Sometimes You Have to Go Out on a Limb

Have you ever tried marketing something in a way that made other people look at you like you were a little crazy?

I have.

Most of us tend to follow the crowd. We advertise where everyone else advertises, use the same social media platforms, write the same kinds of posts, and hope we’ll somehow stand out.

The problem is that when everyone is doing the same thing, it’s hard to be noticed.

There is an old saying: “Go out on a limb. That’s where the fruit is.”

It’s a simple reminder that the greatest opportunities are often found where few people are willing to go.

History is full of people who succeeded because they ignored conventional thinking.

When Apple introduced the iPhone, many experts believed people wanted physical keyboards. Steve Jobs thought differently.

When Netflix started mailing DVDs, people questioned the idea. Then they transformed the entertainment industry by embracing streaming before it became the norm.

Even the famous “Got Milk?” campaign succeeded because it didn’t focus on selling milk. Instead, it made people think about what they missed when they didn’t have it.

None of those ideas followed the status quo.

Recently, I found myself doing something a little unconventional.

Instead of relying only on Zillow, Redfin and Facebook, and the usual real estate websites to market my home, I decided to advertise in a magazine distributed by the local utility company. Then I tried the Capital Press an agriculture news, farming & ranching magazine covering n Oregon, Washington & Idaho.

Was it different?

Absolutely.

Was it risky?

Maybe a little.

But I wasn’t trying to reach the same people who were already seeing my listing everywhere else. I wanted to reach an audience that might not be actively searching online but would recognize the value of the property when they saw it.

Sometimes the best marketing isn’t about doing more of what everyone else is doing. It’s about reaching people where no one else is looking.

Over the years, I’ve experimented with plenty of unconventional marketing ideas, and more often than not, they’ve produced surprisingly good results.

I’ve also watched others use creative approaches that seemed completely out of left field.

One of my favorites was a job applicant who delivered their résumé written on a cake to the company’s human resources department.

Did everyone think it was a good idea?

Probably not.

Did people remember it?

Absolutely.

In a stack of hundreds of résumés, that candidate became impossible to ignore.

That’s the power of creativity.

Of course, being different just for the sake of being different isn’t enough. Your idea still needs to make sense for your audience and support your goals.

But too often we dismiss ideas simply because they aren’t the standard way of doing things.

Innovation usually begins with someone asking, “What if we tried something different?”

As business owners, entrepreneurs, and marketers, it’s easy to get comfortable doing what has always worked.

Sometimes that’s the right decision.

Other times, the best opportunity is hiding just outside the ordinary.

Don’t be afraid to test a new advertising channel.

Try a different message.

Attend an event outside your usual circle.

Partner with someone unexpected.

Experiment.

Some ideas won’t work.

Others may become your best marketing investment.

After all, if everyone else is standing around the trunk of the tree, you may have to go out on a limb to find the fruit.