Promotional strategies are plans to promote or create product demand. It describes your methods to increase product recognition and generate consumer interest.
Promotional strategies aim to introduce potential buyers to your goods and persuade them to purchase. You want to move them along the buyer's journey, which is the process buyers follow from recognizing a need to considering your product as a solution to ultimately making a purchase decision.
Your promotional strategies are subset of your overall marketing strategy, which is a long-term plan defining how you will market and sell your product. An effective marketing plan includes all of the promotional strategies for development, including the "marketing mix" of product, price, place, and promotion. Therefore, your promotion strategy is an essential element of the marketing mix.
Here is a breakdown of the marketing mix, generally known as the four P's:
Product: The item that you are selling.
Price: The amount you should charge for a product to generate a profit.
Place: Where you should sell your goods to reach your target market.
Promotion: The process by which you generate demand for your product and move customers down the marketing funnel.
The buyer's journey is sometimes represented as a funnel with three distinct sections: the top, the center, and the bottom. Customers begin their trip at the top of the funnel and ultimately decide to buy your product at the bottom. A good promotion plan employs a variety of approaches to attract clients at each stage of the marketing funnel.
Here is a breakdown of the marketing funnel, along with promotion examples for each section:
The Beginning Of The Funnel
Consumers at the top of the funnel are aware of the issue they wish to address and actively seek a solution. However, they may still need to be mindful that your product exists; therefore, your promotional strategies should capture the customer's attention and raise brand and product awareness at this stage.
Examples of promotional strategies include television advertisements, event sponsorships, and content marketing.
Middle Of Funnel
In the middle of the sales funnel, clients compare your offering against alternatives. To keep them in the funnel, you must differentiate your product from the competition and persuade clients that it is the best alternative. In addition, your marketing plan should establish an emotional connection with customers and demonstrate how your solution may address their concerns directly.
Examples of advertising strategies: customer testimonials, free samples, and case studies
Customers select whether or not to purchase your goods at the bottom of the sales funnel. To attract bottom-of-the-funnel customers, your marketing approach must motivate them to take action.
Examples of promotional strategies includes discounts, email offers, and flexible return policies.
12 Types Of Promotional Strategies
There are numerous methods for promoting a product. If you're seeking ideas, we've outlined 12 marketing techniques below.
1. Paid Marketing
Typically, the first promotion that springs to mind is paid to advertise. This easy method entails paying to advertise a particular location and time to attract the attention of your target audience. It's a fantastic approach to developing brand awareness and promoting your business to individuals who may need to become more familiar with it.
The following are examples of paid advertisements:
TV commercials
Radio commercials
Newspaper and magazine advertisements
Billboards
Online display advertisements (for example, through Google or social media)
Material marketing is a prevalent form of digital promotion that focuses on distributing valuable content to attract and retain an audience. The concept behind content marketing is that it associates your brand with practical, relevant material that assists users in resolving problems, ultimately persuading people to purchase your items by fostering their trust. Content marketing is an excellent promotional tool for any organization, but it benefits B2B and SaaS companies with longer sales cycles. For these businesses, content marketing helps educate customers sufficiently so that they may make informed purchasing decisions.
There are numerous types of content marketing, including
Blog postings
Videos
Social media posts
Email newsletters
Podcasts
Content developed to enhance SEO (search engine optimization)
3. Sponsorships
Sponsorships involve associating your organization with another brand, such as an event, television program, charity, or celebrity. For example, Pepsi supports the Super Bowl regularly, but Red Bull promotes NASCAR and all extreme athletes. In addition, modern sponsorships frequently incorporate social media influencer marketing, forming connections with individuals who rose to prominence on social media sites such as Instagram and YouTube.
Sponsorship aims to enhance your business's public image and credibility. Aligning with another brand can increase media exposure, enhance public relations, broaden your audience, and set you apart from the competition.
Email marketing enables you to communicate with your target audience via email. You can send emails to any of your mailing list's subscribers, whether they are potential prospects, loyal customers, or someone else. You can acquire their email addresses by giving free items or services in exchange for potential consumers' email addresses.
Numerous items can be sent via email, including
Newsletters and a unique material
Product release information
Special offers and coupons
5. Retargeting
Retargeting targets clients (or potential customers) with a solid intent to purchase. In other words, it involves targeting consumer segments who have already reached the bottom of your marketing funnel. Therefore, prioritizing retargeting might increase your return on investment because this demographic is already prepped and eager to purchase.
For instance, retargeting may include the following:
Sending email reminders to clients who placed items in their online shopping basket but still need to complete their purchase.
