How to sell a new product on the market. Modern methods of product promotion. Effective modern methods of promoting goods and services

In this article, you will learn:

  • What are the main methods of promoting a product to the market
  • What methods of promoting a product to the market are right for you
  • How to correctly apply the method of product promotion to the market

The modern market is oversaturated with goods and services, both domestic and imported. The task of bringing a new product to marketplaces is not easy and very costly, and it also takes a lot of time. However, marketers and marketing agencies have reliable technologies and methods to market a product.

The main methods of promoting a product to the market

The main tool that comes to mind when it comes to finding ways to market products is advertising. But you need to keep in mind that it is not an independent activity, but one of the marketing tools and should be used in conjunction with other technologies in order to mutually reinforce each other's action.

Marketing campaigns aimed at bringing a product to the market can take many forms, but they will necessarily use basic promotion methods, without which it is impossible to implement an integrated marketing strategy. These include:

  • advertising;
  • direct marketing;
  • telemarketing;
  • press information;
  • relationship marketing;
  • sales support;
  • printed materials.

An integrated approach to promoting goods and services implies that all elements of the campaign act in concert, enhancing the effect of each other. For example, a returnable coupon promotion (which confirms the postage and encourages the consumer to send in their response) is usually combined with direct mail, and then a telemarketing program is launched.
In principle, each of these methods separately - mailing, print advertising, telemarketing - are also effective, but not to the same extent as their complex application.

More about methods of promoting goods and services on the market

Advertising.

If you have a sufficient budget and a well-designed media plan (you have chosen the channels that provide the most effective advertising campaign), then you can use advertising as the only method of promoting your product to the market.
In this case, it will perform several tasks, namely:

  • inform the consumer about the new product;
  • clearly show the advantages that distinguish this product from analogues offered by the market;
  • stimulate curiosity, whet initial interest and motivate the consumer to learn more about this product.

The success of an advertising-only program to launch a new product will be determined by the volume of financial investments and the reasonableness of the use of these funds.


But if you add other marketing practices and methods of promoting a product to the market to advertising, then it will be possible to apply it more narrowly: to achieve specific goals set by the strategic program. This will significantly increase the effectiveness of the campaign and allow more economical and efficient budget spending.

Therefore, advertising, among other methods, is usually included in integrated product promotion programs. Those forms, types and channels are selected that are best suited for solving the assigned tasks.
You can apply ads in a variety of ways:

  1. Make it a means of direct contact with the target audience (for example, provide consumers with the opportunity to quickly respond by sending a return coupon with an order, calling, requesting additional information, etc.). This is usually carried out nationwide and is a stage preceding direct or telemarketing campaigns (for this, “leads” must be received - a customer base is formed).
  2. The same, but on a narrower - regional - scale. The resulting customer insights are then used in local counterparty activities to promote product sales.
  3. Apply as part of a product promotion campaign in selected regions. In this case, potential buyers are not only asked to leave their data, but also financially stimulated.

This makes advertising a much more flexible and effective way to bring products to market.
One of the popular marketing tools is direct marketing. It is used in cases where it is necessary to increase the effect of using other methods of promotion, but it can also perform other functions and be used in a very diverse way.

For example, direct mail is often an excellent substitute for traditional advertising in the press or other media, since it is targeted and allows you to reach only the desired market segments. In addition, it can be used as a channel for subsequent contacts with the target audience, namely the part that became interested in the product and requested detailed information about it.


Direct marketing, by the way, is an excellent method of building and maintaining long-term customer relationships. As part of an integrated marketing campaign, it also increases its effectiveness.
At the first stage of a campaign to promote a service or product on the market, direct marketing can be combined with consumer advertising to solve the following tasks:

  • Continue the Direct Response campaign by collecting key data from interested leads that could serve as a customer base for future direct marketing campaigns.
  • Develop differentiated offers for different groups of potential buyers who took part in the first promotion.
  • Reach other markets or target market segments in an ongoing marketing campaign.
  • Attract those segments and niches of the market with which it is impossible to establish contact in other ways, and influence them more often or aggressively.
  • Strengthen the advertising campaign through special marketing activities in the future.

Telemarketing

A method of promoting a product to the market, such as telemarketing, is used in conjunction with traditional advertising or direct marketing. The goal may be to collect data from potential customers and inform them. More specific tasks solved by telemarketing are diverse:

  • conclusion of transactions by phone (in fact, these are the same direct sales);
  • building good relationships with existing customers;
  • development and release of new products based on the needs of customers (for this, relationships must be established with them);
  • selection of the most promising "leads" from the general client base, for which the mailing is done;
  • carrying out promotional activities following the direct marketing program;
  • the return of departed customers (usually by offering them other products that they may be interested in);
  • processing the database of "cold" contacts received through advertisements, using direct marketing, from intermediaries;
  • market research, studying the response of the target audience (through polls, reviews) to the product or the measures that the company is taking to sell it;
  • maintaining contact with potential customers (relationship marketing).


Telemarketing is also a convenient way to get any interesting information from consumers in order to analyze it and use it to plan and implement further marketing programs.

Press information

This set of actions is one of the classic public relations methods used in large PR campaigns. For example, it can be sponsoring entertainment or sports events. It increases the awareness of the target audience about the activities of the company, strengthens its reputation. In parallel with this work, direct marketing and advertising campaigns are being conducted, focused on promoting the brand as a whole and getting a direct response from consumers.

Sales support

Through advertising and direct marketing as part of an integrated marketing program, the firm collects "leads" to potential customers. In the future, this information will be needed by the sales staff.
Many companies are introducing telemarketing, a method of promoting a product to the market, for convenient and modern management of ongoing interaction with potential customers, and this significantly increases sales efficiency.
It is very important to provide managers with timely information about the product or service being promoted on the market and about the current market situation. This will make their work more productive.
The sales support program includes the following measures:

  • direct support of sales staff (wholesale and retail);
  • informing sellers about specific products (creating instructions, manuals);
  • preparation of standard and individualized presentations for each market segment;
  • informing about advertising and marketing activities for the promotion of goods that are being carried out at the moment;
  • providing information about competitors.

Relationship Marketing

This method works with a base of "cold" contacts of potential buyers, which was collected through advertisements or direct marketing.
In addition, relationship marketing is a great way to maintain and strengthen relationships between sellers and customers, increasing customer loyalty.
Relationship marketing as part of a comprehensive marketing campaign to promote a product or service on the market performs a range of functions:

  • strengthens control over regular customers;
  • keeps the base of existing clients;
  • generates a constant, clearly planned information flow;
  • strengthens customer loyalty.

Printed materials

As a rule, the publication of information and image materials in print media is not part of an integrated marketing campaign to promote a product on the market. However, it is the most important method of enterprise communication policy that cannot be ignored.


Publications in the media are necessary to solve such problems as:

  • strengthening the brand image;
  • informing the target audience about the points of sale of the product, its characteristics and advantages;
  • maintenance of trade events (as an auxiliary method).

Any businessman knows that the correct assessment and understanding of his products by customers leads to an increase in sales revenue. The task of a communicative marketing policy is to promote the goods of a manufacturer or entrepreneur. How is the product distributed on the market and through whom? What are the ways to successfully sell a product?

Promotion - an action that is aimed at increasing the effectiveness of sales through a certain communicative stimulation of customers, contractors, partners and employees. It pursues the following goals: increasing consumer demand and maintaining a positive attitude towards the company. Product promotion carries out such important functions, as:

  • creating an attractive image of the enterprise: prestige, innovations, low prices;
  • communicating information about products, including their characteristics, to end consumers;
  • preservation of the relevance of the product (service);
  • motivation of all participants in the product distribution chain;
  • transformation of the usual perception of products;
  • dissemination of information about the reliability of the company;
  • promotion of high-value goods.

