Only the most adventurous buyers go and invest in products and services they never heard of. Most people stick to what they know or go for items they’ve seen online or heard about from friends. That’s why you need to be serious about promoting your business and getting people familiar with your company and its products. No matter what you sell, functional promotional strategies can help you reach your target audience, present your company in a good light and open many doors for future collaborations. If you don’t know where to start with promoting your business, here are some of the most basic yet most effective strategies.
Use social media
Social media used to be employed only for fun, but today, every serious business advertises on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and uses various social media strategies to promote their products and services. This is probably the cheapest and easiest way to reach a large number of people and give them content that will put your products out there. Social media also provides easy sharing options, so you can basically get free advertising if some of your customers choose to share your business or leave a review. However, when dealing with social media, there’s always a possibility of issues like incriminating videos and going viral for the wrong reasons, so keep that in mind.
Join Google My Business
One of the most powerful things you can do, especially if you’re trying to attract local customers, is joining Google My Business. If you manage to rank your business at the top spot on GMB, you will pull a lot of people every day without having to spend any money on ads. Plus, GMB gives your business credibility, so more people will choose to give your business a chance.
Give out free gifts
Business cards are an outdated promotional strategy—instead, give away some functional gifts. For instance, you can order a bunch of different promotional products like bags, notepads, pens, umbrellas and USB drives with your company’s logo on them. Give these to your regulars and customers who made big purchases and they will always keep your business visible rather than hidden in their wallet or buried in the trash.
Send free samples
Everyone loves freebies! If you want to get people to stop and try your product, you need to draw them in with free samples. Some companies choose to mail free samples to target households while others work with coupons and trial-size containers. Most people can’t resist free things, so they will probably give your product a shot.
Create a referral program
Your current customers can be a valuable member of your promotional team. If you create the customer referral incentive program, you can encourage customers to draw new potential customers in exchange for free products, discounts or cash rewards. This strategy can basically turn your customers into hard-working salespeople for a very small price to pay.
Organize a customer appreciation event
A fun customer appreciation event with in-store prizes, free snacks, and refreshments can draw a lot of new potential customers to your business. Make sure to be generous and require no purchase for products in exchange for your generosity. Snacks, soda, and pizza are relatively cheap, so you can give them out and attract a lot of attention. Just ensure that displays are ready and visible before the customers arrive so that you can successfully promote your desired product.
Become a sponsor
Another quite popular and effective promotional strategy is sponsoring a contest. Many of these contests don’t even require a purchase, which is great for attracting a large audience. The idea is to put your name, logo, and products out there for people to see and hear rather than concentrating on hard-sell campaigns. You can also put your company’s name behind an important cause. People love to be a part of something larger and support businesses that have a strong company culture, so it’s a win-win situation. Being eco-friendly today is very attractive to many customers, especially younger generations, so try your best to go green and many people will support your brand.
These strategies don’t require a lot of money and salespeople’s international campaigns. What you do need is the will to treat your customers right and put your name out there and sales will start to pour in very quickly.
