Using correct marketing tools plays an important role in building a successful promotional campaign. One of the most important functions of marketing is a promotion. Sales promotion marketing makes people aware that your product or service exists and makes them understand why they need to buy it. There are four basic sales promotion marketing tools that can be used to accomplish these goals.
The sales promotion is used to generate awareness and stimulate a demand through short-term awareness campaigns; the sales promotion applies such items as premiums, giveaways, brochures and coupons. They usually have a short-term impact and can easily be implemented with other promotional tools.
Publicity, such as press releases and reviews, is perhaps the most economical sales promotion marketing tool. Awareness and credibility are increased through a third-party testimonial. However, it has a disadvantage: you have no control over what is printed in a review or article about your product or service.
Advertising and direct mail can reach many consumers simultaneously with the same message. In addition, the cost per exposure is relatively low. This sales promotion marketing tool increases awareness of your product or service and educates people about the benefits of buying them. On the other hand, you could waste a lot of money, since advertising reaches many people, including not potential buyers. What is more, consumers often screen out advertising.
Personal Selling is an allowing two-way communication and is probably the most persuasive sales promotion marketing tool. In spite of being the best tool for closing the sale, it has some disadvantages, the major of which is its high cost per contact.
It is important to determine when and how each of these tools should be used to optimise your sales. For instance, supposedly, your author is about to conduct a book signing. Preceding the event with an awareness campaign will make it more successful. Here different tools can be implied: an enlargement of the book's cover, featured in the store (sales promotion), press releases, sent to the local media (publicity); post cards, mailed to prospective customers (advertising) or media appearances, promoting the signing (personal selling), etc.
Creating and implementing a successful promotional campaign will be more effective if you match your sales promotion marketing tools to certain circumstances.
1. Your overall marketing objectives. If your product or service is in its introductory stage, you should emphasize mass communication techniques. Initially, you have to make people understand why it is in their best interest to purchase your product or service. Later, you should remind them to buy it.
2. The nature of your product line. For instance, when selling a fiction book, it is wise to use publicity and advertising, where the mass communication's low cost per exposure stimulates the demand most efficiently. Certainly, the personal selling in the form of a national media blitz is also suited to the stimulating broad awareness and demand.
3. The nature of your markets. If your product or service targets a tightly defined circle of consumers, you should think of using direct mail, publicity and advertising from your sales promotion magazine.
Depending on the product and the life time of the product, choose the correct tool, if not all, to start you promotion campaign in the best possible way.