In this article you will learn various ways to advertise and promote your business through a sales promotion, and make your sales promotion successful.
Instructions
1. Sales promotions begin with a product that you would like to promote and offer to your customers or clients. That’s especially true of one-time marketing concepts, such as you might use to start or expand your business or to boost your short-term revenues. Your ideal promotional offer should be something that offers value to your customers, and is very relevant to your business. It should also be very pertinent to your competitive edge. Sometimes, the easiest promotional offer is a discount, but there are usually more creative ideas that you can come up with through brainstorming with your peers or business associates. What does your "competitive edge" consist of? It's basically something that sets you apart from your competition.
2. How can your promotion outshine your competitive edge? Other common promotions can include bonus products and/or services. Such promotional tools will not only bring in additional business, but it will give your customers a chance to “sample” your other products or services that you have made available to them.
3. Once you have your promotional offer set in motion, you must begin to promote your sales promotion! This is where many businesses fall short in their advertising and marketing efforts. This failure happens in two ways: First, they don’t promote their promotion to their existing or potential customers; or they communicate the wrong marketing message. When it comes to business marketing, the first thought is usually advertising; but advertising adds expense. Between the cost of buying advertising media and the cost of the promotion itself, you may find that your returns don’t justify the expense. In addition, advertising for a promotion tends to attract price-sensitive shoppers who may not return.
4. There are definitely smarter and cheaper ways to begin promoting your sales promotion. If you own a store, you can do an in-store promotion--place in-store signs at appropriate places like at the entry, near relevant sale products and at the checkout counters. Have your employees mention the promotion to all the customers that come in. A great way to advertise with little to no money, is to have your employees wear buttons, tags or stickers that promote the product you are trying to sell. Another way is to place promotional flyers in the bags at check-out counters.
5. Another great way to promote your business is through the Internet. If your company has a website, highlight your promotions on your website's main page. Go as far as to create a web page about your promotion, and then create a link that you can place on other websites. Collect email addresses from your customers and send them your promotional offers. Other than a few moments of your time, this is a great way to advertise without spending a cent.
6. Another cost-effective way to advertise and promote your business is to have your employees mention the promotion to incoming callers throughout the sales day. Also, change your voicemail message to reflect the sales promotion. If you have to place your customers on hold for any reason, have your on-hold message speak about the current promotion within your business. And finally, have your employees call your existing customers to inform them of your current and upcoming promotions.
7. Another very good marketing tool is to send out a press release promoting the promotion. Postcards can be a cost-effective way to get the word out to your existing or potential customers, for little to no money. If you have developed business relationships with your competitors, see if you can do a joint promotion. It can be very cost effective and promote unity within the business community. The there is always the "standard" type of promoting your business, and that is through your local newspaper and pennysaver.
8. If you are the "hands-on" type, get involved within your local community. If you haven't already, join your local Chamber of Commerce. Find out what's going on within your local community. Are there any trade shows or fairs coming up? See if you can't sponsor a booth by advertising your business. There are many networking breakfasts and luncheons within the local business community that can help promote and market your business, plus find out who your competition is, especially if you are a new start up business. This, too, can be a very cost-effective way to advertise.
9. Don't be afraid to be very creative with your campaign! Come up with a catchy slogan. Don't be concerned if it sounds irritating or a little "off the wall." Remember that it is the "squeaky wheel" that always gets the grease! Have fun with it! Make it interesting! Build your existing or potential customers' curiosity up so much that they have to come in and see what all the ruckus is about! Offer free samples to the first 100 customers who enter the store. The possibilities are endless!
10. Finally, plan ahead. Advertise during the seasons where sales are normally slow. Find out why this part of the season is slow. Are folks on vacation? Are the parents getting their kids ready to go back to school? Do you have a product or service that flourishes during the holiday season, or does your business become stifled? If you sell a product or service that most of your existing or potential customers would purchase during the holiday season anyway, it may be wise to structure the majority of your advertising budget towards your slower seasons of the year. Why waste advertising dollars, even if it is the holidays, if you know your customers are coming in anyway? Don't do as your competitors do and spend endless wasted effort and dollars going from one promotion to another!
Tags: your business, your customers, sales promotion, existing potential, existing potential customers