Promotional strategies are tactics used by businesses to increase brand awareness, attract new customers, retain existing customers, increase sales, and expand market share. An effective promotional strategy consists of various promotional methods that complement each other and work together to achieve the overall marketing objectives. There are 5 main types of promotional strategies that businesses commonly use: advertising, public relations, personal selling, sales promotion, and direct marketing.
Advertising
Advertising involves paying to promote products, services, brands, and ideas through various media channels. The main objectives are to inform potential customers about what the business offers and persuade them to take action, such as making a purchase. Common advertising channels include:
- Print – newspapers, magazines, brochures, billboards
- Broadcast – radio, television
- Online – search ads, display ads, social media ads, affiliate marketing
- Mobile – SMS, MMS, in-app advertising
- Out-of-home – Posters, kiosks, tradeshows, events
Businesses invest in advertising to reach broad audiences repeatedly to increase brand visibility and stay top of mind. Advertising is an impersonal, one-way form of promotion with low customer interaction.
Key advantages of advertising:
- Reach large audiences across many geographies
- Control message delivery and frequency
- Build brand awareness and identity
- Use creative content to capture attention
Public Relations
Public relations (PR) focuses on building good relationships with the public through positive publicity and managing the company’s reputation. PR activities include:
- Press releases
- News stories
- Speeches and interviews
- Corporate literature
- Community events and sponsorships
- Website and social media content
The goal is to earn credible, organic exposure rather than paid media space. Getting positive news stories and mentions published builds brand image and establishes expertise. PR connects businesses directly with target audiences to build understanding and trust.
Benefits of public relations:
- Gain credibility through third-party endorsement
- Ability to target specific, relevant audiences
- Deliver subtle, non-sales oriented messages
- Control messaging through owned media platforms
Personal Selling
Personal selling involves person-to-person interaction between sales reps and potential customers. The sales team sells products, services and builds relationships with prospects through:
- Sales presentations
- Demonstrations
- Meetings
- Phone calls
- Email communication
- Social media outreach
The one-to-one communication allows businesses to directly interact with, educate, customize offers, and answer questions for prospects. Personal selling is an effective way to demonstrate products, convey details, build rapport, and close complex, high-value sales.
Advantages of personal selling:
- Build personalized customer relationships
- Interact directly with prospects
- Answer questions and resolve concerns
- Adapt sales presentations for each prospect
Sales Promotion
Sales promotions are marketing activities that provide short-term incentives to boost sales. They attract customer interest and motivate purchases. Common sales promotion techniques include:
- Discounts
- Free gifts
- Contests and sweepstakes
- Loyalty programs
- Sampling
- Tradeshows and events
Unlike advertising, sales promotions are a personalized way to incentivize customers to buy. They incorporate a call to action and sense of urgency. Sales promotions work best for increasing sales in the short-term rather than building long-term brand equity.
Benefits of sales promotions:
- Entice customers to buy quickly
- Introduce new products
- Boost sales for seasonal products
- Reward loyal customers
Direct Marketing
Direct marketing communicates promotional messages directly to specific customers and prospects through a range of channels such as:
- Text messages
- Social media messaging
- Flyers
- Catalogs
- Telemarketing
It allows businesses to directly target and follow up with relevant audiences to stimulate interest. Direct marketing drives leads and sales by delivering personalized, timely, and trackable offers. Businesses can test and optimize different messages and offers to improve results.
Advantages of direct marketing:
- Target specific market segments
- Personalize content for each customer
- Flexible with testing and tweaking
- Enable one-to-one conversations
- Trackable results
Conclusion
An effective promotional strategy combines these 5 promotional tools to maximize reach and sales for all customer segments. Each method serves a unique purpose. Advertising builds broad awareness. PR secures credibility and positive brand perception. Personal selling fosters deep customer relationships. Sales promotions incentivize buying. Direct marketing drives leads and conversions.
Businesses rarely rely on just one of these strategies alone. The best approach is to utilize them together in a coordinated promotional mix tailored to business goals and target audience preferences. Well-planned integration of these 5 promotional strategies will amplify a brand’s message and maximize return on promotional investments.