How to Promote a Product

Promotion is one of the best ways to turn a solid idea into actual profits. Whatever your role in the business world happens to be, if you're trying to sell a product, you'll want to boost your sales and build brand recognition with an intelligent, well-balanced promotional effort. While a lot of this may sound complicated, keep in mind that it’s fairly easy once you’ve done your market analysis and figured out what kind of promotion you want to run. That’s why we’ve done a good chunk of the research for you, so read on to see which ideas make the most sense for your product!

[Edit]Steps

[Edit]Research your market.

1. Analyze your product and identify your market to choose a promotional plan. Start by asking yourself, “Who would want this product?” The answer will guide your research and promotional ideas. You can use focus groups or hire a marketing research firm to do this research for you. You can also ask people what they think of your product. Often, it’s going to be really easy to intuit who wants your product. For example, a selfie-filter app is obviously going to appeal to millennials.^[1]
   
   • Use statistics from the Census Bureau and Department of Labor and free consumer reports from companies like Nielsen to figure out who your ideal customer is.^[2]
   • Looking at your competitors can give you some insight. What does their branding look like? What kind of incentives do they use?
   • Understanding your target demographic is going to make it much easier to figure out what kind of promotion you want to pursue—younger consumers are unlikely to listen to radio ads, while older buyers are unlikely to peruse social media accounts, for example.

[Edit]Develop your promotional materials.

1. Craft advertising materials and graphics to promote your product. You can either design and write the promotional materials yourself, or hire a designer or copywriter to do it for you. Make all of your promotional efforts clear, quick, and informative. Prioritize the most important information about your product, like whatever makes it a better product than its competitors.^[3]
   
   • Remember, a short, memorable ad is much more effective than a super-detailed or crowded ad. Just keep it simple!
   • Take the totality of your content into account from a consumer’s perspective. The colors, typeface, visuals, and branding are all working together to create a feeling. Look at your copy and ask yourself, “Would I buy this?” If you have a good answer, great! If you don’t, keep working at it!^[4]

[Edit]Create flyers or brochures.

1. Put some informative material together to educate consumers. Design a flyer or brochure together to educate potential clients and consumers on what the benefits of your product are. You can include any studies or testimonials, or break down the benefits in easy-to-understand language. Like ad materials, you can either design these yourself, or hire a professional designer to do it for you. Get your materials professionally printed on quality cardstock to give your business a professional vibe.^[5]
   
   • You can also create something called a one-sheet, which is a breakdown of all of the products and services your business offers. If you go this route, highlight the new product you want to promote by giving it top billing on your sheet.

[Edit]Use traditional advertising to promote locally.

1. Old school advertising is great if you aren’t shipping products or selling online. Traditional forms of advertising cost money, so carefully consider who is likely to view or hear your advertisement before paying for advertising space or time. Prioritize visual ad space in the most high-traffic areas to get the most eyes on your product, and schedule TV and radio ads to run during the most popular time slots.^[6]
   
   • Newspapers/magazines are great for older consumers. Ads here are solely visual, so focus on attention-grabbing imagery. The price of the ad usually based on its size and location.
   • Billboards are good at generating brand awareness. They’re solely visual, like newspapers and magazines. Often, drivers can only safely look at the billboard for a second or two, so try to convey your message as quickly as possible.
   • Television is a solid platform for younger consumers. These ads incorporate audio and visuals. There are many options here, but short ads are always cheaper, so try to make your ad as "lean" as possible.
   • Radio is a phenomenal way to target specific demographics, since different groups of people are attracted to different stations. Ads are solely audio-based, so you may need to be creative to effectively convey your message. Catchy jingles or slogans are a smart bet.

[Edit]Go for online ads to promote across the globe.

