4 Ordinary Places to Find Marketing Inspiration

Marketing, in order to be successful, must be original – otherwise it will simply blend in with what every other company is doing. If your efforts fail to stand out, your marketing will be virtually worthless. Unfortunately, most marketers and entrepreneurs have, at some point  in their careers, reached a point where their mind went completely blank. What marketing technique do you use next? What new idea can be utilized? It's frustrating, and you probably feel like you've already utilized every unique possibility.

So what do you do?

It's simple. When you feel stuck and can't seem to come up with any original marketing ideas, just know that you're overthinking things. Inspiration does not have to come from professional places. In fact, the best marketing ideas come from entirely ordinary places, because so few people look to them. Here are four places you can start looking for your next big idea:

1. Children's Businesses

Children are natural entrepreneurs. They're always looking for a way to earn a few extra dollars so they can purchase the latest video game, or the newest doll house, or whatever it is they want.  The reason children's businesses can serve as such a great source of inspiration for the modern marketer is that they don't play by the rules. How can they, when they don't even know what the rules are? The sky is the limit, and children are willing to take any chances they think may work. Children are not afraid to look silly, and failure rarely (if ever) crosses their minds. Next time you're taking a walk or drive, look at the sides of the road to see what the children are doing to market their road-side businesses. Take notes, and see how you could utilize some of their ideas yourself – albeit, on a much larger scale.

Extra Tip For Finding Marketing Inspiration: Even better than just looking at children's businesses, try visiting and patronizing them. Why not ask the children themselves what they've done to promote their business? Ask them if it worked or not, and why. You'd be surprised at what information you can find.

2. The Mall or Shopping Centers

Malls and shopping centers are jam-packed with businesses vying for attention. They have to stand out amongst numerous other businesses, all very close at hand, so they really have to take big risks to be unique.  When you're out shopping, take a look at what all the stores are doing. The best part about this ordinary way to find inspiration is that you'll easily be able to gauge what is or is not working. If stores are running promotions or testing new advertising methods, and are empty, you can assume it isn't working well for them. If the stores are full, you can guess these methods are working. Of course, you should never just copy someone else's advertising, but taking notes of what does or does not work can help direct your own efforts.

Extra Tip For Finding Marketing Inspiration: Take some time out of your hectic day and sit down on a bench in a well-traveled area of the mall or shopping center. Watch as the people come and go from the stores, and listen to what they're saying. Most of the time they're talking about something unrelated, but sometimes you can pick up on what these shoppers like or don't like about the stores surrounding them.

3. Nature

It may sound strange, but if you take a look at your natural surroundings, you can find so many marketing ideas. Look at the trees, bodies of water, grass, flowers... there is so much beauty there for you to incorporate in your next marketing effort. Maybe you'll just find a color scheme you like, or maybe you'll think of a way to use one of these natural elements in literal form. Nature is something that nearly all people can relate to on some scale, which makes it a good marketing element. In fact, nature is a marketer itself. Every plant, tree, flower, shrub is putting itself on display for all to see. There is something to be learned there for those who are willing to see it.

Extra Tip For Finding Marketing Inspiration: Make this fun. Have a picnic in the middle of the woods, or take a canoe out on the lake. Take your time to quietly observe nature in all of her beauty.

4. Personal Life Experiences

Instead of looking on the outside for marketing inspiration, why not take a look inside yourself? Your personal experiences belong to no one but yourself, so they're sure to be entirely unique. Think about what has or has not worked for you in the past, both in marketing and your personal life. As a child and adult, what did you do to convince someone to do something for you? What worked and what failed? You can even think about what worked for others. What did others do to convince you to do something for them? These everyday occurrences can serve as a wonderful source of inspiration for your marketing endeavors.

Extra Tip For Finding Marketing Inspiration: If you aren't already, try keeping a journal. Write down all the things you think may be of importance later, including things that might help you in your future marketing efforts. This way, everything is already written out for you and you can't forget anything.

Conclusion

These ordinary places are just four prime examples of where the best marketing ideas may come from. Look for inspiration in your everyday life, everywhere you go. Marketing is not just black and white – there is so much gray area that is often overlooked. Utilize this gray area, and your marketing efforts will  not only be more effective, but also more relateable to your target audience.