Unleashing Wild NDIS Marketing Ideas That Actually Work
I’m so excited because we get to hang out with James Loveday today.
And in my opinion, James, and I’m not making this up, this is the truth – you have the best marketing brain in the NDIS when it comes to coming up with crazy ideas. Crazy ideas that can actually be actioned.
In Australia, I’m sure there are a hundred people who are better at refining good ideas. But I literally know no one else who can come up with the kind of wild, brilliant ideas you come up with.
So, what’s behind that brain of yours? How on earth do you come up with marketing ideas that make people like me go, “I’d never have thought of that – that’s so clever”?
Think Like Your Customer, Not Like Yourself
I think it comes down to this: when people are looking at social media marketing, building an audience, or a referral stream, they often ask, “What would I want?” But the problem is – you’re not your customer.
You need to ask: “What does my customer want? Where are they?” When you start thinking like that, you begin to see where and how you should market, and how to actually get those referrals.
Now, where does it come from in my brain? Anyone who’s worked with me would say I’m extremely odd. I’ve got a really unique way of looking at things. I can be pushy. I don’t mind going deep in conversations.
I’m what’s called an autodidact – I self-learn, I follow what interests me. My brain works kind of like AI. It sources a bunch of information and then just spits something out.
Simple Low-Cost NDIS Marketing With Big Impact
So if someone says, “We want to enter a new region as a service provider,” I ask: where are the participants? What’s going on there?
One provider I worked with supported people with mental health in a lower socioeconomic regional area. I said, “There’s no point putting an ad in the newspaper and hoping for the best.”
Instead, I suggested spending money on tote bags. Not just to give to referral partners – they’ll chuck it in their car and forget about it – but to donate to an op shop.
That way, people will reuse them, and your brand gets seen over and over.
Eventually, someone sees your post on social media and thinks, “Hey, I’ve got their bag already!” That’s how you build trust and recognition.
A lot of my ideas are low-cost and simple. People overcomplicate things. But most people are simple. So the simplest approach usually works best.
Take the tote bags: what’s more straightforward than donating 2,000 bags to a charity? You give people something useful, and now your brand is everywhere in that small town.
Build Brand Loyalty With Useful, Everyday Items
How long did it take me to think of that? Someone just asked me a question. Like I said, my brain works like AI – ask a question, and the idea comes out.
Another one was about coffee cups. Everyone was giving away those cheap plastic ones. I said, let’s spend a bit more.
We created this double-glass, dishwasher-safe, beautiful keep cup with a clear lid and minimal branding. Why? Because the organisation worked in autism.
If you can’t see what’s in your cup, it’s hard to engage with it. This cup showed what was inside. It’s still on people’s desks today. People still ask me for replacements when they break theirs.
Then during COVID, everyone was sending wine to referrals. I was against it – especially during lockdown in Victoria. You don’t know who you’re giving it to. Could be a blessing or a curse.
So I said, “Why not send a bottle of olive oil?” People are cooking at home, and when they go to grab that oil, they see your brand.
A bottle lasts months – now you’re in someone’s kitchen every day. That’s powerful brand positioning.
Show That You Care With Participant-Centred Campaigns
Let’s play with another idea. Say there’s a SIL provider who’s not very special. They believe they care – but so does everyone else. How do they show it?
If I were a SIL provider doing high physical supports, I’d speak to participants and find out what they like to cook. I’d create a cookbook with their favourite recipes, including adaptations for their needs.
Then I’d shoot a short video or podcast for each recipe. So now you’ve got a cookbook, a story, and a video.
This also helps address cultural food needs – many participants say their workers don’t know how to cook culturally appropriate meals. So now you’re showing you’re proactive.
You can also turn those 40 recipes into blog posts and short PDF guides. Send those to support coordinators weekly.
That’s 40 weeks of content. Participants in SIL homes you don’t even run will start using your cookbook. They’ll follow your YouTube. That’s brand loyalty. That’s real connection.
You come up with the idea, then hand it over to your web guy and say, “Here’s the plan – now make it happen.”
From Big Ideas to Practical Rollouts
Who implements it though? Do you do that too?
Sometimes. It depends. Some ideas need the right people to work. So I get to know the team and what they can do. I help where I’m needed.
For filming, I might direct the first few sessions to keep it on brand, then step back. But with something like the coffee cup or olive oil – I just hand over the idea, they run with it.
Some ideas are simple and cheap. Others, like launching a new service in a region, need a full project rollout. The tote bag was just step one. Then you have branding, awareness, engagement.
It’s a whole process. I act like a project manager, keeping the team on track, asking: “What did we miss? What do we need? What’s next?”
So it’s kind of like you’re running a giant Asana board. You map out the big picture, then pass off the nitty gritty?
Exactly. My background is in the arts. I was a director, choreographer, artistic lead. A director has the concept. They can’t do everything – but they hold everyone accountable to make the vision happen.
Like the time I directed a satire-style Christmas burlesque show. The concept was: Santa is a terrible person. He surrounds himself with little people and gives gifts to fix his image.
We made the protagonist a PR consultant trying to repair Santa’s reputation. It was dark and funny – and I just pulled the team together to bring it to life.
That’s what I now do in the disability sector. If someone says, “We want to start services in an Indigenous community,” I say: how much time are you spending on Country?
You can’t just show up and start delivering services. You need to build trust, sit with people, spend time there. If you can’t do that, you’re not the right provider. Find someone who can.
People bring me an idea, I build a big-picture plan, and then I either step in or out depending on what they need.
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