It’s the game that football lovers everywhere have been looking forward to for 364 days—every day since the last one concluded. We’re talking about the Super Bowl! The big game is coming up on February 13th , and while it is the biggest professional football game of the year, it is also a time for marketers to shine. 

Even if you don’t have the budget to claim a coveted ad spot during the Super Bowl, there are still plenty of lessons to be learned no matter your marketing budget! Check out these tips below that you can apply to your marketing strategy to help you score a touchdown.

Consider Your Return

Considering a new marketing outlet or campaign may cause you to pause when you see the price tag. Can you imagine the thousands, even millions of dollars that are spent on a Super Bowl commercial spot? Why would somebody do such a thing? It’s all about the return on investment! Last year, more than 96 million people tuned into the big game, and in turn, that many people had eyes on the commercials. Marketers choose the advertising spots because they value the return they’ll receive for investing in such a large marketing campaign.

The Takeaway: Next time you’re ready to nix a marketing campaign based on the price tag, consider if the return will be worth what you’re putting into it. It doesn’t have to be a commercial that costs thousands of dollars, it could simply be new email marketing software or your next big direct mailer that could stand out in the mailbox. 

Try Something New

If there’s one thing that Super Bowl advertisers do, it’s taking risks. Some commercials are so memorable  that they’ll be talked about for days, and others may be memorable because they missed the mark. However, if you don’t take a swing, you’ll never know if you can hit it out of the park! 

The Takeaway: Consider changing up your methods. Maybe that means adding print to your mainly digital mix. Maybe that means trying a completely new method (Tik Tok anyone?!). Or, maybe changing it up simply means going with a playful tone to mix up your mainly serious marketing messages of the past (or vice versa). Take a chance, because you never know what campaign will be that “home run.”

Reach a New Audience

Like we mentioned, more than 96 MILLION people tuned into the Super Bowl last year. With numbers like that, you know that advertisers are getting their message in front of people who have never heard of it before. 

The Takeaway: There are still plenty of people out there who have never heard your message but would benefit from your business. Consider using targeting options with your social media ads to reach a demographic that is similar to your target audience. Follow up with direct mail once you’ve captured their information. Ask your current employees to refer their friends who have never heard of your business and offer an incentive for doing so. There are tons of people out there just waiting to hear about your business, so go find them!

You may not have the marketing budget for a Super Bowl commercial, but that doesn’t mean your business can’t learn something from the big game! Don’t be afraid to try new things, get in front of a new audience and consider the return on investment for your business. Get ready for your marketing efforts to score!

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