Whether you own a marketing agency or manage an in-house marketing team, coming up with innovative marketing solutions is essential to your success. As the needs of consumers and technologies evolve, it is imperative for companies to continually gravitate by finding new ways to reach their target audience. It goes without saying, however, that coming up with innovative ideas isn’t always easy. 

So, how do you get your team to come up with ideas that will help you accomplish your marketing goals? Here are a few methods of inspiration to try listed below: 

Design a Creative Workspace

In order to encourage your team to generate new ideas,you must create an environment where they feel comfortable doing so. You can ditch cubicles and office walls that isolate your team from one another for a more open, free-flowing office space, change bland wall colors to bold and bright colors that boost energy and spark creativity, and provide comfortable furniture and adequate supplies, tech, and tools for improved productivity. 

Get Out of the Office

Sometimes, a change of environment is all it takes to spark new ideas. Whenever possible, create opportunities for your marketing team to get out of the office to get those creative juices flowing. Whether it’s working in a designated outdoor space, attending a conference, or simply treating the gang to a friendly lunch, it exposes them to new things which can often ignite creativity.

Brainstorming Sessions

Some of the best ideas are derived through brainstorming. Encourage your marketing team to collaborate with one another in sharing their opinions, facts, concerns, and ideas. This increases the amount of brainpower in the room, therefore, increasing the chances of generating concepts that work. Employees get to share their ideas with their peers and get constructive feedback that helps to enhance those ideas even further. 

Designate Assignments Based on Skill

It’s a lot easier to come up with new ideas if you’re familiar or experienced in that particular area. For example, an employee who specializes in web design would have an easier time coming up with new designs for clients than someone with social media experience. When assigning projects to your marketing team, give them tasks that play to their professional strengths and experiences for a better outcome. 

Encourage All Ideas

Your marketing team has to feel comfortable voicing their opinions and sharing their ideas. Belittling or putting down ideas, lowers their confidence, therefore, reducing the likelihood that they’ll speak up in the future. It is important to acknowledge all ideas. If you don’t agree, find a way to explain this in a manner that doesn’t discourage them. Otherwise, give your team the support and creative freedoms they need to expand on these ideas. 

Invest In Continual Education 

Marketing is constantly changing. If you want your team to continue to come up with new ideas, continual education is required. You should constantly be looking into new opportunities for your teams to expand on their existing marketing knowledge. You can do this by investing in training, sending them to seminars, or enrolling them in online courses. Be sure to ask your team what they’re most interested in learning as they are more inclined to absorb the information and participate in activities. 

Reward Innovative Ideas

When someone from your marketing team does come up with a good idea, make a big deal out of it. This is especially true if the idea was used and successful in helping you to reach your company goals. You can give them recognition by applauding their efforts in staff meetings or corporate events or award top performers with trophies and plaques as a reminder of how their creativity helped to expand your business. 

Provide Incentives

Nothing lights a fire under someone like an incentive. If you want your marketing team to come up with innovative ideas, give them something to look forward to (outside of their normal pay and benefits). The team that comes up with the best ideas might get a cash bonus, time off from work, a free lunch or dinner, or a gift card for their efforts. 

Even with the best marketing teams, innovative ideas and concepts aren’t always going to come easy. Using suggestions such as those provided above, however, can help motivate your team to tap into their creativity and come up with ideas that continue to meet or exceed the needs of the company and your target audience.