1. Digital advertising is best if you run an online shop or digital service. Unless you know how to code, you’ll need to hire a software engineer or digital marketing firm for this. But it can be well worth the investment; online advertisements are especially effective at drawing attention to a product. If you aren’t running a local shop, you’re willing to ship products, or you’re promoting a digital service or app, this is a phenomenal way to go.^[7] Some of the opportunities for paid online advertising include:
   
   • Pop-up ads can appear on any website. Notoriously annoying, pop-up ads (and related variants) are just what they sound like—windows that "pop up" as a user views a website and display an ad. They aren’t popular, but they can work!
   • Banner ads show up on the sides and top of any webpage. Like ads in a magazine, these ads sit adjacent to content on the page. Though not as annoying as pop-up ads, these are still often rendered moot by ad-blocking software.
   • Search engine ads. These ads appear at the top (or along the sides) of search engine results when a potential customer searches for key words related to your product. Consider hiring an SEO (search engine optimization) firm if you go this route so that your ads appear higher in search results.
   • Content marketing. This refers to articles, videos, and essays that either focus on your product exclusively, or reference it in passing in a positive way.

[Edit]Pay for views on Google Ads.

1. Set up a Google Ads account to pay for clicks and views. Google Ads is an easy way to promote your business or product online. Sign up for a free account and include the link to your business page alongside a short, punchy description of your service. Set your budget and include the maximum amount you’d like to bid on a given keyword. Google will automatically display your ad if their algorithms determine your bid is successful.^[8]
   
   • You have three options when it comes to ways you can bid on your keywords. You can use:^[9]
     • Cost-per-click (CPC). You will only pay a fee when a user clicks on your link.
     • Cost-per-mile (CPM). You will only pay for every 1000 ad appearances.
     • Cost-per-engagement (CPE). You only pay when a user does something on your website, like watch a video or sign up for an account.

[Edit]Leverage social media posts.

1. This is an awesome way to advertise online for free. While pop-ups and banner ads cost money, advertising on Facebook or Twitter is free. Use your company’s social media accounts to share fun information about your product with others online. You can even live stream, or comment on other people’s posts to draw more attention to your page. Social media is also a great place to showcase other promotions, like discounts and giveaways.^[10]
   
   • Remember, most people on social media aren't looking to be sold a product. Instead of directly advertising, try posting interesting, relevant content that will build awareness about your product. Be inviting and playful, not cold and calculated with your posts.^[11]
   • Interact with the people who comment on your posts and ask you questions about your product. The more engagement you get, the more likely you’ll be to see growth!

[Edit]Use paid social media ads.

1. Social media advertising is a uniquely strong way to push a product. Advertising on social media gives consumers the chance to comment on your ads and interact with other consumers who are interested in your product. You can also tailor your ads to appear to specific demographics of people based on other things they’ve looked for online. Most social media sites also allow you to track your ROI (return on investment), so that you can see how much benefit you’re getting from your ads.^[12]
   
   • Instagram, LinkedIn, are Facebook are especially popular venues for social media advertising.
   • You can also pay to promote your social media’s posts. This is a good way to get more people interacting with your

[Edit]Run a promotional deal.

1. Give out coupons, special discounts, or deals to attract customers. Most people dislike the idea of "missing out" on a good deal, so they're more likely to buy a product if there’s some sort of special bonus that's not normally available. A lot of consumers will buy something they wouldn’t have normally purchased just because it’s on sale or comes with some kind of extra benefit.^[13] Potential incentives include:
   
   • New member discounts. If you offer cheaper prices for people who make an account, sign up for a mailing list, or become a member of your service, you’ll build up a larger reoccurring customer base.
   • Buy-one-get-one-free deals. Offer the customer a free reward (this can be more of your product or a different product entirely) if they buy a certain amount of your product.
   • Holiday deals and sales. Running a promotion for holidays is a great way to generate new business. People tend to buy more goods on certain holidays, and a sale is a great way to attract folks.
   • Rebates. By putting the responsibility to claim a discount on the customer after the purchase has been made, you can save money relative to other promotional deals because many will forget or neglect to send in their rebates.

[Edit]Use influencers to push your product.

1. Ask popular influencers to review your product online. Influencers are well known members of an industry who people trust, such as hairstylists who have a strong social media presence and review hair products. Identify influencers in your industry who might be able to spread the word about your product and make an impact on its reception. Contact 2-3 influencers via email to try out your product and review it.^[14]
   
   • You can offer to give them your product for free in exchange for the review. If they’re an especially popular influencer, they may ask for some kind of monetary compensation on top of it.
   • For example, if you’re developing a fitness app, you might ask a popular fitness guru from Instagram to try the app and review it on their platform.

