What’s so great about promotions and events? Should I bother?
We know that this question rings loud in your mind when confronted with the idea of doing special promotions or events for your business. Our answer? It would be a waste to pass them up. The reality is there is positive momentum and substantial benefit to your brand brought about in a unique way through the use of promotions and special events. These effects far outweigh the relatively small amount of work that it takes to put these promotions together. The concept is tried and true, and the proof is measurable.
As many business people know, one of the most effective forms of advertising is word of mouth. A woman who excitedly tells a friend, “You’ve just got to try this” has most likely just made a sale for the company or product in question. In turn, when your business creates a special event or promotion that features exciting giveaways or fun activities you create a buzz around the event and around your company, and this naturally becomes word of mouth advertising.
Another valuable and observable effect of events and promotions is the strong relationship that you build with your customers. Depending on the specific components making up a promotion, you can project a strong image of company identity and reach consumers at an emotional and relational level. Food or donation drives, informational classes and kids’ activities are just a few examples of promotional elements that consumers appreciate, which in turn increases their trust and loyalty to your company – not to mention more word of mouth advertising!
Promotions are also a fantastic way to get the most bang for your buck. When tied in with media outlets like radio and TV, additional on-air promotions and web or E-blast inclusions are usually offered, giving your company added exposure for free. Additionally, what could have been an expensive bill for food or a grand prize can often be eliminated by partnering with another business, who will frequently donate these items based on trade value alone. The partnerships resulting from promotions can prove extremely beneficial for years to come, and you increase your momentum and market presence in the process, giving you an even greater ability to build effective partnerships and utilize promotions and events in your campaigns.
Do promotions represent a little bit of work? Sure they do. But the myriad of benefits are invaluable. Natural word of mouth advertising, positive image in the community, relationship-building and smart leveraging of funds are just a few of the reasons to say “yes” to promotions.