The combination of all these functions can be called a complex. That is, a complex for promoting trade items is a kind of generalization of marketing tools and techniques that guarantee the delivery of information about the entrepreneur's products to end consumers. Such a set of actions consists of different methods of product promotion.

Promotion methods Are certain marketing techniques, means and tools that are used in order to achieve the goal of increasing sales. They are considered an integral part of a well-formed and competent advertising strategy for products or a company's communication policy. There are a sufficient number of methods for promoting a product in marketing, among them there are some that are especially popular.

Basic methods of product promotion - 4 components of a marketing campaign

Promotion method 1. Advertising

Advertising is a specific type of communication achieved by the commercial dissemination of information with a clear indication of the source of funding. You need to understand that advertising in general and it as a marketing tool are two different techniques.

An important function of advertising in the second case is to inform potential consumers about the manufacturer's new products. An entrepreneur can spend a lot of money on various promotional campaigns, but if he is not popular with buyers, then it is quite difficult to implement it.

  • validity;
  • analysis of the proposed subject of trade.

When a person does not find the specified provisions in the information about a product, then the profit from advertising will most likely come to naught. The arguments by which an entrepreneur can interest consumers in his product are divided into the following types.

  • Subjective - this is the emotional mood that appears from watching advertising (for example, after the video about the juice "Fruit Garden").
  • Objective - this is the specificity of the product (for example, advertising tablets "Mezim").

Communication with customers through advertising must be exclusive and distinct from the presentation of competitive product information. Uniqueness can be associated with the product, with the scenario of the communication block or the target audience using this product. The consumer should be provided with a special product, otherwise one should not count on successful sales.

If a potential buyer remembered your advertisement, then it conveyed certain information to him, which expresses the value and effectiveness of the campaign undertaken. According to the level of perception, there are three types of information used in product promotion .

  • Demanded information that is available, understandable and quickly remembered... You don't need to spend a lot of money for this kind of data dissemination. The ad will work even if you submit a multiple line ad to the newspaper. So, the target audience in the form of students will find information about writing essays and term papers without much difficulty.
  • Random information that is not remembered or stored in memory with great difficulty... Consumers associate this type of information with the advertising medium. That is, the future buyer must understand that even if he needed this or that product or service, he can find it there. For example, most customers who decide to replace old windows with new ones realize that they will find many offers in free advertising publications. Accordingly, the task of the window seller is to regularly submit advertisements to newspapers freely distributed among consumers.
  • Unnecessary information that the consumer ignores or annoys him... There are products designed for a narrow target audience, an overabundance of advertising for such items can make other people nervous. Sometimes the seller does not know which customer needs his product, and which one will be unhappy with the information he often comes across.

When a person consciously comes to the understanding that he needs the advertised product, he makes a decision and buys it. The goal of marketing is to correctly establish the target audience and create a tool for communicating information about a particular product.

You do not need to make every effort and force to buy your product, you need to correctly approach the formation of a communication campaign that leads the consumer to a conscious purchase. Advertising methods of promoting goods are quite effective if you correctly apply the provisions of marketing.

Promotion method 2. Direct sales

Conducting a dialogue between the seller and the buyer, the purpose of which is to assist in the acquisition of products, is called direct sales. This method of promoting a product does not require cash investments and is considered the highest level of business activity formation, rather than providing any services or ordinary retail trade.

Even if all marketing conditions are met, but with a careless attitude to direct sales, the manufacturer will not be able to effectively promote his product. The secret of this type of implementation is that an ordinary seller does not just take orders, but becomes an initiative earner of transactions.

We do not recommend ignoring direct sales, as this can significantly reduce profits. For example, an entrepreneur chose a good location for a commercial outlet, took a high-quality product in demand for sale, but sellers communicate rudely with customers, are not interested in revenue, and, as a rule, the level of trading operations will be extremely low.

The initial function of personal sales is to transform a sales agent into a deal broker. The formation of this type of sales of goods consists of two main aspects.

  • Customer orientation... This method is aimed at identifying the needs of buyers and recommended ways to implement them.
  • Sales orientation. The method is considered offensive, as it is aimed at aggressively obtaining deals by any means.

The pros of personal selling:

  • personal attitude towards the consumer and the ability to give out all the information about the product;
  • minimum expenses that do not bring financial effect;
  • feedback from the consumer, allowing you to make changes and additions to advertising events.

The disadvantage of this method of product promotion is a high level of working costs. The more exclusive the product being sold, the more effective personal sales are.

This method of implementation brings good results when resolving the following marketing tasks: searching for potential consumers and information about the market, etc. Relying on competent personnel for product sales, an entrepreneur has the opportunity to effectively communicate with customers and quickly respond to changes in the market environment.

Promotion method 3. Propaganda

Propaganda - This is a procedure for the formation of reliable relationships with society by using free space and time in the media. The purpose of this tool is to create a favorable attitude towards the company in order to make the most effective communication actions in the future. Propaganda concerns the entire enterprise as a whole, and to conduct public advertising, it is necessary to possess a large amount of information about the company, including confidential information.

The most important propaganda mechanisms:

  • performances: company representatives should be active at the opening of various event events, delivering welcoming speeches at them;
  • events: conducting and participating in seminars, round tables, online meetings, press conferences, competitions, exhibitions, contests;
  • news: communicating good news about the company, its products, personnel to the media .;
  • publications: newsletters, brochures, reports, articles in newspapers and magazines and other materials that can be used as a means of influencing the markets for product promotion;
  • sponsorship: provision of material and financial assistance to accompany various events: sports, charitable and other significant for the public;
  • identification means: application of the company logo, business cards, uniforms for staff, uniform style of office interiors, promotion of advertising materials about the company, development of letterheads with its logo, etc.

The focus of the propaganda is addressed to the following subjects:

  • consumers: to create a trustworthy business card of products (including the environmental friendliness of the product) and the company's reputation, using the method of holding public events, promotions, advertising in the media, etc.;
  • counterparties: for the growth of the retail network, the involvement of new customers and partners through the organization of presentations, exhibitions, distribution of advertising, etc. Through events such as product presentation and contact with customers, you can get a double benefit for the company;
  • key journalists (radio, TV, Internet, press): for the free promotion of information data about new products, important events in the life of the company, using the method of holding press conferences, as well as distributing press releases, etc .;
  • state and municipal authorities and administration: to participate in public and social projects and sponsorship of cultural events, etc.

Promotional activities are developed and carried out in several stages.

  1. Defining tasks.
  2. Selection of means of communication.
  3. Organization of appeals.
  4. Implementation of activities.
  5. Analysis of the results.

One pattern can be identified: propaganda prevails over advertising with a high level of market monopolization. Otherwise, according to the commercial results, the activities of the first will give less efficiency compared to the second campaign. In any case, propaganda loses to advertising in promoting goods.

Promotion method 4. Promotion of sales

The use of certain tools that are designed to fuel the interest of the target audience in response to various activities within the boundaries of marketing and communication strategies is called sales promotion. This is another tactic for revitalizing the business process.

Sales promotion is an instrument of short-term stimulation of the market, which is not able to guarantee either stable demand for products or attracting new regular customers. But an entrepreneur can get results much faster from such a maneuver than from other methods of product promotion.

Incentive tools include: brochures, diagrams, presentations, posters, souvenirs, advertising inside product packaging, calendars, exhibitions, catalogs, stickers, tables, etc.

The focus of this sales promotion tactic is addressed to the following entities.

  • How to grab a buyer’s attention: statistics on the main channels

Subject

goal

Methods

Buyers

To purchase more items

promotions aimed at promoting new products;

various contests;

distribution of free samples (probes);

games, lotteries;

demonstration of products by the promoter;

loyalty programs (discount card, discount for repeat purchase, etc.).

