Investing a lot of money in marketing your business only to have your brand logo plastered over social media won’t help you attract many audiences. Though synonymous, marketing and promotions significantly differ from each other. Whether you are looking to boost business presence, promote offerings, or encourage your target audience to purchase products, you should ideally be planning some special promotions.
Offers and incentives are great to replace the portion of your customer base that you are bound to lose every year. Though the profit margin, in this case, can be a bit smaller, it will often result in repeat purchases from existing customers. It will also help you bag new loyal customers, which will prove beneficial in the long run.
It can be challenging but not unattainable, given you put in the right amount of planning, strategizing, and execution. There are various ways in which you can offer promotions. All you need to do is be aware of your branding and how customers perceive your brand during a promotion. This will help ensure positive results.
1. Offer Promotional Products
Promotional products give you a unique opportunity to spread the word about your company in its target market. You can offer free products donned with your logo to existing customers as a way of showing gratitude. The promotional products you choose are only limited by your creativity.
You can select anything that pertains to your brand or clients, such as market-proven items like pens, calendars, coffee mugs, hats, backpacks, etc., or innovative goods like toys, candy, nuts, first aid kits, stadium blankets, etc. To make your promotional product even more interesting, consider customizing it using designs and patterns, like creating trendy backpack print designs.
Regardless of what you choose, ensure it bears your logo. However, opt for more subtle branding when you offer clothing items. You want people to wear it— so it shouldn’t clash with their style.
2. Social Media Campaigns
Social media is the ideal platform for brand promotions of all kinds. Modern features also make social media highly shoppable. So, why not run a social media campaign with a special promotion offer?
There are two common ways to go about this option. First, create a post with all the information about your special promotion and ask users to tag three friends in the comment section to enter. Or have users click through from your social media post to a business site to get the promotion. Offering special promotions through social media is excellent as it helps boost your followers and increases customer engagement.
3. Reward/Points Systems
If you wish to see repeat customers, then this is the ideal promotion option for you. Through a points or rewards system, customers have an opportunity to accumulate points or receive rewards every time they make a purchase at your business. It also shows customers your gratitude for their loyalty in the form of a free product or cashback.
Nevertheless, ensure your reward system is unique and makes customers feel like part of a coveted club. Your customers will cherish the experience, and it will help them create a bond with your brand.
4. Vouchers and Coupons
Vouchers and coupons have made the leap from the newspaper clippings of the past to the digital world today. Sending a special offer to your email list and giving them a specific window of time to use it is an important step you can take to entice customers into making a purchase.
You will likely witness a spike in business soon after you start this promotion. This will also help your brand attract potential customers. When people learn about the special promotions your brand offers, they will start keeping an eye on your brand to stay aware of any promotions in the future.
5. Free Samples
Free samples are much like promotional products. The only difference is that you hand them out to clients free of charge. Many potential customers don’t fully trust a product at first. You offer them a trial period to see your product’s benefits through free samples before they purchase it in larger sizes.
To execute this promotion, think about places where it would be appropriate to pass out free samples. For example, if you are handing out free shampoo samples, consider placing them in a salon or spa lobby.
6. Joint Promotions
Another way to promote your brand is to collaborate with another brand you identify with, but not a competitor. The idea is to attract new business from the other business’s clientele while creating collaborative partnerships within your community. For example, a spa could partner with a yoga studio for a health/wellness package.
As a rule of thumb, your brand and the brand you wish to collaborate with should have some crossover in the type of work or people you attract to your businesses. However, you should also be doing things differently. You could even consider involving a nonprofit or charitable enterprise that aligns with your brand’s values.
7. Workshops
This is an excellent idea for businesses that offer training on their products. If you have a specific skill set or service that people would be interested in learning, consider offering a workshop. For instance, a coffee shop selling clay mugs can have the supplier offer a pottery lesson for a workshop. By giving people hands-on learning experiences or demonstrations, you create strong engagement and memorable branding experiences.
Do it Right
Improving your sales and spreading the word about your business and its offerings isn’t a walk in the park. However, it certainly isn’t unachievable. Consider adding a bit of creativity to your promotional campaigns. You will surely be able to make a splash with customers as well as your competition.
