“What’s one unconventional marketing strategy that unexpectedly boosted your small business? How did you discover it and what advice would you give to others looking to try something new?”
Here is what 10 thought leaders had to say.
Micro-Targeted Landing Pages Triple Conversion Rates
The most unconventional marketing strategy that transformed our business was implementing what I call “micro-targeted landing pages” for hyper-specific customer segments. Rather than creating one general service page, we built dozens of custom landing pages addressing specific pain points for different industries and business types.
This strategy emerged from our SEO cost-cutting initiative (which reduced production costs by 66%) when we noticed that conversion rates tripled on pages speaking directly to niche audiences. For example, a dental office client saw 127% more leads when we switched from a generic “small business web design” page to a “dental practice website design” page with industry-specific terminology and case studies.
The key to making this work is deep customer research. Interview existing clients about their specific language and challenges, then mirror those exact phrases in your micro-pages. We once spent two hours interviewing a plumbing business owner, and the resulting landing page outperformed their previous generic page by 5x in conversions.
For businesses looking to try this approach, start with your top 3 most profitable customer segments, create dedicated landing pages with highly specific headlines, and use tools like Google Optimize to test variations. Don’t be afraid to get absurdly specific – the more your potential customer feels “this was made exactly for me,” the higher your conversion rates will climb.
Randy Speckman, Founder, TechAuthority.AI
Personalized Video Messages Drive 3x Conversion Increase
Our biggest breakthrough came when we started sending personalized video messages to showcase deals to our most active users, recording quick 30-second clips highlighting specific products they’d browsed. What started as a small experiment with 50 customers turned into our secret weapon, driving a 3x increase in conversion rates because people really connected with the personal touch and direct recommendations.
Cyrus Partow, CEO, ShipTheDeal
Behind-the-Scenes SEO Videos Attract High-Value Clients
I’ve discovered that creating detailed behind-the-scenes videos of our SEO process and sharing them on LinkedIn brought in way more clients than traditional marketing. The videos show our team actually working on projects, explaining technical concepts in simple terms, which helped build trust and show transparency in an industry that can seem mysterious. Last month, a 2-minute video of us fixing a client’s broken backlinks got over 50k views and led to several high-value contracts – people really connect with seeing the actual work rather than just promises.
Joe Davies, CEO, FATJOE
Interactive Campus Kiosks Boost Donor Acquisition
When we launched Rocket Alumni Solutions, our most unconventional yet effective marketing strategy was installing interactive kiosks in high-traffic campus areas that weren’t traditional donor spaces. We placed touchscreens in athletic facilities and student unions rather than just administration buildings, which let everyday campus visitors find donor stories organically.
This approach led to a 40% increase in new donor acquisition at one partner school, with users specifically citing the interactive element as what initially caught their attention. The key insight was that recognition technology creates emotional connection when it’s encountered in authentic community spaces rather than formal fundraising environments.
What surprised us most was how this strategy solved the “invisible impact” problem many donors experience. By making donation impact visible through real-time updates on these screens, we saw repeat donation rates climb by 25%. The technology showed tangible results of generosity that donors could physically interact with.
My advice: look for marketing opportunities at the intersection points where your different stakeholder groups naturally gather. For us, these touchscreens created unexpected conversations between current students, alumni, and prospective donors that traditional marketing couldn’t facilitate. Your most powerful marketing might not look like marketing at all – it might just be creating the right spaces for authentic community interactions.
Chase Mckee, Founder & CEO, Rocket Alumni Solutions – Digital Record Board
Renovation Reveal Parties Sell Homes Fast
I’ve found surprising success by hosting ‘Renovation Reveal’ parties where we invite neighbors to tour newly renovated homes right before listing them. Generally speaking, these events create instant buzz and often lead to multiple offers since neighbors usually know someone looking to move into the area. I recently had a house sell within 48 hours after 30 neighbors came through during a Saturday afternoon party where we served local coffee and donuts – the key is making it feel like a fun community event rather than a sales pitch.
Bennett Heyn, CEO, Sell House Columbus Ohio
Viral Internet Speed Maps Increase Sign-Ups
At Zentro, we accidentally found success by creating neighborhood-specific internet speed maps that went viral on local Facebook groups, showing exactly where service was fastest and slowest in Chicago. This transparent approach not only earned us trust but also led to a 60% increase in sign-ups as people appreciated the honesty about our coverage areas and actively shared the maps with their neighbors.
Andrew Dunn, Vice President of Marketing, Zentro Internet
Micro-Influencers Build Trust for Small Businesses
Leveraging micro-influencers in niche communities can be an effective marketing strategy for small businesses. Unlike larger influencers, micro-influencers, who typically have 1,000 to 100,000 followers, possess more engaged and authentic audiences. This approach was identified during a brainstorming session aimed at increasing brand awareness in the health and wellness sector, where consumers seek reliable product recommendations and trust.
Mohammed Kamal, Business Development Manager, Olavivo
Local Artisan Partnerships Create Exclusive Cabinet Designs
One unconventional marketing strategy that really boosted our business was collaborating with local artisans and craftsmen for a series of exclusive cabinet designs. I discovered this idea while attending a local art fair and seeing how much people valued handmade, unique items. By partnering with these artisans, we were able to create limited-edition cabinet lines that featured custom finishes and designs. Collaboration differentiated our product offerings and attracted a new audience who appreciated the craftsmanship and local touch.
My advice for anyone looking to try something new is to think outside your usual partnerships. Seek out local talent and consider how their skills can enhance your product. This adds value to your offerings and also enriches your brand story by aligning with the community. Authenticity and collaboration can create powerful marketing opportunities that resonate deeply with your audience.
Josh Qian, COO and Co-Founder, Best Online Cabinets
Coffee Shop Tax Workshops Attract Long-Term Clients
I recently found that offering free tax workshops at local coffee shops, where people could drop in with their laptops and get quick advice over coffee, brought us more clients than traditional advertising. The casual setting made people feel comfortable asking questions they’d normally be embarrassed about, and many became long-term clients after experiencing our approachable style firsthand.
Gregory Rozdeba, CEO, Dundas Wealth
Sharing Pitch Deck Failures Attracts New Clients
One of the most unexpected wins we had at spectup came from turning our “failures” into content. Early on, we had a pitch deck that just didn’t land—it wasn’t bad, but the founder was too early, too vague, and the investor feedback was brutally honest. Rather than bury the whole thing, I asked the founder if we could anonymize it and walk through it publicly—what went wrong, where the story fell flat, and how we’d rework it. We shared it as a mini teardown on LinkedIn and suddenly, founders started messaging us not because they needed a perfect deck, but because they were scared of making the same mistakes. It humanized the process and positioned us as the ones who don’t just deliver polish—we teach the thinking behind it.
We didn’t discover it through a brainstorm or some clever marketing play. It just happened because we were frustrated and honest, and that struck a chord. For others, my advice is simple: share what you’re learning in real-time. Don’t wait to package it into something perfect. The mess is often more relatable than the masterpiece.
Niclas Schlopsna, Managing Consultant and CEO, spectup
