Personal testimonials can be powerful promotions.
The practice of promoting products and services can be tricky; you must walk a fine line between convincing customers and irritating them or appearing not to be genuine. As you develop a promotional strategy, consider your target audience and how you can appeal to their needs and preferences.
Contests
Contests are alluring promotional options, because they offer the chance to win something valuable. You can hold contests online or offline, depending on the type of business and customers. To be successful, your contest should either be easy to enter or should require some work; the former requires no thought, and the latter creates a perception of credibility and quality. A weight-loss contest, for example, requires work but the end results are directly measurable; answering a survey to be entered in a prize drawing offers the possibility of a reward for little effort.
Giveaways
Free products are popular with almost every demographic and can act as an effective promotion. If you are looking to promote a single product, use a sample as a giveaway to allow customers to see the benefits firsthand. If you want to print promotional items that advertise a company, stick to things that will see a high level of use or exposure, such as refrigerator magnets, pens or pads of sticky notes so that your company name and message is put in front of customers on a regular basis.
Promotional Codes
Consumers always appreciate a good bargain, and coupon codes are a way to promote your business and offer a discount. Codes are particularly useful in driving traffic to your website: you might offer a discount on a product, for example, or ask customers to input the code for a chance to win a prize drawing. If you operate an online ordering system, distribute codes to websites that come up in searches for "(Business Name) coupon codes." Customers will believe they are getting a secret deal, and you will see increased business.
Testimonials
Testimonials can be a powerful, convincing promotional strategy, given that they come from a credible source. Use testimonials from people who exemplify your target audience's ideal lifestyle to convince customers that your products are relevant and useful. You might use a celebrity or an industry expert, or send your products to popular bloggers in the industry to review on their sites. If a trusted source recommends a product, their loyal readers are likely to put stock in it as well. Display your testimonials with attention to transparency and sincerity, making every possible effort to convince jaded consumers that the people are real customers. Provide links to their personal websites, use unedited video clips or provide contact information for further engagement.
Tags: coupon codes, offer discount, prize drawing, products popular, promotional strategy