news\">as Adriaan van Rossum discovered<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>You likely won\u2019t be able to replicate these examples specifically, but that\u2019s not the point. Analyze how they did it, learn the principles behind them, and you could recreate something on another site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"further-reading\"><div class=\"reading-title\">Further reading<\/div><div class=\"reading-content\">\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.demandcurve.com\/playbooks\/product-hunt-launch\">In-depth Product Hunt Launch Guide<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/kensavage\/status\/1616189595254927360\">How to Launch Your Product Successfully on Product Hunt<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.growandconvert.com\/marketing\/reddit-marketing\/\">Reddit Marketing: How to Self Promote on Reddit and Get More Traffic<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"7. Give people something to talk about\" data-section=\"give-people-something-to-talk-about\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">7. Give people something to talk&nbsp;about<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>On October 14, 2012, millions of people watched as an Austrian skydiver, Felix Baumgartner, broke the sound barrier while jumping from the stratosphere. The entire event was sponsored by Red Bull, and it generated more than 8 million views on YouTube, plus more than <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sprinklr.com\/blog\/redbull-social-media-marketing\/\">61 million impressions across all social channels<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This was likely worth <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/darrenheitner\/2012\/10\/15\/red-bull-stratos-worth-tens-of-millions-of-dollars-in-global-exposure-for-the-red-bull-brand\/\">tens of millions of dollars<\/a> in global exposure for the energy drink.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Getting reputable sites to cover you is all about being novel and interesting.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes, it means jumping on a trend and riding the hype train. Other times, it means being the news itself. That\u2019s why Red Bull Stratos exists. And that\u2019s why Half.com famously paid to <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/types-of-marketing\/\">rename a town in the U.S.<\/a> to its brand&nbsp;name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"374\" class=\"wp-image-157095\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image10-6.jpg\" alt=\"Half.com paid Halfway, a small town in the U.S. to change its name to Half.com\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This doesn\u2019t mean you must invest <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetimes.co.uk\/article\/felix-baumgartners-dollar200000-suit-dollar250000-balloon-and-more-publicity-than-money-can-buy-xp5kx50tvgg\">$30 million<\/a> every time you want to do a PR stunt. There are many examples where a successful stunt was done at relatively low&nbsp;costs:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>KFC\u2019s Twitter account secretly followed five Spice Girls and six guys named Herb (in reference to its \u201c11 Herbs &amp; Spices\u201d) and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eater.com\/2017\/10\/20\/16507600\/kfcs-twitter-account-11-herbs-and-spices\">waited for people to discover it<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Burger King <a href=\"https:\/\/www.complex.com\/life\/2019\/01\/here-is-why-burger-king-was-liking-your-old-tweets-funnel-cake-fries-are-back\">started liking tweets from eight years ago<\/a> to promote its Funnel Cake&nbsp;fries.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2010\/10\/26\/wepay-ice-paypal\/\">WePay dropped 600 pounds of ice<\/a> at a PayPal conference to troll the payment company about how it freezes accounts.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Glasses company Warby Parker <a href=\"https:\/\/www.referralcandy.com\/blog\/warby-parker-marketing-story\">hijacked New York Fashion Week<\/a> with a hush&nbsp;mob.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"further-reading\"><div class=\"reading-title\">Further reading<\/div><div class=\"reading-content\">\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thedrum.com\/topics\/pr-stunts\">The Drum\u2019s List of PR Stunts<\/a>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"8. Leverage smaller ad platforms\" data-section=\"leverage-smaller-ad-platforms\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">8. Leverage smaller ad platforms<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>When it comes to paid advertising, the main choices are Facebook, Instagram, and Google Ads. But don\u2019t forget: Other platforms have ads&nbsp;too.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Take for example, Quora. It\u2019s no TikTok, but it maintains a respectable <a href=\"https:\/\/business.quora.com\/\">300 million monthly visitors<\/a>. It\u2019s a great platform to reach your target audience.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In fact, Ahrefs has seen decent success running ads on Quora. For our campaigns, we\u2019re acquiring visitors at a 40%\u201350% cheaper CPC than Facebook and a 60%\u201395% cheaper CPC than Google\u2019s search campaigns.