Contractors

To influence the number of transactions in the direction of their increase

competent staff training;

provision of campaign materials and related trade equipment;

provision of information, legal and other services;

implementation of a competition based on sales results.

Sales staff

to motivate employees to attract more customers, as well as to improve the quality of service

material motivation in the form of accrual of bonuses, payment of bonuses;

moral encouragement in the form of awarding certificates, gratitude;

holding competitions among sales managers;

payment for travel vouchers for employees who have no comments from the administration of the company;

conducting training, retraining, advanced training, treatment of employees at the expense of the enterprise.

12 promotional techniques that will lift even dead sales

Do you already use additional and cross-selling, regularly hold promotions, offer “locomotive” goods, but the average check is not growing? Try to implement non-trivial methodsthat will attract the attention of even indifferent customers and motivate them to buy. You will learn them from the article of the electronic magazine "Commercial Director".

What determines the applied methods of promoting the company's goods

  1. Promotion campaign goals

The impact of promotion goals on the selected methods can be summarized as follows. If the enterprise is faced with the task of generating information about new products, then the priority should be given to advertising, and not to other types of marketing.

If the goal is to bring detailed characteristics of a long-term product, then it is preferable to use personal sales and a sales promotion method to further attract buyers to retail outlets, while advertising should be used in moderation.

  1. Target market characteristics

The choice of methods for promoting goods is influenced by the prevalence of economic relations of the enterprise, as well as their geographic and socio-economic characteristics. If the market is small, then personal selling is the best way to sell. If the products are sold within a limited region, then your method of promoting the product is local media. If on a national scale - national mass media.

  1. Product characteristics

The method of promotion is also influenced by the characteristics of the product. To promote technical goods, it is better to use personal sales; products intended for a mass consumer - advertising campaigns; seasonal products - increased sales and sales promotion techniques.

It is sometimes impractical to have a full-time staff of sales managers throughout a calendar year, since it is not always necessary to apply the personal sales method.

  1. Product life cycle stage

The choice of product promotion methods depends on what stage of the life cycle a particular product is at. It is good to accompany the stage of entering the market of a new technical product with personal sales and sales promotion, and for items of everyday demand - with advertising campaigns.

During the stagnation stage, marketers tend to cut back on the promotion of the old product. Communicative information blocks are no longer as effective tool as they were at the time of product introduction. In this case, it is better to use the method of direct sales and sales promotion.

  1. Price

The cost of goods has a significant impact on the choice of the method of their promotion. Increasing personal sales will require high-priced products, and advertising tactics are great for inexpensive products.

  1. Method application

The choice in the application of one or another method of product promotion depends on its delivery to the target audience. So, for example, at the state level there may be a ban on advertising of a particular product (alcohol, tobacco). The aggravation of the problem is observed when promoting goods for export.

Effective modern methods of promoting goods and services

Promotion method 1. BTL events

The concept below the line (from English - "below the line") carries a full range of practical activities. The term arose by chance: the director of an American firm had to approve a budget for an advertising campaign that included classic media coverage.

The manager considered that such events would not be enough and, under the line of existing costs, added by hand additional costs for distributing free samples of goods, promotional coupons for participating in contests and receiving gifts.

In modern reality, the buyer enjoys having a wide assortment when purchasing the things he needs, since he has unlimited access to a large set of goods and services. For a person, the ability to choose, meeting needs, personal positioning, the need for participation in the creation of new public goods is important.

If the target audience of the manufacturer consists of such buyers, then each time it becomes more and more difficult to develop an effectively selling product. This is why new methods play a big role in promoting a product to ensure customer loyalty. After all, they guarantee bringing a unique product to a specific buyer. BTL services have all of the above qualities, and therefore, they are actively developing in the Russian Federation.

The main tools used in the BTL field:

  • competition - a procedure for promoting a product, as a result of which buyers perform a specific task, show their knowledge and skills in order to pick up the prize of the competition;
  • presentation - presenting a product with a demonstration of its characteristics and specifics;
  • tasting - providing an opportunity for future consumers to taste the product;
  • distribution of advertising and informational materials (leaflets, discount coupons) - the offer of special tools to stimulate sales or the design of advertising at retail outlets, which would allow actively selling the promoted product right in the store.
  • sampling - distribution of samples (probes) of the advertised product;
  • lottery - an event during which a winner is randomly determined;
  • premium (a present for the purchase of a product) - product promotion through the introduction of a special offer.

Promotion method 2. Telemarketing

One of the new methods of product promotion, used in addition to advertising or direct sales, can be used both as programs for finding information and for distributing it. This method performs the following tasks:

  • networkingwith regular customers ;
  • highlighting real "pickups"from publicly available mailing lists;
  • direct sales future buyers by phone;
  • using relationships for the production of a new product;
  • hosting an event after implementing direct selling programs;
  • further work with sales leadsthat were attracted through advertisements, direct selling events or through intermediaries;
  • establishing contacts with customers within the boundaries of the marketing relationship program;
  • attracting recoiling consumers by offering them new products that arouse their interest;
  • marketing research, and the use of various surveys and surveys to further assess customer response to new products.

On the basis of this method of product promotion, it is possible to obtain a variety of information from the participants, conduct their analysis, and also use information bases for the development and implementation of further marketing programs.

Promotion method 3. Event marketing

This is a set of implemented measures to support the image of the enterprise and manufactured goods, to promote the brand through unforgettable and bright events. That is, with the help of certain actions, the company contacts its customers, which, in turn, creates a favorable company image and consumer interest. The types of event marketing activities are presented below.

  • Special events (special events): advertising tours, festivals, sports competitions, organizing city holidays, awards, actions for the media. Such events are favorable for the creation of the company's image, as well as for the formation of brand reliability. As a rule, after a successful event, a positive response from the target audience follows in the form of increased loyalty to the company and a pronounced interest in the product produced by regular and potential buyers.
  • Events for partners, dealers and distributors (trade events). Such events are of both business and entertainment nature, for example: presentation, round table, reception, seminar, congress, conference, forum. The purpose of such actions is to visually demonstrate the positive qualities of products, bring the latest goods or services to consumers, exchange experiences, find new partners, etc.
  • Corporate events (corporate events): celebrating state and professional holidays, company jubilees, employees' birthdays, joint weekend with the team. Such events allow the director of the enterprise to become a more authoritative and respected leader for his subordinates, effectively convey the ideas of the company's administration to each employee, and show the care and attention of the management to the personnel.

Promotion method 4. Children's marketing

Children have long been recognized as full-fledged and special consumers, and, as a result, such a method of product promotion as children's marketing has appeared. To develop such strategies aimed at the younger generation audience, it is necessary to deeply study its specifics.

A manufacturer of children's goods should focus on the needs of schoolchildren and younger children, as well as on the perception of the world through the eyes of a little person. For such marketing, it is important not only the quality and appearance of products, but also the packaging, as well as the methods used to promote and distribute the goods.

Children's needs change with the psychological and physiological growth of the child. This category of the population gives an instant reaction to any social and social changes; marketers successfully use this feature when developing and promoting children's products. Consider why the younger generation is an extremely attractive target audience for marketing:

  • children are very emotional when buying goods that are interesting to them, they easily say goodbye to money;
  • often the guys independently manage their pocket money;
  • children have influence over parents who buy many items for them;
  • the child, as a rule, retains an interest in a certain brand of a product for a long time;
  • children spend a lot of time watching TV, and, accordingly, advertising.

The children's audience is more often represented not by buyers, but by users. The product for the child is purchased by the elders, but the role of the child in making a purchase decision is significant. Parents listen to the desires of the child, assist in choosing a particular brand. As a result, when the final decision on the purchase of a children's product is voiced by a child, it was made under the influence of the opinion of adults. Manufacturers and marketers that rely on children's marketing need to understand this.

