5 Marketing Strategies That Changed the Game

Sometimes, the simplest ideas make the biggest splash!

These 5 fundamental marketing strategies might seem obvious now, but they completely changed how companies connect with customers.

The best part? While some need big budgets, others are so simple that even a kid with a lemonade stand could use them!

These aren't complicated secrets because they are straightforward approaches that worked because they understand one thing: how real people make choices.

The big companies just figured them out first and went all in.

Let's dive in and start using today - whether you have millions to spend or just a few dollars and some free time.

Small Brand Strategies (Don't Need Much Money)

5. Build a Community Around Your Brand

Example: Glossier's customer involvement

Glossier started as a beauty blog called "Into The Gloss" before they made any products. They built a community of people who loved talking about beauty products.

Then, they asked their community for ideas and feedback when they came up with their makeup and skincare products. They showed real customers in their ads, not models.

They created Glossier Reps so customers could share special links and earn rewards.

Result

• Glossier grew from a blog to a company worth over $1 billion.

• Their first product launch had a waitlist of 10,000 people because of their community.

• About 70% of their sales come from word-of-mouth and recommendations, not paid advertising.

• Their customers became so loyal that many would defend the brand online against critics.

• Glossier now has millions of customers and is one of the fastest-growing beauty brands ever.

The Strategy For You

Create a group of people who love what your brand is about, not just what you sell. Let these people talk to each other and you. Ask for their ideas about your products. Make them feel special. They will become your biggest fans and tell everyone about you.

Steps to Do This:

1. Find a special interest that connects your customers

2. Make places where people can talk (Facebook group, forum, in-person meetups)

3. Join the conversations as a friend, not just as a business

4. Ask the community for ideas about new products

5. Show community members in your ads and posts

6. Give community members early access to new products

7. Create unique words or sayings that only your community uses

8. Give titles to your most active community members

9. Use feedback from the community to make your products better

10. Celebrate when your community reaches some size (1,000 members, etc.)

2. Share Helpful Information

Example: HubSpot's free guides and tools

HubSpot created tons of free, helpful content about marketing when they were still a little company. They made blog posts, ebooks, and free tools like a Website Grader that told businesses how good their websites were.

They created complete guides about "inbound marketing" (a term they helped make popular). To get the best guides, people had to give their email addresses. HubSpot emailed these people helpful tips regularly.

Results

• HubSpot grew from a startup to a public company worth billions of dollars. Their blog now gets over 7 million visits each month.

• They built a list of more than 1 million email subscribers. The term inbound marketing they promoted became widely used.

• Thousands of businesses use their free tools, many of which became paying customers later.

The Strategy For You

Instead of just talking about your products, create helpful information that solves problems for the people you want as customers.

Make blog posts, videos, and guides that answer questions people have. It makes people trust you as an expert, and they will remember you when they need what you sell.

Steps to Do This:

1. Make a list of questions your customers often ask

2. Create helpful content that answers each question (blog posts, videos, checklists, or anything you can think of)

3. Make some big, complete guides about core topics

4. Use words in your content that people search for on Google

5. For your best content, ask for an email address before people can see it

6. Create content (email sequences) that helps people at different stages (beginners to experts)

7. Share your content on social media, in emails, and with partner websites

8. Watch which content brings in customers, not just readers

9. Turn your popular blog posts into videos or podcasts

10. Update old content to keep it helpful and accurate

3. Get Customers to Tell Friends

Example: Dropbox's "Invite Friends, Get Space" program

Dropbox started as a small file-sharing company. They created a program where users got 500MB of free extra storage space for each friend they invited who signed up.

The friend also got extra space. They made it super easy to invite friends with just a few clicks. Users could track their referral count and how much space they had earned.

Results

• Dropbox grew from 100,000 to 4 million users in just 15 months without spending much on advertising.

• Their signups increased by 60% permanently. Some users invited so many friends they got over 16GB of free space.

• It became worth billions of dollars, and this referral program is often called one of the best growth hacks ever.

The Strategy For You

Create a system that rewards your current customers when they tell their friends about your product. When the friend becomes a customer, both should get something good. And that makes your customers want to tell everyone about you.

