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Want to stay ahead of your competition using some creative marketing tactics? How can you attract new reader’s attention by doing something truly original?

Here are a few unique ways to get new readers to pay attention.

Host a Contest

Come up with a prize that your readers will love. Maybe it’s the new Apple MacBook. Perhaps it’s an iPhone, pre-loaded with all your content. Whatever it is, make sure it’s something that others would see as valuable enough to compete for.

Craft your contest guidelines and blast it out to your list. Make a promotional web page. Add it to your Facebook Fan Page. Announce it on industry websites. Do everything you can to get the word out.

If the contest is truly innovative and fun with a worthwhile prize, people will come flocking to your contest. You’ll get a ton of exposure, as well as people associating positive emotions with your brand and website.

Try a Publicity Stunt

The founder of RunKeeper, an app that tracks your running stats for you using your iPhone, was having moderate success with his app until he pulled a publicity stunt.

He ran the Boston Marathon as an iPhone. Yes, he dressed in a full body iPhone and ran a marathon.

This garnered press from newspapers and TV stations all over the world, including the New York Times. The publicity stunt caused a huge explosion in traffic.

How could you come up with a similar stunt for your business? Try to come up with a creative, newsey, outrageous way you could promote your business.

Utilize the Power of Coupons

When people believe they’re getting a discount, they’re more likely to buy. Likewise, when people believe they’re helping someone else get a good deal, they’re more likely to pass on  a referral for you.

Create a coupon system in your shopping cart. Then liberally give away coupon codes that other websites in your industry can give to their customers. Give away coupon codes to groups, forums, blogs, etc.

Want to try a little riskier tactic? Allow your customers to redeem your competitor’s coupons on your website after they’ve expired. This allows you to capitalize on your competitor’s publicity, as they do all the work to get the coupons out there, but you get the traffic if they’re not willing to honor their coupons anymore.

These are a few creative tactics for staying ahead of your competition. Remember that there’s no such thing as a “sure” formula for success in business. Adapt one of these ideas to your own business, or come up with your own creative ways to attract new business from both reader’s and media. Try brainstorming every day for a week and see what you come up with.