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So how do you get the best of Quora ads? I\u2019ll leave it to my colleague, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/michalpecanek?lang=en\">Michal Pec\u00e1nek<\/a>\u2014who\u2019s in charge of Quora ads\u2014to explain:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"further-reading\"><div class=\"reading-title\">Further reading<\/div><div class=\"reading-content\">\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/quora-ads\/\">Quora Ads: Over $200K Spent. Here\u2019s What I Learned<\/a>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"9. Invest in future customers\" data-section=\"invest-in-future-customers\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">9. Invest in future customers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>When I say \u201cinvest in future customers,\u201d I\u2019m not referring to the unconverted people sitting at the top of the <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/marketing-funnels\/\">marketing funnel<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019m referring to <strong>students.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When I asked my colleague, <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/author\/nick-churick\/\">Nick Churick<\/a>, for an unconventional marketing idea, he&nbsp;said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>I think it\u2019s raising and educating your future customers when they\u2019re students. In my opinion, it\u2019s really important for SaaS companies. Students learning and getting used to your products at an early age is a good investment for your company.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>This idea can be executed simply by providing universities or academic institutions with free access to your tools during lectures or tutorials, as we\u2019ve&nbsp;done:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"767\" class=\"wp-image-157097\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image9-4.png\" alt=\"An email thanking Ahrefs for our university partnership program\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image9-4.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image9-4-680x261.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image9-4-768x295.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image9-4-1536x589.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"10. Do the opposite of what everyone\u2019s doing\" data-section=\"do-the-opposite-of-what-everyones-doing\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">10. Do the opposite of what everyone\u2019s doing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>At Ahrefs, we don\u2019t do retargeting. We don\u2019t bid on competitors\u2019 keywords. And we don\u2019t use Google Analytics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">https:\/\/twitter.com\/timsoulo\/status\/1633577077596381184<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The list sounds blasphemous. Most of these are generally considered the best practices in the marketing world, but we\u2019ve decided not to do&nbsp;them.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So far, so&nbsp;good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s funny because a big part of marketing is really about <strong>how to stand out from the competition.<\/strong> Yet, modern-day marketing is the opposite\u2014it\u2019s about <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-competitor-analysis\/\" data-ahr=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/competitive-analysis\/\">replicating your competitors\u2019 strategy<\/a> until everyone looks the&nbsp;same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Everyone\u2019s creating copycat content to rank on Google. Everyone\u2019s using the same hook to grab attention on Twitter:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">https:\/\/twitter.com\/JoelKlettke\/status\/1637230606135459842<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Homepages use the same illustration:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">https:\/\/twitter.com\/timsoulo\/status\/1149600136932184064<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Even brands are converging to a similar style in their&nbsp;logos:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">https:\/\/twitter.com\/david_perell\/status\/1356264603198566405<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This is understandable on some levels. Marketing is creative, but marketers work in organizations that may not be. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/rorysutherland?lang=en\">Rory Sutherland<\/a> writes in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Alchemy-Curious-Science-Creating-Business\/dp\/006238841X\">Alchemy<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>The problem that bedevils organizations once they reach a certain size is that narrow, conventional logic is the natural mode of thinking for the risk-averse bureaucrat or executive. <strong>There is a simple reason for this: you can never be fired for being logical. If your reasoning is sound and unimaginative, even if you fail, it is unlikely you will attract much blame. It is much easier to be fired for being illogical than it is for being unimaginative.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s easy to pitch a marketing idea by saying your competitor is already doing it. It\u2019s much harder to pitch an original idea that no one knows whether will&nbsp;work.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But this is <em>exactly<\/em> why your marketing is stale or isn\u2019t working. You\u2019re driving yourself into a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.blueoceanstrategy.com\/tools\/red-ocean-vs-blue-ocean-strategy\/\">red ocean<\/a> where no one stands out and competition is cutthroat. Your customers don\u2019t know who to choose, so they select whoever catches their&nbsp;eye.