Steps to Do This:

1. Decide what you want people to do (buy something, sign up, etc.)

2. Create a reward that both the person who tells a friend AND the new friend will get

3. Make it super easy to share - create buttons, email templates, and short links

4. Set up a system that knows which customer brought in which new customer

5. Pick rewards people get excited about (free stuff, discounts, extra features)

6. Design a page where customers can see how many friends they have brought in

7. Try different rewards to see which ones work best

8. Send thank you notes to customers who bring in lots of friends

9. Remind customers about the program every few months

10. Share stories about customers who got big rewards from telling many friends

PS. Put a barrier that newcomers must meet.

For example, if you run a newsletter referral program, you could have something like the new subscriber must open at least five emails to claim the reward. The referral program is not outdated. People fail at it because they are not doing it right.

Big Brand Strategies (Need Lots of Money)

2. Super Bowl TV Commercials

Example: Apple's 1984 commercial

Apple created a one-time commercial for the 1984 Super Bowl that showed a woman in colorful clothing running through a gray world. She threw a hammer at a big screen where a man was talking to crowds of people who all looked the same.

The commercial ended with "On January 24th, Apple Computer will introduce Macintosh. And you will see why 1984 won't be like '1984'."

The commercial only aired once during the Super Bowl.

Results

• The commercial became one of the most famous ads ever made. It got free coverage on news shows worth millions of dollars.

• People still talk about it today, more than 40 years later.

• Apple sold $155 million worth of Macintosh computers in the first three months after the ad, far more than expected.

• It changed how companies think about Super Bowl advertising forever.

The Strategy For You

Make a TV commercial millions watch during a big event. The commercial should tell a story that makes people feel something solid.

It should show how your brand or product is unique and different from others. The goal is to get everyone talking about your commercial the next day.

Steps to Do This:

1. Pick a big event that lots of people watch, like the Super Bowl

2. Think of a story that shows how your product makes life better

3. Hire the best filmmakers to make your commercial look amazing

4. Spend extra money to make it look like a mini-movie

5. Show the commercial during the event when most people are watching

6. Get ready for people to talk about it on social media

7. Make videos, posts, and pictures that continue the story of your commercial

8. Ask customers to share their thoughts about your commercial

9. Put the commercial on your website and YouTube channel

10. Turn parts of the commercial into shorter ads for later use

1. Sponsoring Big Events

Example: Coca-Cola at the Olympic Games

Coca-Cola first sponsored the Olympics in 1928 and has been a sponsor at every Olympic Games since. They create special bottles and cans with Olympic rings on them.

They set up "Coca-Cola Olympic Parks" where people can watch the games, try activities, and drink free Coke. They make commercials showing athletes drinking Coke and put up Coca-Cola signs around Olympic venues.

Results

• Coca-Cola has become so connected to the Olympics that many people can't imagine the games without them.

• During the 2016 Olympics, Coca-Cola saw a 2.3% increase in sales.

• Their brand recognition is now over 94% worldwide, partly because of this long Olympic partnership.

• The Olympic sponsorship has helped Coca-Cola enter new markets in different countries that held the games.

The Strategy For You

Pay money to connect your brand with a famous event that happens over and over, like the Olympics or World Cup. You put your logo everywhere at the event.

You make unique products just for the event. And it doesn't necessarily have to be such massive. It can be as small as sponsoring meetups or any offline event, which many attend. Over time, people connect your brand with the good feelings about the event.

Steps to Do This:

1. Find an event that matches what your brand stands for

2. Sign a deal to be a sponsor for several years, not just once

3. Make special packaging with the event logo on your products

4. Set up fun areas at the event where people can try your products

5. Make commercials that show your brand and the event together

6. Create special items people can collect that have both logos

7. Put together teams in each country where the event happens

8. Give out free samples during the event

9. Take lots of pictures and videos to use later

10. Keep track of how many more people buy your product during and after the event

Conclusion

Don't just read about these strategies – use them!

Here's how to get started right now:

1. Choose one strategy that fits your resources. If you are a small business or just starting, begin with one of the three low-cost approaches.

2. Set a clear goal. Write down exactly what you want to achieve (more customers, more sales, more recognition).

3. Start small, but start today. You don't need to do everything at once. Even creating one helpful blog post or setting up a simple referral program is a good first step.

4. Track your results. Keep count of new customers, website visitors, or sales from your marketing efforts.

5. Learn and adjust. The first version might not work perfectly – that's normal! Make small changes based on what you learn.

Remember: These strategies worked because they were done consistently over time. The most vital step is simply to begin. Even the biggest brands started somewhere – usually with simple ideas that they executed well, again and again.

What one marketing strategy will you try this week?