Promotions and marketing are an essential part of a business process. It is unlikely for people to consider buying a product or service which does not have a presence in the market or is not well advertised. Promotion and marketing make people aware of your products and services and create brand consciousness in the market. This is why promotional planning is important to grow your business.
There are several marketing strategies that one can choose from while preparing a promotion campaign. However, not all strategies will be useful for your business as different types of products and services require different promotion strategies. Hence, you need to be selective when adopting strategies for better promotions and marketing. Here are ten strategies that will give the best results.
1. Organise Contests
Every marketing strategy does not need to aim at selling a product or service to customers. It is important to remember that marketing does not only have to do with optimising sales. Creating positive brand awareness among prospective customers is equally vital as it helps in extending the life of the company in the market. Organising contests is an intelligent step in promotional planning that will put your brand before the target audience. Participating in contests does not require purchase and a large number of prospective customers are likely to enter contests to try their luck and win prizes.
2. Social Media Promotion
As per 2021 statistics, there are around 4.48 billion social media users across the world. Many leading brands use Facebook, Instagram, and Google to promote their products and services to their target audience. Social media marketing is direct marketing where brands interact directly with the audience (prospective customers).
When brands interact with social media audiences, users connect with the brand at a personal level. Social Media Promotion is versatile in nature and helps brands to be viewed from a different perspective, instead of simply as a company trying to sell products and services.
3. Mail Order Marketing
The sales process does not end when a customer buys a specific product or service. If a customer has bought a specific product from your company, you can collect the customer’s personal information by offering a gift. The information you collect can be used to introduce useful products from other categories. Since the customer has already bought and is satisfied with the purchase, they are more likely to make more purchases from your business.
4. Samples and Product Giveaways
Samples and product giveaways are a great way to introduce new products to customers. If the customer likes the sample, they are more likely to buy the product. Many businesses hold in-store promotions to offer samples and giveaways and entice buyers to try new products.
5. Referral Marketing
Referrals marketing delivers impressive results. According to recent data, 92% of customers are likely to buy a product recommended by a friend or loved one. Word of Mouth is the best promotional strategy. It is a common trend followed by people to read reviews before buying products.
Social media platforms have many influencers recommending certain brands to their followers. Companies using these influencers offer a good discount on referral codes provided by influencers.
6. Event Sponsoring
Event sponsoring is an effective way of marketing your brand to a large audience. Events are good opportunities to integrate your brand’s message into an event’s theme and content. Unlike ads which are irritating and intrusive for many, events sponsoring deliver your promotional message to the audience in a subtle way.
7. Customer Loyalty Programs
Brands have been rewarding their loyal customers for many decades. It is a common practice followed by reputed brands to offer discounts or freebies to their customers to create a special bond. Credit card purchases and associated discounts, reward points are some forms of customer loyalty programs.
8. Content Marketing
A content marketing strategy is a powerful marketing tool that serves as the mouthpiece of a brand. It is an integral part of SEO and SEM and can deliver good results. Content marketing strategy focuses on educating customers about products and services you offer. It also includes offering useful and relevant content that customers can relate to. Content marketing is part of most marketing strategies discussed in the post, like social platforms, websites, sponsored ads, and many more. It is not limited to creating content alone but progresses to measurement and content optimisation for better results.
9. Offering Refunds
Refunds and rebates are classic promotion strategies that work even today. Refunds help in building customer confidence in your product. It also speeds up their decision-making and buying process. When the customers see your company offer free refunds for quality issues, they buy a product without hesitation.
10. Email Marketing
Email marketing can be used as an inbound and outbound marketing strategy. When used correctly, email marketing can be effective in promoting a brand. Email is the primary mode of digital communication used by businesses and individuals. As per recent data, there are around 3.9 billion email users, and it is easy to reach and influence them with the right marketing and promotional content.
The message value and timing play an important role in the success of email marketing strategy. Before making email marketing part of your promotional strategy, research your target audience and know their preferences.
To sum up, these are the top ten strategies you can adopt for marketing and promotions of your business.