Audience Research Newsletter: Counterintuitive Marketing Strategies; YOu Need a Bad Guy; Hidden Gems

We’re publishing prior issues of the Audience Research Newsletter here! But we’re not just copying and pasting from the archives — we’re only surfacing what we believe is still salient today. For the newest, freshest advice on audience research and doing better marketing, subscribe here so you don’t miss new editions! We send this newsletter twice per month.

8 counterintuitive marketing strategies and why they work

Marketers have been conditioned to tease value so that people buy. But freely giving that value — guides, calculators, templates, etc — helps people trust and refer you. In a time when there’s more competition than ever, sometimes the only way to stand out is to lead with value, and trust that the investment will come back to you. One way to do this is by publishing how-to guides or tutorials. Readers might bookmark and come back to it, or share with their network. You’ll earn their trust and stay top of mind. Read Amanda’s blog post to learn the 7 other counterintuitive tips.

Does your marketing need a bad guy? Yes, it does.

Punching up at a villain builds tension, makes you memorable, and adds depth and purpose. All good stories have villains, and marketing is essentially storytelling at scale. But a villain doesn’t need to be a person or an entity. It can be the status quo, or an outdated way of doing something. Read Rand’s blog post to learn about specific examples.

Find up-and-comers to get more bang for your buck

Great marketers are aware of up-and-coming brands or people on social media. Of course, the challenge is keeping a pulse on your industry or niche. One easy way to do this in SparkToro is to run a query for your target audience. Then mouse over the Social Accounts tab and select Hidden Gems. It’s that simple.