Showing targeted adverts to customers who have already purchased your products.
Sending nurture emails to customers who made a transaction but have yet to return.
6. Referral Marketing
Referral marketing is when people recommend a brand to their friends. Referral marketing, often known as word-of-mouth marketing, occurs naturally when you have a fantastic product. Still, you can accelerate it with special promotions and incentives for customers who suggest their connections.
Referral marketing is an effective method due to its low cost. And because individuals tend to trust their friends, referred clients are more likely to buy your product than those who view an advertisement. For instance, Dropbox utilized referral marketing to permanently raise signups by 60 percent, resulting in the company's eventual growth into a multi-billion dollar enterprise.
Event marketing involves engaging in, supporting, or hosting events to promote a brand or product. This technique lets you connect and interact directly with customers, giving them a genuine understanding of your product and brand. In addition, events can help you create brand awareness, generate leads, and cultivate client loyalty.
There are numerous types of event marketing, including
Conventions and trade shows
Conferences and classes
Webinars
Virtual occasions
Live streaming occasions
Community activities
8. Special Causes
Customers feel like they're a part of something more significant when your brand is aligned with a particular cause. By purchasing your products, they're not only benefiting themselves; they're also helping to make the world a better place. This can increase brand loyalty and give customers a reason to prefer your brand over the competition.
Patagonia, a clothing firm, is a fantastic example of this. Patagonia attracts and maintains clients committed to environmental protection by publicizing its sustainable production methods.
9. Customer Feedback
Customer testimonials are one of the most effective marketing tactics available. Amazon, Yelp, and TripAdvisor have built their companies on reviews, fostering customer confidence by encouraging comments. This method is attractive since it enables customers to promote your business independently. And as long as you have a high-quality product (and outstanding evaluations), this form of user-generated material can go a long way toward influencing prospective buyers to buy.
You can expedite the collection of client reviews by requesting them by email or website banners from current customers. Some younger brands also solicit evaluations by delivering free samples to customers in exchange for their sincere opinions.
10. Customer Retention Programs
Customer loyalty programs reward those that interact with your brand frequently. It is a method for retaining customers by delivering bargains, discounts, and exclusive product releases. The more customers purchase from your business, the more benefits they will receive. For instance, Sephora advertises a loyalty program that provides discounts and freebies to clients who spend a minimum amount.
Not only can loyalty programs increase client retention, but they also convince future customers to choose your brand over competitors. In addition, by advertising loyalty programs, you show clients how they may save money and receive more excellent value over time.
11. Free Samples, Trials And Giveaways
Everyone enjoys free items. Samples of your goods can increase customer satisfaction and make clients feel like they're receiving a fantastic deal by giving them out. But most crucially, free samples and trials provide potential buyers with hands-on experience with your goods and the confidence to purchase them in the future.
To implement this marketing strategy, businesses can:
Offer a risk-free trial time for clients to evaluate the product. This is common for gyms, apps, and online software companies.
Offer free samples to customers who physically visit stores. The warehouse club Costco is well-known for employing this strategy.
Include complimentary samples with product purchases. This strategy can inspire existing clients to try new items. For instance, online cosmetic retailers such as Glossier frequently include complimentary skincare and makeup samples with each purchase.
Organize competitions with no-cost rewards. This is an effective method for gathering contact information from prospective clients. For instance, a hotel can entice future guests to submit their contact information to win a free vacation.
12. Discounts And Coupons
Special offers can help you attract customers at the bottom of the marketing funnel when they are contemplating whether or not to buy your goods. Deals function in two ways: First, they instill a sense of urgency and motivate buyers to act immediately before the offer expires. Second, they help clients save money and get a high return on investment.
There is no limit to the types of bargains you can provide. Here are several examples:
Special introductory deals for first-time clients -Product bundling and discounted pricing (for example, a 10-pack of socks)
Buy one, get one free discount.
Rebates -Seasonal discounts and sales (like Black Friday promotions)
Reductions on specific product categories
Coupons for clients' birthdays
Customers who buy over a specific amount receive free shipping.
Conclusion
Successful marketing campaigns, digital strategies, and go-to-market (GTM) plans require a sound promotional strategies. As you develop your strategy, remember that the 12 examples in this article do not need to stand alone. At each point of the buyer's journey, you can use a combination of strategies to attract buyers, whether they are new to your brand, comparing your product to the competition, or returning for a second purchase.
Contact KLB Solutions immediately for assistance with your forthcoming promotional strategies and campaign.
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