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unfortunately, that may not be&nbsp;you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The opposite of a good idea can be a good idea too. Sometimes, it pays to do something different from your competition. Your contrarian experiment doesn\u2019t even need to be an extreme overhaul.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Treat it as a small marketing experiment. Take a leaf from <a href=\"https:\/\/tim.blog\/2016\/12\/07\/testing-the-impossible-17-questions-that-changed-my-life\/\">Tim Ferriss\u2019 book<\/a> and ask yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>What if I did the opposite for 48&nbsp;hours?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"11. Stop focusing so much on data\" data-section=\"stop-focusing-so-much-on-data\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">11. Stop focusing so much on&nbsp;data<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>To prevent competitors from ranking for \u201c[brand] alternative\u201d keywords, Zendesk created a fake rock band called <a href=\"http:\/\/zendeskalternative.com\/\">Zendesk Alternative<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1330\" height=\"1596\" class=\"wp-image-157099\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image12-5-1.jpg\" alt=\"A fake rock band named Zendesk Alternative created by Zendesk to prevent competitors from ranking for its brand name\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image12-5-1.jpg 1330w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image12-5-1-354x425.jpg 354w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image12-5-1-768x922.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image12-5-1-1280x1536.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1330px) 100vw, 1330px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It currently ranks #2 for the keyword \u201czendesk alternative\u201d:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1862\" height=\"576\" class=\"wp-image-157101\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image2-4.png\" alt=\"Zendesk Alternative ranks #2 for the keyword &quot;zendesk alternative&quot;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image2-4.png 1862w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image2-4-680x210.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image2-4-768x238.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image2-4-1536x475.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1862px) 100vw, 1862px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Tired of terrible on-hold music during calls, UberConference\u2019s (now Dialpad) co-founder, Alex Cornell, composed and performed the song \u201cI\u2019m on Hold\u201d for its on-hold music:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-soundcloud wp-block-embed-soundcloud\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/alexcornell\/im-on-hold-by-alex-cornell<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It went viral and received tons of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2019\/09\/05\/757544079\/the-many-requirements-of-hold-music-a-genre-for-no-one\">media<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fastcompany.com\/3029611\/finally-hold-music-that-doesnt-suck\">mentions<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Email marketing company Mailchimp launched a campaign playing on its brand\u2019s misspellings:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=VZvDv2-Zy3I<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It too received a ton of <a href=\"https:\/\/digitaldozen.io\/projects\/did-you-mean-mailchimp\/\">media<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thedrum.com\/news\/2017\/02\/21\/mailchimp-explains-why-things-failchips-and-snailprimps-are-all-part-its-first-major\">coverage<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Do you think any of the campaigns above were conducted based on data? I don\u2019t think so\u2014I think these companies were trying to have fun and be creative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The marketing industry\u2019s obsession with data can be suffocating. Marketing is inherently creative. Yet marketers are paralyzed\u2014they can\u2019t execute the next step without analytics and A\/B testing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s ironic because one of the biggest takeaways from growth marketer <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/larslofgren?lang=en\">Lars Lofgren<\/a>\u2014after years of running growth teams\u2014is to make major changes without testing. He writes in <a href=\"https:\/\/cxl.com\/blog\/dont-build-growth-teams\/#h-2-to-fix-your-funnel-eyeball-iterations-that-go-after-big-wins\">CXL<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>If you have one step in your funnel that\u2019s broken, iterate on that step without A\/B&nbsp;tests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Collect qualitative feedback from users through user tests, heat maps, surveys, and interviews. Find the biggest objections and opportunities, then design a few new versions for that step of the funnel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Focus on major changes\u2014don\u2019t test small stuff. Launch a new version, run it full-time for a month, and eyeball the impact on your conversions.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even if your funnel is fairly healthy, run 5\u201310 user tests on the onboarding funnel to pick up any glaring problems that need to be addressed. <strong>Don\u2019t worry about A\/B testing here. Find points of friction and get rid of them. When you find a real winner, you\u2019ll feel&nbsp;it.