When a consumer comes across a familiar product or service, they are more likely to buy it. As a company looking to increase sales and expand customer reach, it is important that you focus on promoting your products or services. But with so many methods for promoting your offerings available to choose from, how do you know which method to go for? If you're looking for new ways to market your business in 2022, here are the 10 best promotional methods to try.
1. Hold Contests
Contests top the list among most effective promotional strategies. The goal is to make as many people as possible know about your company brand and name. Look at it this way: people love to compete, especially if they stand a chance of winning a prize for their effort. Take advantage of this inherent human characteristic to inform your target customers about your business. This is what will attract them to your products or services. This promotional method is cheap for any business to undertake and has a high chance of eliciting great results.
2. Give Customers Access to Exclusive Previews
You must have a bunch of loyal customers who have stood by you for a long time. They tend to have a high level of respect, not only for your offerings but also for your company. When you have plans to unveil new products, why don’t you let these customers try it first? Hold a prelaunch party, send a special invitation to your head office or hold an online private preview meeting, and show them a preview of what the new products look like. This makes your loyal customers feel honoured and valued. It will keep them coming back. What’s more, they will tell their friends and colleagues about their experiences with your product which may bring more sales your way.
3. Social Media Competitions
This could be anything, including handing out giveaways, holding contests or competitions, organising campaigns and sweepstakes, and so on. There are a ton of ways to hold social media competitions. What this promotional method does is bring attention to your social media pages and posts and eventually, your products or services. It's a fun way of getting everyone online excited about connecting with you. The more attention or traffic you get, the more fans you gather. Ultimately, your fans will become your customers. Remember to use all your social media platforms to make sure you maximise reach.
4. Email Marketing Promotional Method
Many companies that have tried it can vouch for email marketing as being one of the most effective promotional methods. According to a study conducted by McKinsey and Company, it is up to 40 times more effective than social media. Want to promote a new service or product? Why not craft a detailed newsletter and send it to everyone on your mailing list? The good thing about drafting newsletters as opposed to sending a random email is that you can include photos, product information and additional news around the same. This way, the customer recipients have a good idea of what they are looking at and are fully informed when they make a purchase.
5. Facebook Adverts
In Australia, Facebook has over 15 million active users monthly. If your goal is to expand your reach both locally and beyond borders, Facebook Ads is a viable promotional method that you should take seriously. Seeing that there’s a huge market here, you are sure that however much or however little money you invest, it will work towards your growth as a company. Facebook Ads categorise data, such as gender, age, interests, location, and more. This way, you can customise your ad and choose which location or gender you want to focus on.
6. In-Store Promotion
Physical businesses have a higher advantage here because they have actual locations or stores. They can set up new products or services inside their stores for the public to see. Use colourful, well-designed logos and signs, offer discounts and promotional freebies, and so on. The buy-one-get-one-free and price discounts work the best. Remember to tell customers that the in-store promotion is only there for a limited period of time. This way, you create a sense of urgency and prompt them to make a purchase immediately.
7. Host Events
This method works great if you want to attract more people to your store. It could be an open house event, a kid's day event, a mommy’s day out event, a sidewalk sale, or whatever seems to fit in with the crowd you are targeting and is in line with what the customers would need. You don’t have to go all out or spend a lot of money organising the event. Set a budget, and then see what event you can host with the cash that you have.
8. Offer Trade-Ins or Upgrades
Do you run a service-based type of business? Trade-ins or upgrades work better for service-based business than product-based businesses. This method gives both new customers and your frequent customers a chance to try your services. Offer complimentary upgrades for your loyal customers, give free treatments to new clients and consider offering trade-in promotions.
9. Share Client Reviews
There’s an unwritten rule that says your customers are your best promoters. If they are happy with your product or are disappointed with it, they tend to leave some feedback online or offline. Use good feedback and reviews from customers as a promotional tool to increase your sales. Once your clients get to see the opinions of other real-life customers, they will make a purchase based on that.
10. Post and Share on Social Media
Promotional methods don’t have to be expensive. Something as easy as sharing pictures and information about your new products online is enough to attract the right people. Social media can be a powerful promotional tool, but you have to be consistent and active. Answer questions, post often and have instances where you offer giveaways to your followers. Share photos or posts of other people sharing your products on their own pages. It helps entice people into either talking more about it or making purchases.
Which one of these Promotional Methods Is Right for You?
It’s all a matter of balancing and weighing the options listed above. Note that while there are promotional methods that work well for both products and service, some methods are more one-sided. Once you identify the new service or product you want to promote, chose the most suitable method to use. Note that business promotions and competitions of various kinds are regulated through government permits, licences, and approvals. Make sure you find out the approvals you need to obtain before implementing any promotional method. Need help choosing the right promotional products for your business? Contact us now! We will help show you promotional products that you could use to send your sales flying through the roof.