Promotion method 5. Promotions

To become more famous, companies organize various show programs and presentations, sponsor social events, city holidays, competitions, festivals, where they widely conduct advertising campaigns and distribute free samples of goods.

The manufacturer is interested in the quick response of the consumer to actions to promote the sale of a new product. Today, promotions are the most effective method of product promotion, it is not surprising that the number of promotional events has increased.

It is important not only to show the buyer a new product, you need to do it brightly, boldly, with high quality. Such promotions should be approached responsibly, it is necessary to purchase materials, regulate transport support, order souvenirs, invite the media for viewing the event, arrange price lists, catalogs, brochures, leaflets, business cards, invitation cards, etc. in advance.

Decide which of the staff will actively offer your product to customers. Promoters are professionals who advertise products who must have the skills of cultural communication with potential consumers. The activity of promoting products directly depends on their professionalism.

Promotion method 6. Merchandising

Merchandising refers to new methods of promoting products. Techniques of this kind can completely replace the ordinary seller. This technique attracts the buyer to the product right at the point of sale.

The main goal of merchandising is to make products easily accessible and attractive, as well as to simplify the procedure for purchasing them. The functions of the method are:

  • control over the availability of goods on the shelves of outlets, taking into account the popularity of certain items;
  • organization of sales points and their supply with all necessary materials;
  • provision of display and location of products, i.e. presentation of specific products.

It is first necessary to create a commensurate stock of goods, and then they are placed in retail outlets in a certain range and volume. In merchandising, it is extremely important to correctly select and place promotional materials, such as:

  • price tags,
  • stands,
  • booklets,
  • coin boxes,
  • posters,
  • suspended and floor models of products.

Display of goods (exposure) is considered one of the most important methods of merchandising.

Exposition is a procedure for placing products on specialized trade equipment. If the display of the goods is made in places that are striking to the potential buyer, and the packaging of the items itself has a presentable appearance, then the sales of such products grow quite quickly.

Promotion method 7. Packaging

The appearance of a product should not be underestimated as it plays a large communicative role in marketing.

Package is a kind of product shell, which is a progressive and independent form of promotion. It can be used as a tool for presenting and communicating information sent through marketing communications. In modern conditions, packaging is a significant means of influence through which the manufacturer communicates with customers.

Due to the fact that most of the outlets are focused on self-service, the role of the outer shell is great and has a significant impact on the degree of product promotion on the market. Packaging should attract the buyer to the product, convey its features and characteristics, assure the consumer about the quality of the product, create a good impression, etc.

An important role is played by increasing the income of buyers. As the prosperity of consumers rises, the willingness to pay for quality, reliability, brand, convenience, including improved packaging, also grows.

The manufacturer himself understands that good packaging helps in advertising a product, in brand recognition. A creative and innovative approach to packaging design also benefits the manufacturer in promoting the product, and allows the designer of the company to carry out their creative ideas.

Promotion Method 8. Kinomerchandising

When designing and developing packaging, the manufacturer often focuses on one or another film or cartoon character, as well as on any items that are widely used by them. It is extremely effective to use film brands in the product market.

Against the background of a certain figure of a character from the film, promoting a product gives a certain advantage to the manufacturer. This reduces the cost of launching new products and significantly reduces the time for new products to enter the market.

Due to the fact that on-screen characters are widely known and recognizable, consumers will more quickly remember trademarks that use film brands to promote their goods.

Cinema chandising example (Hulk figure in a shopping center, Bangkok)

Expert opinion

Features of promotion using event marketing

Sergey Knyazev,

general producer of the Knyazev group of companies, Moscow

When there is a need to increase sales throughout all of Russia, then you need to hold a mega-event in the capital of the country, which would cause a resonance in the federal media, or organize a number of actions in the largest cities of Russia. The budget of measures to stimulate the sale of products in the country will be 25-100 million rubles, for the promotion of goods in a particular region - 2-20 million rubles.

The main items of expenditure: coordination of events with the city administration, finding a venue for their holding, elaboration of a script, technical support (light, sound, monitors, special effects, etc.), preparation of props, costumes, decorations, inviting media, artists, well-known public people, etc. We must not forget about secondary costs, depending on the specific theme of the action.

It is not at all difficult to determine and record the result: set the level of sales before and after the event. The totals can be calculated both in percentage terms and in units of goods sold. Applications are a good indicator, evaluate the number of orders for a product (service) before and after the event.

Perform a survey of sales representatives and dealers of your company, they will more than anyone else see changes in the increase in demand for your product. For example, our company organized a fireworks festival to consolidate the Sharp brand in the market.

The festival attracted half a million audience, various media covered the event in their publications. After the big holiday, many retailers selling the products of this manufacturer saw a sharp rise in sales of Sharp products. The result of this event persisted for quite a long time.

The main methods of promoting goods on the Internet

  1. Creating your own website

Almost any company has its own web resource, the address of which it actively distributes on the Internet. On the site you can find a full amount of information about the work of the enterprise, prices for products or services, contact information, etc. Often a web resource is made in the form of an online store. Within its framework, a potential client is invited to choose one or another product, see the characteristics declared for it, consumer reviews, buy products with home delivery. Modern sites are equipped with a callback ordering service.

  1. SEO optimization

SEO optimization is a set of actions that are used to increase the rating of a company's website when indexing its content by well-known search engines such as Google, Yandex, Rambler and others. The purpose of this technique is to increase the number of visits to the company's website and, accordingly, the number of future buyers.

  1. Banner advertising

Banner and contextual advertising is a fairly effective method of promoting goods on the Internet. An ad in the form of a banner, that is, a graphic drawing with a link to the company's web page, posted on resources with a large number of visitors, is extremely effective for product promotion.

Such popular and active sites, in addition to bringing useful content to people, are large advertising platforms used by various companies to promote their products. Such information attracts potential consumers, arouses interest in a new unique product, thereby provoking their purchase.

  1. contextual advertising

This type of advertising is also widely used to promote a product. It works effectively and quite simply: information about your company or a new product is displayed on specialized sites, the target audience of which coincides with the topic of the advertised product.

  1. Viral marketing

Viral marketing is about actively spreading the information you need over the Internet. In a couple of hours, a huge number of users can find out about your product or a planned event. This method of product promotion is widely used by entrepreneurs.

The effectiveness of this technique does not need to be proven. The main advantage of the method: no cash costs, since information goes to the people without the involvement of specialized advertising agencies. A person who has received such an advertisement is in advance favorable to it due to the fact that it came from the same user.

  1. Social networks

SMM promotion is an excellent method of promoting a product on social networks. These Internet platforms contain a huge number of users, therefore, by advertising itself and its products using SMM, the company will surely find a target audience that will increase its sales of one or another product. Marketing on social media is long-term and completely free.

  1. Email newsletter

E-mail newsletter is also a popular and effective method of product promotion. Messages with product advertisements are sent to the email addresses of Internet users. These emails contain information about upcoming events, contests, discounts, promotions, bonuses, etc.

Companies using this method of product promotion should not forget that users must first agree to receive such a mailing.

  • How to Avoid Spam: 10 Secrets of Good Email Marketing

Expert opinion

Free ads can be better than paid ads

Kirill Redin,

general Director of the trading and production company "Octopus-DV", Khabarovsk

In 2011, our company developed high-quality selling texts and distributed them on such free advertising platforms as "From Hand to Hand", "Price Pulse", "Products and Services", etc. Sales increased 3-4 times, which was about thirty doors in a month. During this experimental period, we did not submit any advertising other than in free publications.

Previously, we searched for buyers in chats of construction sites, where users shared with each other successes and failures in repairs, the choice of materials, brand ratings, etc. The manager of our company began a correspondence and talked about the high-quality inexpensive doors that he installed at home. ... Entering such dialogues on 25-30 specialized sites, we were able to sell 4-8 doors per week.

