Without promotion there is no profit! The best promotion tools are designed to stimulate sales. However, in order to generate attractive profits and achieve spectacular successes on the market, you first need to advertise your brand in some way. Using selected promotional instruments. How to choose the best promotion tools for your company? PR agency prompts.
What will you learn from the article?
Nowadays, when the Internet has become one of the main places where consumer life takes place, promoting a company online is no longer a choice - it has become a necessity. "You are not on the Internet, you do not exist" - this sentence, although it may sound a bit dramatic, perfectly reflects the current reality. In this entry, we will explore the topic of company promotion on the Internet, defining its main goals and forms. We will discover how to choose sales promotion tools tailored to the specific nature of your business. We will indicate what other forms of promotion - apart from paid ones - can support the development of your business in the digital world. You will also learn how to choose the most appropriate ones to effectively incorporate promotional activities into your promotion mix.
Contents
Company promotion on the Internet and beyond – definition
According to statistics, brands that do not conduct promotional activities record a decrease in sales by up to 16% after a year. Two years later it is 25%, and three years later it is 36%. But what does the concept of promotion actually mean? Book promotion is defined as one of the marketing elements - and more specifically the 4P and extended version marketing mix marketing mix 7P.
Philip Kotler - an American economist and author of many textbooks in the field of marketing - provides a simple definition of promotion. According to him, activities using various forms of promotion are "a social and managerial process aimed at recognizing, stimulating and satisfying the needs of customers (recipients)". Thanks to appropriate promotion, people learn about a given brand or its specific product. Promotion is a method of reaching the target group that serves as a tool to achieve business goals, namely the company's sales goals.
You are not in the network, you do not exist.
We will select effective promotion tools for your company.
Purpose and forms of sales promotion
Sales promotion elements it's a whole range of tools. The best results can be achieved by following a promotion strategy tailored to individual needs and goals. Not only a given company, but also the specifics of the market on which it operates, as well as the preferences and expectations of its target group. Strategy brand promotion based on sales stimulation is a set of all the means that the company uses to provide the environment with information about its activities and the products or services offered. The strategy should be based on one or several promotion instruments. What are the different forms of promotion? How to choose promotion tools? Which sales promotion tools are the most effective?
How to choose promotion tools?
What are promotion instruments? The dictionary of the Polish language defines the word "instrument" as "a means of carrying out something." Promotion instruments are therefore a means of reaching the target group, the purpose of presenting the brand and its products.
The aforementioned Philip Kotler, who is recognized in the business world as a marketing specialist, lists 4 basic promotion instruments. These are:
- personal sale,
- direct marketing,
- sales promotion,
- public relations and publicity.
1. Personal selling - selection of promotion tools
Personal selling based on basic promotional instruments and promotional materials is undoubtedly one of the most commonly used promotional instruments. Broadly speaking, these are various forms of direct contact between company employees (including sellers, producers, merchants and intermediaries) with potential customers. The salesperson's task is to provide customers with as much information as possible about the presented product/service, clarify any doubts and technical problems and, most importantly, convince potential buyers to make a purchase. It does this through various types of marketing activities and promotional materials.
Personal selling is largely based on the sale of products or services outside the company's headquarters, e.g. through sales representatives equipped with specific promotional materials. This type of sales stimulation is most often used when offering vacuum cleaners, telephones, cosmetics and other so-called highly processed consumer goods.
2. Purpose and type of direct marketing
In direct marketing to advertise products promotional materials and various communication channels are used, including telephone, Internet and television. The goal is to establish contact/dialogue with recipients and trigger a specific reaction.
Currently, online forms of direct marketing are most frequently used. The most popular promotional instruments include: word-of-mouth marketing, social media marketing, and viral advertising. The selection of appropriate tools to support sales stimulation depends on the characteristics of the target market, target preferences, product features, etc.
3. Sales promotion
Under the term sales promotion there is a set of various economic incentives designed to encourage consumers to try and ultimately buy specific goods or services. These activities are short-term in nature, e.g. holiday promotions. These include:
- tasting,
- discount coupons,
- contests, gifts, prizes,
- limited editions of products,
- quantitative promotions, e.g. 2 for the price of 1.
The aim of sales promotion is to evoke a feeling of the uniqueness of the occasion, which is intended to accelerate the sales process.
4. Public relations and publicity - free forms of promotion
Public relations it is an important element of the functioning of any enterprise. The aim of PR activities is efficient communication with the environment and creating a positive brand image. In public relations, press releases, speeches, charities and are often used event PR.
Publicity, on the other hand, is the preservation of the brand in the minds of the recipients by placing the logo, name or products in various channels and thus generating publicity.
What other promotional instruments are worth considering?
As part of the promotion, the brand can also use, among others:
- fairs and exhibitions - a form of direct contact between consumers and sellers; a promotion instrument that allows you to build or improve your image and commercial sales at the same time,
- sponsoring, events, social campaigns - placing sponsors' trademarks or a message informing about sponsorship in the space; these are activities combining promotion and advertising with image building and creating relationships with the environment,
- lobbying - action of an influential group of people for the benefit of a region, social group or institution; in other words, supporting or advertising specific ideas, initiatives, activities,
- merchandising - consistent logistics and marketing activities aimed at bringing a specific profit; in a general sense, merchandising is about the appropriate presentation of goods in sales spaces.
What promotion instruments should you choose?
An entrepreneur who wants to constantly generate profits and enjoy popularity must conscientiously observe market trends and consumer behavior, analyze data and conduct reliable market research.
These are basic activities that help build and conduct effective marketing, based on a carefully prepared promotion strategy, using various marketing activities and carefully thought-out promotional materials.
Promotion tools as part of the promotion mix
Features and promotion tools, as long as we know how to use them, it's a powerful force. The choice of appropriate promotion instruments depends, among other things, on the general characteristics and condition of the company, its vision, specific business goals and resources, product features and market position. The best solution is undoubtedly the use of the so-called. promotion mix. It is a strategy that combines advertising, personal selling, sales promotion and public relations. Using promotion-mix is the best way to build brand awareness in the environment. To reach all recipients, encourage them to try the proposed products and create a positive brand image. All this allows you to increase sales, improve the economic and financial situation of the company and gain a stable position on the market. Marketing mix - promotion using his tools, it can become a springboard to success.
Summary
The article discusses in detail the importance and goals of online sales promotion. He emphasizes that the lack of a company's presence on the Internet is equal to its non-existence in the minds of potential customers. It presents various forms and tools of promotion that can be tailored to the individual needs and specificity of each company's activity. From detailed instruments such as SEO, content marketing, social media, email campaigns, to broad strategies covering various digital information distribution channels. It was also emphasized how important it is to understand the goals of promotion and select appropriate tools that best meet these goals, thus maximizing the effectiveness of promotional activities.
Moreover, the entry draws attention to other promotion instruments. Such as loyalty programs or word of mouth marketing, which can complement traditional forms of advertising. The author encourages readers to thoroughly analyze the available options to choose those that will best promote their unique offer.