If you have an extra $5 million laying around, you may as well spend it on a Super Bowl Ad. But for those of us in the real world, it may not make sense to spend that kind of money on something that you can do for far less – use inbound marketing strategies to optimize your content to draw in customers. Think about it this way; a Super Bowl spot can get you instant exposure (nearly 112 million people watched in 2016), but what is your plan for the other 364 days of the year? Below, we share five inbound marketing strategies that are just as effective as that coveted TV spot, and can be used any time of the year, for a fraction of the cost.
5 Inbound Marketing Strategies That Rival a Super Bowl Ad
1. High-Quality Videos
While it makes sense for brands like Pepsi and Budweiser to saturate football programming with ads (game watching does make you thirsty, after all), with today’s digital media, it is all about going viral, and you don’t need a Super Bowl ad for that . If you only take 2% of the $5 million you’d spend on an ad, you can instead produce a web series—that airs every day—with the highest quality production level and writing that will make sure people are interested.
2. An Interactive Website
Consumers are all about the experience these days, so an interactive website that accompanies your other content can build up interest and exposure. Take a hint from director J.J. Abrams, who creates teaser websites long before he starts advertising films to increase suspense and tantalize viewers. With just another 2% of that Super Bowl ad budget you can create a website experience that captures viewers’ attentions, and —if you create it so that users have to give an email address to access in-depth areas of the site—you’ll also be building your contact list.
3. Social Media Blitz
You don’t need a lot of money for an effective social media campaign , but imagine what you could do with $25,000! With this amount, you can regularly create fresh and high-quality graphic and video content, and have a presence on every site that engages users.
4. A Must-Have App
If you have the budget, make an app. Again, just about 2% of that Super Bowl ad spend can go toward making an incredible app. Your app can tie in with your video content and website experience, and you can encourage users to download it by having your app offer exclusive content and promotions.
5. Content Production
Even with these techniques, you’ll have to continue to produce awesome content for all of your platforms. Just a tiny part of that Super Bowl budget can be spent designing emails tailored to each of your user’s demographics that encourages them to visit your website and see your video content.