Disadvantages.Time spent. At least one supervisory specialist is required.

What are the methods of promoting goods to the market with minimal costs

Method 1. Shows

A great way to advertise your company among competitors and consumers is to participate in an exhibition. You do not need to rent an expensive site or set up a stand for this. Think about how you can creatively and effectively take part in the exhibition, while getting the maximum amount of data on potential partners and clients, as well as making yourself known.

Carefully review the invitation of the organizers of the exhibition and its location, look for a low-budget way to demonstrate your activities. It is enough just to place the name of the company in the event catalog or on the website. You can rent a couple of square meters at the entrance to the exhibition, hire a teenager who will distribute tasty or useful little things, accompanying them with business cards with the contact details of your company.

Method 2. Press releases

A good way to promote your product is to issue weekly press releases about your business. You should not make them very voluminous, enough text on half an A4 sheet, accompanied by several key phrases about the company.

Informative reasons for press releases about the company should be sought throughout the week. Organize a data collection and processing scheme. Submit articles about the company in all possible ways: websites, corporate publication for regular customers, newsletters, advertisements on the trading floor, etc.

You can register your message free of charge in the press release catalogs. Be actively involved in sending company news to various publications in your area, both print (newspapers, magazines) and online media.

Method 3. Cases

Cases are called success-stories or case-studies, they differ from each other in nature, but the essence is the same - to demonstrate to people of your target audience using a specific example of solving their difficulties. It is better to write the story according to the schemes: “problems solutions effectiveness "," unsatisfactory great AFTER ". Such stories are interesting to users.

Plots should not be presented automatically and dryly, they should be humanized. You need to write stories in simple language, imagine that you are addressing the story to your friend. The main thing in such narratives is not to set the goal of increasing sales, you just report some events and show how you got out of this or that situation, while the other person is suffering. In this case, you do not impose information, you share with it.

Method 4. Reviews

It is imperative to collect feedback from your customers from the moment you first started doing business. If your client is a well-known business, then cite him as an example in your advertising campaigns.

Sales Generator

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Every entrepreneur knows: if his product is correctly evaluated and understood by the consumer, then the proceeds from its sale will grow. Marketing is needed to promote products. In our today's article we will look at how products are distributed on the market and through whom, as well as what methods of product promotion exist.

In this article, you will learn:

  1. Old ways that bring real results
  2. Modern product promotion on the verge of shocking
  3. Different and effective ways to promote your product on the Internet
  4. Social media promotion methods

Classic ways to market a product

By means of promoting a product on the market, we mean certain activities aimed at making sales more effective. Such events involve a communicative impact on partners, consumers and staff.

You need to promote a product in order to maintain the company's reputation and increase demand for products. Promotion allows:

  • to form an image of prestige, innovation and low prices;
  • provide consumers with information about products;
  • change the standards of her perception;
  • to maintain the popularity of services and products;
  • increase the popularity of high-value goods and services;
  • to stimulate the distribution system and its participants;
  • to spread favorable information about the company.

Modern marketing divides ways to promote a product into such four kinds:

Direct sales or personal

The basis of this method of product promotion is oral communication with the client in order to convince him of the need to purchase a product / service. This method does not require investment.

The level of business organization using the direct sales method is high, in contrast to the provision of personal services or banal retail trade. If you do not develop direct sales, then this will lead to a drop in sales volumes, even if all other marketing conditions are met.

The essence of personal sales is as follows: they require an ordinary operator taking orders to transform into an active sales manager.

Personal selling as a way to promote products has the following advantages:

  • individual approach to the client, providing him with a large amount of information;
  • customer feedback, making it possible to adjust the entire advertising campaign;
  • costs that do not bring financial results are minimal.

It takes a lot of turnover costs to promote a product in this way, and this is its disadvantage. The efficiency of personal sales is highest when the seller has an exclusive product.

Advertising as a way to promote a product

Advertising is needed to inform customers about the company's activities and consumer properties of the product. It must be viewed from this very position. No advertising, even prestigious and very expensive, will help sell a product if its relevance and demand among consumers is very low.

There is a dependence of product promotion on the content of the advertising message. It should be a highly unique trade message (“Buy our products and get a specific benefit”).

There are usually three types of advertising perception in marketing:

  1. Information is in demand, it is distinguished by comprehensibility, accessibility and ease of memorization.
  2. Information is random, it is problematic to remember it.
  3. Information is unnecessary, irritating to consumers and therefore ignored by them.

When a consumer understands that he needs an advertised product, he is ready to make a purchase. This is the way to promote a product through advertising.

Sales promotion

This is a collection of various events, the task of which is to promote a product. The target audience for sales promotion are as follows:

1) Buyers. Customers are encouraged to purchase more items using the following methods:

  • loyalty programs;
  • games, lotteries, contests;
  • promotional product demonstrations;
  • promotions for new product names;
  • free provision of product samples.

2) Contractors. They are encouraged to increase the volume of trade. Sales can be stimulated in the following forms:

  • train sales personnel;
  • provide equipment for trade and promotional materials;
  • authorized leadership, holding competitions based on sales results;
  • you can provide related services (informational, in the field of jurisprudence).

3) Sales staff. Salespeople are encouraged to do their best to attract new customers and improve their service. You can stimulate:

  • materially (bonuses, bonuses), morally (gratitude, certificates);
  • arranging competitions in terms of sales volume between employees;
  • paying employees who work flawlessly for vacations (a ticket to a sanatorium / resort);
  • compensating the costs of treatment, training and retraining of workers.

Propaganda

It is a way of interacting with society that does not involve personal contact or payment. That is, demand is stimulated by the dissemination of commercial information, as well as image information, both through intermediaries and independently. The goal of propaganda is to attract the attention of potential customers without spending money on an advertising campaign.

Advocacy is carried out through the following tools:

  • events (online meetings, press conferences, contests, competitions, etc.);
  • publications (newsletters, ready-made reports, articles in newspapers and magazines, brochures, etc.);
  • news (positive feedback on products in local media);
  • identification means (room design, development of a unified style, multicolor stamps, watermarks, etc.);
  • sponsorship (material and financial assistance in organizing and holding sports events, as well as charitable).


Submit your application

The addressees for these tools:

  1. Contractors.
  2. Consumers.
  3. Municipal and state authorities.
  4. Key journalists.

It has long been not new ways of promoting goods, but bringing real results

A good effect can be obtained if you use in aggregate the methods of product promotion on the market presented below.

Telemarketing

  • direct telephone sales to potential customers;
  • establishing interaction with the existing audience;
  • leveraging relationships to bring new products to market;
  • selection of real "leads" from general mailing lists;
  • post-direct marketing activities;
  • returning disappointed customers by offering them new products that may interest them to a greater extent;
  • further work with sales leads, attracted by an advertisement, direct marketing event or through intermediaries;
  • conducting marketing research, evaluating customer response to new products or innovations in the field of sales through surveys and surveys;
  • networking with consumers through a relationship marketing program.

Telemarketing also makes it possible to receive various information from respondents and use the results obtained as a result of their analysis for organizing and implementing marketing activities in the future.

Merchandising

Merchandising is needed to make products easily accessible and attractive, and to make buying them easier. This promotion method has the following functions:

  • control over the availability of products on store shelves, tracking the popularity of certain products;
  • organization of points of sale and supplying them with all the necessary materials;
  • ensuring the display and location of products, that is, the presentation of specific product names.

The initial task is to create the necessary stock of goods, then you need to place them at points of sale in a certain range and volume. In merchandising, the correct choice and location of advertising materials (price tags, stands, brochures, coin boxes, posters, hanging and floor models of products) is very important.

One of the most important merchandising methods is product display (exposition).

The exposition is understood as the procedure for placing goods on specialized trade equipment. Product sales are boosted by displaying them in places that attract the attention of potential consumers. In addition, the presentability of the product packaging is very important.

