Marketing is a complex process that requires a combination of four elements to be successful. Promotion is one of these elements and it seeks to communicate the company's message to the consumer. There are a number of promotional tools that can be used in a promotion program, each of which is suitable for certain circumstances. The five main promotional tools are advertising, sales promotion, public relations, direct marketing and digital publishing platforms.
Advertising is the most popular promotional tool and it can reach geographically dispersed masses of customers. It is also the fastest way to promote a product to a large proportion of diversified customers. Advertising is very expressive and it can dramatize products by applying certain impressions, sounds, images and impressive colors. However, it is impersonal and does not allow customers to give feedback or respond to advertising messages.
It can also be expensive, depending on the type of advertising used. Personal selling is another important promotional tool that involves personal interactions between two or more people. This allows both parties to understand each other's characteristics and needs and it can help to develop healthy relationships. Salespeople have professional experience which they use to focus on the interests of customers.
Personal selling also has some drawbacks, such as additional costs and efforts in training salespeople. Sales promotion is a short-term promotional tool that can be used to engage and motivate potential buyers. Examples include free samples, coupons, contests, rebates, premiums, point-of-sale displays and other incentives aimed at stimulating immediate sales. Visual merchandising is also important for retailers as attractive window and interior displays and eye-catching outdoor signs can attract shoppers and reinforce the unique theme or character of your store.
Public relations is very different from ads and it is more influential than these ads. It consists of news, events and reports which are considered more real and credible by readers. Public relations should not be used too much or should be used as an afterthought as it combines with the elements of the other promotional mix to use it effectively and economically. Digital publishing platforms are an alternative to print media as they allow writers, business owners, experts and professionals to publish their web articles or blog posts quickly and efficiently.
These platforms have high traffic volumes so they are an ideal way to maximize marketing efforts. Media companies partner with open web advertising platforms to connect digital content with consumers using recommendation technology. The final selection of consumer promotion tools must take into account the target audience, budget, competitive response and purpose of each tool. Promoting customer loyalty can be a very effective way to retain customers and ensure that they return frequently to purchase the service or product. Most content creation promotion tools include templates, color palettes, font styles, stock images, and other features so you can fully customize the images.Email marketing is an effective promotion tool that can target people who are already interested in the product or resource.
Newspapers can still be used as a promotional tool but they are not as effective as other methods due to their limited reach.
