Marketing, in today’s world, is evolving not by the week or the day or the hour–marketing is evolving by the minute. And if you or your company aren’t constantly evolving with it, it can have negative effects on your marketing efforts. There are two ways companies try to stay in the game:
- They jump on the bandwagon and conform to the mainstream marketing trends because it’s hot right now and might increase their impressions and engagements. But only for a few moments before the next new thing comes along.
- They think of a new, never-before-seen solution that’s entirely creative and also entirely risky. If they’re lucky enough, their efforts will gain traction and make their company’s efforts mainstream.
There are pros and cons to each method. While conforming will give you the results you seek, it will not promote thinking outside of the box. Instead, it will create a cycle that’ll be almost impossible to break. Likewise, while creativity could boost your products and company, it comes with a huge risk.
It’s on you to figure out which pros outweigh which cons. To do that, you have to ask yourself which you want more: traction for traction’s sake or traction for innovation’s sake? If it’s the latter, and we’re pretty sure it is, then creativity is the only way to go.
But how are you supposed to practice creativity in marketing?
- You need to foster a work environment that not only calls for creativity but embraces it. In a LinkedIn article, Charles Rathman includes this quote from Liz Ryan: “If your employees aren’t innovating, it’s because you have not created an environment where innovation can flourish.”
- You need to conduct some research on what other companies are doing. But don’t copy or conform. Think of new ways to present or say the same thing. Of course, this isn’t easy. That’s why it’s important to do your research right. “If you have the appetite for taking risks, with a well-researched backing, creativity is the next step to take.”
- You need to know your brand, mission, values, and voice through to the core. You can’t create or innovate if you don’t know why you’re doing so. Once you have a grasp on who your company is and who you are, you’ll be able to brainstorm ideas for your next marketing campaign, one that won’t include memes or inspirational quotes written by someone else.
Overall, creativity is needed in today’s world to thrive. From design to development to marketing, you can be so successful if you operate in the right mindset. Promoting imaginative thinking and taking risks is the way to get there. Comment below with your creative strategies! And if you’re in need of some innovation, start a project with us, and we’ll be sure to help you!
