Marketing Gimmicks That Could Backfire Badly

Contrary to what marketers might believe, marketing gimmicks have the potential to breathe new life to brands. Yet its failure rate is higher than well-planned marketing strategies, especially when you pick out these particular gimmicks that could do more harm than good.

Wrong use of hashtags

This is perhaps one of the most common mistakes companies make in their quest for greater visibility. In using a trending hashtag in a post, these brands unknowingly offend the main audience that they are trying to attract. There’s no harm in using hashtags, though, as long as you use them sparingly and appropriately.

Misguided Contests

There’s nothing wrong with starting contests. In fact, it’s an advisable strategy that could yield tons of user-generated content. Yet, in starting a contest, you’re basically letting your users control your campaign. Some of them might exploit your intentions for their own benefit. With this in mind, you must always have a content filter, and make sure that your contest is always in line with your brand standards.

Newsjacking

Brands often implement newsjacking, wherein they cover a trending topic and share their own insights or opinions. When used the right way, newsjacking is a great way to establish yourself as a thought leader. Remember, then, to provide alternative commentary, or else you might be seen as a plagiarizer.

There’s no harm in trying any of these marketing gimmicks, as long as you plan them properly and with the help of ad agencies.