One of the challenges businesses face is how to stand out from the crowd and attract new customers. Finding an edge that makes a difference with your target audience yet still fits with your brand takes a little creativity and a willingness to step out of your comfort zone and explore new approaches.
You may be aware that R2R’s COO is working remotely and traveling the country in an Airstream travel trailer. That experience led to an interesting marketing discovery—businesses that encourage travelers to “camp” overnight in their parking lot in exchange for spending a minimum of $30. The program is administered through a company called Harvest Hosts, and Tom and his wife have stayed at orchards, restaurants, breweries, farms, wineries, and similar locations that benefit from visitors. Tom admits they spend far more than the minimum and have since ordered online from some of the businesses they have visited.
The program isn’t designed for service-based businesses, but it’s a great example of thinking outside the box to attract new customers. A honey bee farm owner in Illinois shared that they had 125 guests in 2023, mostly from people who were passing through the area and would not have otherwise stopped. That’s 125 paying customers they wouldn’t have otherwise had, most of whom also share their experience on social media and expose even more people to their brand and company.
Harvest Hosts is a fairly specialized program, and the takeaway from this story is to brainstorm… how can you reach new customers for your business? Here are a few other examples to get your creative juices flowing:
- One R2R client that serves homeowners has a mobile hot dog stand they take to local events where they give away hot dogs and branded freebies like frisbees and can koozies.
- An automotive repair client has an antique fire truck they volunteer to drive in community parades and appear at local events.
- Another client has given away pumpkins and set up a child-friendly carving station in their showroom parking lot on an October weekend.
Final tip – if you’re having trouble coming up with a creative way to showcase your business, don’t underestimate the power of children’s imaginations. They may have seemingly goofy ideas, but one of them may be perfect or will spark a thought you hadn’t considered. Their fresh perspective can be a goldmine of innovative ideas.
Do you have a unique way you market your business? Tell us your story!
