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Top 5 Tips For Embracing Creativity On A Budget, By Jane Whitham, Director At Altitude PR

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It’s often said that if you risk nothing, you win nothing. If you stay in the shadows, it’s inevitable your competitors will move into the limelight. So how do you get creative, increase brand visibility, and engage with audiences when budgets are tight? Creativity doesn’t have to mean huge budgets and it certainly doesn’t need to be a total gamble. It can simply mean having the confidence to try something new, or having an idea and being determined to put it into practice. If the idea is authentic, relevant, and hits multiple objectives, better still. Businesses that create joined-up messaging across multiple platforms have better connectivity and a stronger brand presence. It can be hard to stand out in a crowded marketplace, but imaginative campaigns, often using new channels, can capture attention and leave a lasting impression. With consistently on-brand campaigns, SMEs can take their customers on the journey with them, fostering loyalty and long-term advocacy. Creative thinking really separates the wheat from the chaff. Innovative strategies like social campaigns, sassy reels content, or guerilla marketing tactics can make a sizeable difference to brand, reputation, and long-term success. The key to getting started lies in strategic thinking. Understand your audience, where you’ll find them online, what their pain points are, and how you’re going to reach them. Make them stop, look, and listen. Today’s online world is saturated. We’re bombarded with information, so your own PR and marketing must be savvy and cut-through. Adapt your messaging to reflect a constantly evolving marketplace. Remain relevant to your audience and responsive to their needs. If you can get these building blocks in place, the conversations with journalists and influencers will be easier and more productive. Journalists and influencers are always seeking interesting stories, and a creative campaign is always likely to attract attention and coverage, providing valuable exposure that will further amplify your reach and impact. Altitude recently worked with Breast Cancer UK on its Birds and Boobs campaign, and found that a strong creative idea married with good engagement with influencers can produce excellent results. Creativity isn’t just a nice to have. It’s within the reach of every business owner no matter how big or small your enterprise is. Use the data your business generates to predict trends, or turn your data into talking points. By embracing creativity and using the data and insight at your fingertips, you can turn your own PR and marketing to your advantage. Harness the power of social media, whether that’s through content creation or user-generated content. Get your customers doing the hard work for you, which not only provides free content but builds trust and a community. Less is sometimes more with influencers. It’s often micro-influencers who have the biggest sway. Understand your audience, and where they get their news and views from. If you operate in a niche environment, micro-influencers could be pivotal. Produce blogs and long-form content to support SEO and position yourself as an authority. You’ll gain trust and understanding along the way. There are many cost-effective strategies — and some where the only cost will be your own time. Here are Altitude’s top five tips for embracing creativity on a budget. Use AI Make ChatGPT your friend. It’s brilliant for ideation and campaign planning. Try it for basic content such as blogs and posts, but remember to rewrite ChatGPT’s output in your business’s tone of voice and style. If the answer it provides isn’t detailed enough, give it specific commands to tighten up or refine the answer. Don’t overcomplicate your message Keep it simple, with a clear and relevant call to action. The best messages are succinct and memorable. Put yourself in your customers’ shoes, and ensure your message is answering their pain points or challenges. Keep videos short and natural Any video should be recorded with natural enthusiasm, not fake fervour. Keep it short. Think about when you watch videos on social media — you need to make an instant impression and aim for under 20 seconds. Stay updated Keep on top of change if social media is your priority channel. For example, TikTok is trialling 60-minute videos, and they are also testing AI-generated search results with material generated from Chat GPT. Subscribe to some of the industry newsletters. As well as producing a funny and excellent podcast, foul-mouthed French marketer Louis Grenier also creates a newsletter, and there are lots of updates on his site. Consider new approaches online Reels are now being reshared 3.5 billion times a day. A recent survey by Meta found 53% of people surveyed agree they are more likely to purchase an item if it’s been promoted by a creator on Reels. Look at what other similar-sized businesses are doing with Reels, and don’t be afraid to recycle the best ideas.   Jane Whitham is a director at Altitude PR and a qualified journalist. She advises clients on PR and marketing strategy to help businesses cut through the noise. Altitude has clients across the public, private and not-for-profit sectors, and operates across the UK.

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