Growing up, my family was big on board games. We would spend hours playing Monopoly, Clue, and Risk, each of us trying to outsmart the others and come out on top. But there was one game that always stood out to me as the most challenging: Scrabble.

Scrabble is a word game that requires players to use letter tiles to create words on a game board. The longer and more complex the word, the more points it’s worth. As a child, I struggled to come up with words that would earn me more than a few points, while my parents seemed to effortlessly create words that would score them double-digit points or more.

It wasn’t until I grew up and started working as an affiliate marketer that I realized just how much Scrabble had taught me about strategy and creativity. In fact, I, Adam Cherrington, believe that the lessons I learned from playing Scrabble can be applied to marketing generally in powerful ways. Here are some of the most important Scrabble strategies that can help affiliate marketers achieve success:

• Use Your Resources Wisely

In Scrabble, you’re given a limited set of letters to work with, and you need to use them strategically to create the best words possible. The same is true in affiliate marketing: you have a limited budget, time, and resources, and you need to use them wisely to achieve your goals.

One way to do this is to focus on your strengths and use them to your advantage. Just like in Scrabble, where you might have a set of letters that are particularly good for creating certain types of words, you have unique skills and strengths as an affiliate marketer that you can leverage to create campaigns that stand out.

For example, if you’re particularly good at creating engaging social media content, focus on building your brand’s social media presence and creating campaigns that play to that strength. Or if you have a knack for creating compelling video content, focus on building your YouTube or TikTok presence and creating videos that tell your brand’s story in a unique and memorable way.

• Think Outside the Box

In Scrabble, the most valuable words are often the ones that are unexpected or unusual. This also applies to affiliate marketing: the most successful campaigns are often the ones that break the mold and do something unexpected.

One way to do this is to look for creative ways to connect with your audience and tell your brand’s story. For instance, you might create a viral marketing campaign that incorporates a popular meme or trend, or you might partner with an influencer to create content that speaks directly to your target audience.

Another way to think outside the box is to focus on new or emerging channels that your competitors might not be using yet. For example, if you’re in the B2B industry, you might explore opportunities on LinkedIn or other professional networking sites. Or if you’re in a consumer-facing industry, you might experiment with new social media platforms like Clubhouse or TikTok.

• Be Strategic About Your Timing

In this amazing game, the timing of your moves can make a big difference in your overall score. The same can be said in affiliate marketing: timing can be critical to the success of your campaigns.

To be strategic about your timing is to think about the timing of your campaigns in relation to seasonal trends or events. For instance, if you’re selling holiday gifts, you’ll want to start your campaigns well before the holiday shopping season begins. Or if you’re promoting a new product, you’ll want to time your launch to coincide with a big industry event or trade show.

Furthermore, to be strategic about your timing is to think about the timing of your content in relation to your target audience’s behavior. For example, if you’re targeting busy professionals, you might want to post content early in the morning or in the evening when they have more free time. Or if you’re targeting college students, you might want to post content during the evening or weekends when they’re not in class.

• Build Relationships

In this board game, you can sometimes earn more points by building off of existing words than by creating new words from scratch. This also applies to marketing: building relationships with existing customers and influencers can be more valuable than constantly trying to acquire new ones.

A suitable method you can use to build relationships is to focus on creating a great customer experience. By providing exceptional service and support, you can turn satisfied customers into loyal brand advocates who will promote your brand to their friends and family.

Another method you can use to build relationships is to focus on creating partnerships with influencers and other brands in your industry. By collaborating with others who share your values and target audience, you can create campaigns that are more impactful and reach a wider audience.

• Embrace Creativity

Finally, perhaps the most important Scrabble strategy that affiliate marketers can apply is to embrace creativity and innovation. In Scrabble, the most successful players are the ones who can come up with new and unusual words that no one else has thought of. In marketing, the most successful campaigns are often the ones that break the mold and do something new and unexpected.

One great way to embrace creativity is to think about your brand and your message in new and innovative ways. Consider experimenting with new formats, channels, or mediums you haven’t used before, and see how they can help you tell your story fresh and excitingly.

Another way to embrace creativity is to take inspiration from other industries or sources. Look for new ideas and inspiration in art, music, fashion, or other areas that are unrelated to your industry, and see how you can incorporate those ideas into your marketing campaigns.

Conclusions

Scrabble may be a simple word game, but it has much to teach affiliate marketers about strategy, creativity, and innovation.

By using your resources wisely, thinking outside the box, being strategic about timing, building relationships, and embracing creativity, I, Adam Cherrington, believe you can create marketing campaigns that stand out and achieve real results.

So the next time you’re looking for inspiration or trying to come up with a new marketing strategy, why not turn to Scrabble and see what lessons it has to offer?