[Edit]Create a rewards program.

1. Rewards programs are a great way to keep customers loyal. Offering discounts, deals, and special privileges to loyal customers is a great way to keep customers coming back. When you’re promoting your new product, offer reward program members a discount or free reward. The same way you want to demonstrate your product's value to your customer, you also want to demonstrate your customer's value to your company.^[15]
   
   • This is a great option if you have an established business and you’re trying to get a brand new product off the ground. By getting your first round of inventory into your most loyal customers’ hands, they’ll be able to spread the word on your product’s quality.

[Edit]Give out free samples.

1. Offer a free sample to customers to get them to try your product. Nothing shows confidence in your product like letting your customer sample it for free before buying. Additionally, a customer is more likely to buy something if they have just experienced its benefits. You can’t do this with every product, but if you can let folks “test drive” your product, they’ll be more likely to buy it.^[16]
   
   • A sample doesn't just refer to food products. The same principle applies to other products and services. For instance, if you're selling cars, test drives or a free trial subscription to an online service are the rough equivalent of a free sample.

[Edit]Hire a marketing firm.

1. If all of this sounds like a lot, pay someone else to do it! There are tons of marketing firms out there that specialize in creating promotional materials and getting them out into the world. If you have a lot on your hands or crafting your own materials seems like a tall order, paying someone else to do it for you will make things a lot easier. Contact a reputable marketing firm in your area and sit down to discuss a deal.^[17]
   
   • If you only need a little bit of extra help coming up with designs or slogans, hire a consulting firm to help you out.
   • There are marketing firms out there that specialize in TV ads, radio, or print media. Check each firm’s website to see what kind of marketing they specialize in.

[Edit]Video

[Edit]Tips

• Having a professional-looking website will help boost sales and promote your products.
• Before you start promoting a product, make sure the product is compliant and legal. You don't want to run into trouble down the line because you didn't dot all of your Is and cross your Ts.^[18]
• If you want to start promoting your product in a different geographic location, make sure you research that geographic market first. Just because your product does well in one location doesn't necessarily mean it will do as well somewhere new.^[19]
• Carefully time the release of your product. For example, releasing a product before the holidays when everyone is shopping may increase your sales.^[20]

[Edit]References

[Edit]Quick Summary

1. ↑ [v161575_b01]. 30 September.
2. ↑ [v161575_b01]. 30 September.
3. ↑ https://www.business.gov.au/marketing/marketing-and-advertising/advertising-for-business
4. ↑ [v161575_b01]. 30 September.
5. ↑ https://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/participation/promoting-interest/posters-flyers/main
6. ↑ http://www.fao.org/3/y4532e/y4532e08.htm
7. ↑ https://hbr.org/2017/03/do-search-ads-really-work
8. ↑ https://www.wordstream.com/articles/what-is-google-adwords
9. ↑ https://blog.hootsuite.com/google-ads/
10. ↑ https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2021/03/12/three-reasons-you-should-be-advertising-on-social-media-in-2021/?sh=a9292833f525
11. ↑ [v161575_b01]. 30 September.
12. ↑ https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2021/03/12/three-reasons-you-should-be-advertising-on-social-media-in-2021/?sh=4116e8e83f52
13. ↑ https://www.inc.com/peter-roesler/new-study-shows-deals-promotions-affect-every-part-of-shopping-experience.html
14. ↑ https://www.wsj.com/articles/online-influencers-tell-you-what-to-buy-advertisers-wonder-whos-listening-11571594003
15. ↑ https://hbr.org/1995/05/do-rewards-really-create-loyalty
16. ↑ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/227442337_The_Effects_of_Free_Sample_Promotions_on_Incremental_Brand_Sales
17. ↑ https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/15774-tips-for-hiring-a-marketing-company.html
18. ↑ [v161138_b01]. 26 February 2019.
19. ↑ [v161138_b01]. 26 February 2019.
20. ↑ [v161138_b01]. 26 February 2019.