Event marketing

Another name is creative marketing. But in reality, it is eventful, since it involves the promotion of products / services using events (events).

A striking example of Event marketing is the main music and technology festival Alfa Future People, held by Alfa Bank. Below is a link to a video from this event held in 2016. It is striking in its scope.

But what if your organization is not that big? Everything is easy enough! If possible, participate in various events, use event marketing to the maximum. For example, on a city day, you can distribute balloons with the company logo to people. It really works!

The owner of one coffee shop on the eve of the City Day prepared balloons with the logo of the establishment and distributed them to the kids who ran around the city with them all day. It should be noted that at the end of the holiday, many families with balloons came to this institution. They were given loyalty cards to keep in touch in the future.

Territorial marketing

This is a relatively new concept (appeared in 2002), meaning marketing in the interests of the territory. In simpler terms, area marketing aims to “sell” an area to potential clients in order to improve the lives of the people living on it.

The most famous examples of location marketing are advertising spending in order to increase the flow of tourists. For example, the cost of Greece for attracting tourists / advertising resorts is approximately 100 million euros per year.

A well-known domestic project of territorial marketing is the Sochi Olympiad. According to official statistics, investments in the construction and promotion of the Olympic Village amounted to approximately $ 52 million, the amount of income from the Games was approximately $ 80 million.

Modern ways of promoting goods on the verge of shocking

The following methods of promoting goods and services are now popular.

Guerrilla marketing

This method of promotion belongs to the low-budget. With the help of guerrilla marketing, you can organize effective promotion of a product / service, attract new customers and increase your income by making minimal investments or not investing at all.

This method is an alternative to TV and radio advertising, since it involves the use of inexpensive advertising media, various tricks and tricks.

Here are some types of guerrilla marketing:

  • Word of mouth

For example, one of the restaurants does not spend at all on advertising. The main expense is free lunches for hairdressers. Moreover, their quality, as well as the level of service, are quite high.

Everyone knows that usually people trust their hairdressers, makeup artists, stylists (after all, you cannot entrust your transformation to a stranger, especially women). They constantly communicate with clients, share news. It is not hard to guess that a free visit to the restaurant was also told.

  • Scandalous action

Guerrilla marketing can be effective even if it consists of a high-profile action that all the media will talk about. A good example is the advertising campaign of the cellular operator Tele2.

At the exhibition of cellular communications in St. Petersburg, promoters under his brand carried a coffin with the inscription "Dear communication". Naturally, people were shocked, and the promotion was subsequently broadcast by many media outlets.

  • Collaboration

In general, our opinion is that guerrilla, viral marketing that requires minimal investment is a partnership or, in a modern way, a collaboration.

For example, in a dentist's office, a company that manufactures toothpastes and mouth rinses posted an inscription on the ceiling: “You don't want to see this boring ceiling again? Our toothpaste will help you! " Everyone knows: sitting in a chair during dental treatment, people have to look at the ceiling.

Stars in advertising

The practice of inviting celebrities to advertise goods is widespread all over the world, including in our country. But not a single famous person can give you guarantees of sales growth and successful PR. You can find examples of both successful attracting stars to brand advertising, and not so.

Neither the world, nor the Russian practice has “win-win” options for celebrities. First, the stars are not very versatile. Everyone has a certain image, character, experience, which may not be associated with some brands and products.

Secondly, the work of the image of the star is rarely good in isolation from the creative idea. If the idea is weak, then even the most successful celebrity will not help to promote the brand. Third, attracting celebrities to marketing campaigns is like playing the lottery, in which you can not only hit a big jackpot, but also lose big.

The clip was shot in the style of the movie "Tron". The filming process was supervised by the son of the famous director Ridley Scott - Jake. The creator of "Gladiator" and "Alien" himself was the producer of the video, which he called "a dynamic short film."

Any celebrity is, first of all, a living person, so his behavior is unpredictable. An example of this is the situation with the Nike brand, which attracted the Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius to advertise its products.

Hidden advertising in cinema

There are many different hidden advertising mechanisms nowadays. It's safe to say that films are used to promote almost all types of goods. Nevertheless, the specificity of the countries also influences the content of product placement to some extent.

For example, in domestic films, up to 60% of hidden advertising is accounted for by food, followed by cosmetics (about 10%). The rest of the market belongs to cars, banking services, electronics, resorts, hotels, communications.

There is a rapid growth in the segment of the alcohol and tobacco market in product placement, since direct advertising of beer, spirits and tobacco is prohibited by Russian legislation.

For instance:

Such different and effective ways to promote products on the Internet

SEO

Almost all users visit the first three web resources of search results. Only 20-50% scrolls the first page to the end. If you want to attract users, then your site should be in the top ten. SEO optimization will help with this.

It involves correcting resource errors, editing its content taking into account key queries on your topic, often - changing the structure of the site and other important work, invisible to people, but taken into account by search engine bots.

Don't underestimate the importance of SEO by thinking that the content is for people and the bots will figure it out. SEO is now the main tool that you need to apply first, and then turn to other promotion methods.

Pros:

  • relatively low costs;
  • high conversion rate;
  • easy definition of the target audience;
  • almost complete absence of a negative effect;
  • increased traffic.

Minuses:

  • results can be obtained only after 3-6 months;
  • complex changes are required in the site root;
  • you need to constantly edit content;
  • it is necessary to take into account the high requirements of search engines.

contextual advertising

For example, citizen H decided to purchase a double boiler. He goes to the Yandex search engine, enters into the line "buy a double boiler". And a miracle happens: in the first place in the search results there is an advertisement for your best steamers.

Display advertising

These are exactly the banners that you want to turn on AdBlock when they appear. However, if they are bright, original and appear in a timely manner, then you want to click on them. This type of display advertising was initially rejected on the market, but new technologies have made it modern and quite effective.

Native advertising

This internet marketing tool is progressive and made in the form of interesting "live" content. Not everyone can even understand that they are facing native advertising, since it harmoniously fits into the content of the site / application.

These are special projects in popular publications, tests (for example, Buzzfeed with the test "How would you die in Game of Thrones?"), And useful information from your experts on external platforms, and brand demonstration in films.

Email marketing

This type of marketing is often ignored by companies because they don't want to send spam to their customers. However, e-mail newsletters are a great way to keep in touch with consumers, persuade them to purchase goods, increase loyalty, send information about upsells and special offers. But this is the case when working with mailing lists of high-level specialists.

Viral marketing

Since the inception of this way of promoting goods, there have been many positive examples of its use (for example, a Mercedes-Benz video with chickens or Jean-Claude Van Damme's epic twine in a Volvo Trucks commercial). However, such marketing does not always bring results, especially if the focus is on viral content.

Partnership programs

They imply business cooperation between the seller (firm) and the partner, under the terms of which the partner is entitled to a certain percentage or amount of the attracted customers if they perform a certain targeted action (at the discretion of the seller).

The principle is simple, and the work models are as follows: PPC (pay per click), CPA (cost per action), CPS (cost per sale). That is, leads in affiliate programs can be as follows: clicks, registrations, applications, orders, sales.

Ways to promote your product on social media

Ways to promote a product on Instagram

Instagram Is a convenient service that allows users to share photos and videos. Not so long ago, the attitude towards it was skeptical, but now it is considered as an excellent platform for posting ads. Users love bright images and short captions.

Service users can earn money, especially if their pages are popular. Young people are interested in browsing the accounts of their idols, so the cost of celebrity advertising posts is very high.

Ways to promote your product on Facebook

In the first case, the advertiser will need to set a daily budget and the cost of 1000 impressions. In the second, only targeted user actions are paid after the fact. Their price varies from 8 to 20 rubles, depending on the selected settings. You can pay for advertising with a bank card or using PayPal.