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Iterative testing <a href=\"https:\/\/cxl.com\/blog\/local-maximum\/\">leads to a local maximum<\/a>. You <strong>can<\/strong> end up sweating over the small stuff. Ultimately, if you want to make big changes, you have to go beyond data. Like how we changed our entire homepage without a single split&nbsp;test:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lJVn_iwe1ho<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes, it pays to trust your gut and have fun. Especially in a creative industry like marketing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"further-reading\"><div class=\"reading-title\">Further reading<\/div><div class=\"reading-content\">\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/sparktoro.com\/blog\/provable-marketing-attribution-is-a-boondoggle-trust-your-gut-instead\/\">Provable Marketing Attribution Is a Boondoggle; Trust Your Gut Instead<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Final thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Marketing suffers from the <a href=\"https:\/\/andrewchen.com\/the-law-of-shitty-clickthroughs\/\">law of shitty click-throughs<\/a>. Every tactic eventually stops working because too many people are abusing them.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.inc.com\/gary-vaynerchuk\/marketers-ruin-everything.html\">We ruin everything<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s why, rather than give you specific tactics to try, I\u2019ve given you ideas and principles that will generate inspiration for your&nbsp;own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thanks to the Ahrefs marketing team and these marketers for helping:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/seo_notebook\">Steve Toth<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/gaetano_nyc\">Gaetano DiNardi<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/justdebbb\">Debbie Chew<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/joycewchou\">Joyce Chou<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Any questions or comments? Let me know <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/siquanong\">on Twitter<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>So I want to give you marketing ideas to riff off. That\u2019s why I asked 18 marketers for the most unconventional marketing ideas they\u2019ve seen or executed. The psychological concept of effort justification states that people tend to attribute a<span class=\"ellipsis\">\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"read-more\">Read more \u203a<\/div>\n<p><!-- end of .read-more --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":146,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[390],"tags":[],"coauthors":[339],"class_list":["post-157044","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-marketing","odd"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>11 Creative Marketing Ideas (Suggested by 18 Marketers)<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"We asked 18 marketers for the most unconventional marketing ideas they\u2019ve seen or executed. Here&#039;s what they told us.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/marketing-ideas\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"11 Creative Marketing Ideas (Suggested by 18 Marketers)\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Being offbeat to stand out.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/marketing-ideas\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"SEO Blog by Ahrefs\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Ahrefs\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-04-13T05:05:28+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-10-17T16:00:37+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image14-5.png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Si Quan Ong\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Being offbeat to stand out.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@siquanong\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@ahrefs\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/marketing-ideas\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/marketing-ideas\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Si Quan Ong\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/e09e43a1a939a6723fb3c1ebd243f2e7\"},\"headline\":\"11 Creative Marketing Ideas (Suggested by 18 Marketers)\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-04-13T05:05:28+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-10-17T16:00:37+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/marketing-ideas\/\"},\"wordCount\":3228,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/marketing-ideas\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/11-creative-marketing-ideas-suggested-by-by-si-quan-ong-marketing.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"General Marketing\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/marketing-ideas\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/marketing-ideas\/\",\"name\":\"11 Creative Marketing Ideas (Suggested by 18 Marketers)\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/marketing-ideas\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/marketing-ideas\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image14-5.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-04-13T05:05:28+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-10-17T16:00:37+00:00\",\"description\":\"We asked 18 marketers for the most unconventional marketing ideas they\u2019ve seen or executed. 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