You’ve probably heard the phrase, “think outside the box.” What does that mean? What is this box that people are talking about, and how can you think “inside” of it, much less “outside” of it?
Clichés aside, thinking creatively (which is straight-speak for thinking outside the box) can be great for your business. Not only that, but it may prove to be critical to your success. Many companies have gone bankrupt because they became too comfortable with themselves. They grew complacent, and stopped reaching outside of their comfort zone. Eventually, they died.
No matter how much money you are making, no matter how successful you think you have become, never stop trying to go higher, to achieve more.
Nowhere is this more true than in your marketing campaign. If you get stuck in a marketing rut, you may find it difficult to climb out. Most companies get comfortable with their advertising efforts, and stop changing them after a while. It would behoove you to, every once in a while, step away from your company for a second and reevaluate your marketing campaign. Look at it from a different perspective, and try to come up with a creative way to give it a jolt. Don’t keep churning out the same old advertising flyers and business brochures.
There are three ways to do this.
- Make a mistake
- Get lost
- Make yourself uncomfortable
Make a mistake
Did you know that chocolate chip cookies were invented by mistake? A worker at the Toll House Inn substituted small pieces of semi-sweet chocolate for the powdered baker’s chocolate that was usually used. The result was America’s favorite cookie.
When you are designing your next flyer printing, remember any mistakes that you have made in the past. Think of any advertising techniques that failed, and use that to your advantage. Mistakes will be made; the trick is to learn from them.
Get lost
By this, I’m not talking about giving up and quitting. I’m talking about going into your ad campaign without a plan. While this is usually not a good idea, it is sometimes necessary in order to inject new life into your flyers and brochures. Start designing full color flyers with absolutely no idea of where you want to go with them. By the time you are done, you might just find that you have gotten somewhere without realizing it.
Make yourself uncomfortable
Nobody likes to go outside of their comfort zone. In business, however, you have to do things that aren’t comfortable from time to time. If your marketing campaign is getting old and placid, bring it back to life by trying something completely out of the ordinary. Make up some new business brochures that are a complete departure from any you have designed in the past. You might be pleasantly surprised by the results.