Ways to promote goods on Vkontakte

Until recently, Vkontakte was considered a network for schoolchildren. However, the developers, taking an example from other successful social networks in the field of advertising, decided to keep up.

We have developed our own targeting tool for Vkontakte. The source of information about users on Facebook and others is data on the IP address of the computer, and VK takes it from the information specified in the person's profile. What is the convenience?

A person who lives in the capital and has come to Barnaul for work for two days is unlikely to be interested in the novelties that have entered the Barnaul showrooms. Vkontakte shows users advertisements related to the settlements in which they live permanently.

As with other social media, VK allows you to place ads in various formats. Large images or community advertisements are popular. You can post ads yourself or through the administration of groups.

To advertise in the community, you need to pay from 200 rubles, the amount depends on the activity of users and the number of subscribers. For 200 rubles, you can publish an ad in a group with 50 thousand followers.

If the community has a million audience, then the placement price will be much higher. The cost of self-publishing is 6-10 rubles per 1000 impressions. It depends on the audience reach and the selected settings.

Unconventional ways to promote your product on the Internet

Virtual Reality Website

While developing advertising for the RAV4 car in South Africa, Toyota took into account the specifics of the target audience as much as possible. These are people with an active lifestyle, they are not afraid of off-road conditions, they love sports, they do not spend a lot of time at the computer. An unusual action with elements of virtual reality was organized for them.

Created a route for cyclists with a length of 1.8 km, which imitated the study of the site. The analogue of the cursor was the cyclist itself. The participants of the action stopped at various points of the route - the sections "Models", "Security", "Salon", "Design" and "Order a test drive".

Access to additional information was opened after hitting the "button" with a palm. Some of the elements were made of wood, and posters with information were also used. If a participant, finishing, hit the "Refresh" sign with his hand, then an invigorating shower was poured on him from the arch.

News of the unusual site spread quickly, with a 400% increase in traffic and a 433% increase in test drive requests.

Discount amount, which depends on weather conditions

In the cold season, the demand for Venus women's looms in Sweden dropped significantly. Then the company Gillette invited users to post on Instagram the riots of the elements captured in the photo, putting the hashtag of the action under them.

There was an automatic comparison of the weather conditions in the place from which the image was posted, with the weather observed there over the years. The lower the temperature was and the darker the sky, the more discount the user was offered to purchase a Venus machine.

An online store was the partner of the campaign. The winning author was awarded a trip to Miami.

Advertising in exchange for 10 metro rides

The largest Brazilian publishing house of pocket books LP&M organized an action in the metro. It consisted in placing stands at the entrance to the station with free books - masterpieces of world literature. A ticket for 10 rides was embedded in the cover of the books. Book lovers received free travel, which helped to improve their brand perception.

Those who were not attracted to reading could fall in love with books while they were carrying a travel book and become clients of LP&M. In addition, the “pass” was assigned a unique number, by which the ticket was “recharged” on the campaign website: a person entered the code and received 10 more trips (for example, to give the book to a friend).

The publishing house also implemented another idea of \u200b\u200bpromoting its products: it found the small format convenient and placed ads on its pockets! More precisely, on the lining of jeans pockets, by signing an agreement with a local manufacturer.

Excerpts from prose or poetry, as well as the logo of the publishing house were used as the advertising text. The campaign message was: "Great books can fit in your pocket." The project made it possible to increase traffic to the publisher's online store by 24%, and sales by 13%.


Low-budget marketing ... The dream of any business owner. And also a “dream” - if, at the same time, the recognition of the company (product) would grow exponentially ... and the sales curve would curve up steeper and steeper day by day.

But the reality is that marketing budgets ( advertising, PR - underline the necessary) are typeset by known only to the "layout designer" ( read - marketer, advertiser ...) laws ... And, with rare exceptions, they are a weak reflection of reality and the company's need for contacts with the target audience.

They say that the real professionalism of a marketer is to bring a company (product) to the market without a budget ... Well, or with the minimum necessary cash injections.

I don't know how true or controversial this statement is - I can hardly imagine Coca-Cola, Mars and Adidas in the market without budgets ... but still. The fact remains, and the realities of the market are such that not everyone has the budgets to pay for “layered” advertising campaigns. In addition, due to the still prevailing mentality of Russian business owners, skeptical and distrustful of their own marketing services, small and medium-sized businesses are not yet ready to part with money for advertising and other marketing communications ( for there is no clear understanding, "how will all this return to us ...").

So, what low-budget ways do you use to market your company or product?

I can offer you tools that I have used quite often in my practice, which have been tested by the market and have shown their effectiveness and which have helped me out more than once.

1. Barter. Many people don't like this word. Especially in accounting. I don't really like it myself. But I must admit that such a cooperation scheme is quite common in the Russian business segment, even among large and respected players (for example, such as Rosinter). Of course, if you have something to offer your potential partner. And, obviously, the value of your proposal for a partner should be no less than what you expect (ask) from him.

2. Exhibitions. Yes, your industry exhibitions are a good reason to promote yourself in your market among your partners and target audience. And no - you don't have to buy an expensive place and set up a stand. Be more creative - push the boundaries of your imagination. There are many other ways to make yourself known at a trade show, share your contacts and collect the ones you need.

Carefully study the offer of the organizer of the exhibition, the site where the exhibition will take place - look for opportunities for a low-budget "performance".

It can be just placement in the exhibition catalog, placement on the website, renting 2-3 square meters at the entrance to the exhibition, putting a girl / boy with the distribution of samples (or just some "goodies" -usefulness with your contacts), attachment to the package participant, organizing a photographer with instant printing of photos on a press-wall with your logos, and so on - come up with it! (by the way, such participation can also be closed by barter)

3. Internal events. I mean - your personal events for your target audience, for your potential clients. Create some useful event for your clients - what is their sore problem? What is their critical question that they usually pay money to answer?

Give them this answer for free! Perhaps in the form of a mini-seminar or micro-training for 4 hours, maybe - together with a representative of an authoritative opinion for them (for example, if this is medicine, then this can be the head physician of a serious clinic, if the trade is a manager of a large network, a head of a tax office, a top - bank manager, etc.).

You can agree to hold such a seminar with the owner of the premises, who is also interested in the audience that intersects with you, but is not a competitor for your services. For example, it can be a cafe, club or restaurant that is simply interested in visitors and sales of the kitchen and bar. In addition, in your preliminary PR campaign for recruiting listeners for your event, you will promote them, as well as in post-releases and reports after the seminar. Do not forget to mention this in negotiations with the site owner.

4. External activities. Many people forget about the most useful semi-informal parties or, on the contrary, professional “meetings” of their decision makers (persons who make decisions about cooperation) in the form of various chambers, clubs, communities, and so on.

Look - for sure there is a Chamber of Commerce and Industry in your city, which periodically hosts parties for CEO or CFO. Look for all sorts of trendy gimmicks, such as a mafia club for HR directors. For accountants, these can be seminars conducted by the local IFTS. Ask where CMOs hang out in your area (if, for example, you offer typography, design or ad placement services ...). Find out where the logistics directors live (if you're a courier or shipping company).

If your city is completely bored and poor decision makers stupidly go home after work - see the paragraph above: think for yourself! Your events. Finally create your own Mafia players club for ____ ( insert the position you need)! Your costs are the purchase or order of printing special cards, blindfolds and beautiful rules on A4 sheets!

Any restaurant in town will be happy to lend you a room on Wednesday evenings with this theme. Moreover, it is not necessary to make such evenings free. Freebies are relaxing. And the mafia club requires discipline ( read the rules in the net). Therefore, take from the players for 100-500 rubles. for the evening (the amount should be such that it can be parted with painlessly, and the value received in return at times overlapped such a “loss” from the wallet).

5. Press releases. Make it a habit to issue press releases every Tuesday about your company's activities. Releases should not be large and voluminous - make text on 1/2 of the printed sheet plus a couple of key sentences about the company.

Look for news feeds within the company all week! Establish a system for collecting and processing news and, in general, everything that happens in the company. Any sneeze should flock to your department. And you yourself decide - to broadcast it or not ( together with the business owner, of course).

And regularly distribute your press releases over the network and through all communication channels available to you: website, corporate newspaper for clients, newsletter, bulletin board in the trading floor or reception ... Register your press releases in free press release catalogs ( they are easily found in any search engine). Send your news to interested publications in your region - both print newspapers and magazines and online media.

6. Publications. The same goes for larger press releases - provide free content to journalists and media outlets. These can be interviews on your market, on some problem of your consumers, analytical reports and cross-sections, statistical data ( many media outlets like different statistical collections), just interesting publications "on the topic". Invite a leading publication in your region to organize and maintain some special interesting section - and deliver relevant and fresh information to your section weekly.

Everyone needs interesting and useful content! Ask, in the end, your buyers or potential customers - what is IM interested in your topic, what do they want to know about?

7. Cases. Or a case-study. Or success-story. The character is slightly different, but the point is, in principle, in one thing - to show your target segments by example the solution to THEIR problems. Write stories according to the formula "Problem - Solution - Result", "how bad it was before - and how wonderful it became after", the principle, I think, is clear. Stories in this vein are very attractive and disposed.

8. Reviews. Customer testimonials are what you should be collecting from the moment your company was still a business embryo. Especially if your client is a more or less well-known company in your region. On colored letterheads, beautifully stamped, signed by the first person or key top manager of your client.

Collect and store your reviews in a separate folder, each in a separate file, treat them with care and respect -) Well, without fanaticism, of course. You just have to understand that these are the results of your work. These are your "thank you, you helped us a lot" from your clients. And don't forget to digitize all of your customers' testimonials. Only evenly, in color, with high resolution and readable text.

9. "Word of mouth"... Involve the local population in promoting your company, products, brands. It's no secret for anybody that "sundress" works best in the service market. But in order for your "sundress" to work, you need to work on it! What do you think? They just launched a rumor among the people - and he picked it up and carried it to the masses? Of course, it would be great if everything was so simple - no one would spend money on expensive TV and radio advertisements, but if only they were engaged in “injecting” rumors into the masses.

The simplest and most effective is to remember yourself. What information have you personally passed on "by word of mouth"? Probably, it was something shocking, out of the ordinary, or terribly funny, or curious, or disgusting, or improving some aspect of your life ... Feel, what am I for? Yes, that's right - it must be what will hook.

But here, be careful - your legend should maintain and improve your company's / product image, not destroy it.

10. Free consultations, demonstrations, samples... The name speaks for itself. Don't be afraid to give! Nobody likes to buy a pig in a poke. Everyone wants to try it first and then make a purchase decision.

This is where your marketing needs to work more closely with sales than ever. Because it is not enough just to give it a try - after that, you need to constantly ask at a given frequency - “Well, how did you like it? Let's buy the full version. Did not like? Why? etc...". Keep in touch, monitor your prospect. Offer him special offers, report on new products, promotions, discounts.

But do not be afraid at the same time to calculate and cut off "eternal samplers" - these are those who initially know that they will never buy, but they will never refuse a freebie ... You should not waste your precious time on such "underclients" ...

11. The atmosphere and design of the client office / service hall, reception, meeting room /. In these premises, EVERYTHING should talk about your professionalism, about the quality of your services and the specialists who, in fact, provide these services, inspire confidence in you, your company, your product - every little thing and every element.

Take away already, finally, all these antediluvian letters and gratitude of 2003-2007, given to you by someone for something! Leave it alone - but a normal, fresh, up-to-date solid professional license, or certificate, or diploma, or whatever you have to do according to your specifics ...

No loose chairs, tattered tables, burnt sofas, cracked glass surfaces ... Well, remove this piece of furniture if you don't have the money to pull the upholstery, repair it, buy a replacement yet. Throw in a couple of frameless "pears" for one and a half thousand rubles, if you need to somehow occupy the space - well, let no one sit on them, but they will give a certain "dude" - freshness and dynamism to your office.

12. Gift certificates, loyalty programs... That is, make sure that the client wants to not only come to you again, but bring someone else with him next time. By the way, this also works with corporate clients. You just need to think a little longer ... And ask around / observe clients, what can stimulate them to such an action.

An excellent example is large cosmetic chains, fitness clubs, mobile operators ( least). Copy this ready-made and perfectly working model and apply it to your business - what exactly is stopping you? ( the first gift certificates can be printed on a color printer, if it’s really tight ... get rich - print plastic, no big deal!)

In addition, if you have a representative office in your city of any federal discount coupon network ( like Groupon, but now there are many similar), or maybe there is a local company with this kind of principle of work, contact there, let them plan an advertising campaign for you. They won't take money from you for this, but you will clearly see how much you can earn in one day of such a promotion with zero investment in coverage and attraction. The decision is yours.

13. Cross-marketing promotions with partners... Organize joint promotions with your colleagues, with whom your products can complement each other for the same target audience ( "Blah blah printing house and blah blah furniture salon - only from May 1 to May 20 they hold a joint action: buy office furniture and get 80% discount on any advertising printing!"). Promote them well in the region ( You can also take the media as partners), share contacts with each other, and work with the resulting customer base, each in its own format.

14. Contests, quizzes. It's about the same as cross-marketing, only a more entertaining format. Each partner fulfills its function, contributes - provides prizes of different formats and nature, covers the event, prints banners, programs the web, deals with logistics, photographs, shoots videos, feeds, dresses, etc. But someone has to take on the role of organizer and coordinator. For example, you are the initiator and creator of the concept ( which you previously send to the partners necessary for your contribution).

15. Cultivate Feedback From Your Customers... Establish a relationship with them. And develop them. Invite them to express their opinion on any issue - about your services, about the same services on the market in general, conduct surveys, call to action in your communications, provoke a response to your messages, conduct surveys on the website or together with partners, give them free advice and ask to rate them, get their consent to receive your marketing materials (only useful to them and not often!).

Final word

Of course, all these low-cost marketing methods do not require a lot of money, but they do require an investment of other resources - this is time, effort, patience, energy, imagination and your knowledge.

Yes, and you shouldn't be scattered about all of the described promotion methods - try each of them in turn, look - which one works best for you, brings the most customers? Focus on a few that are best for you in terms of time and labor / number of deals.

And one more piece of advice that I would like to mention, but which is often forgotten by everyone ... Due to obscurity and immersion in routine, probably ...

Promote and sell not your company and your products, but "emotion" and "result" from using your services and contacting your company!

Few people need beauty services, but a beautiful haircut and perfect manicure - yes! I am not at all interested in the services of an advertising agency, but here's a 20% increase in sales in 6 weeks - let's talk about it soon! There are plenty of tours to Egypt and Greece for cheap, but complete disconnection from current worries and immersion in absolute relaxation for two weeks - there are few such offers! (if they exist at all ...)

So stop, colleagues, disconnect from the hustle and bustle, take a day out, go to the park, turn off your mobile phone, sit on a bench, relax, look at the fountains, watch people - there are low-budget ways to attract customers on the market, you can think of them. Just in pursuit of hectic sales and abstract results, we don't always see them.

P.S. And don't forget that it costs FIVE times more to acquire a new customer than retaining an old one. Therefore, do not forget about your client after the first sale (obtained by one of the methods discussed in this report), in fact, work with him is just beginning here!

Competent result of the new goods on market Is one of the key aspects of marketing. The successful launch of the new product will provide the product with high profitability and a strong position. Preparation for this stage is no less important than the direct work on the sale of goods.

You will need

  • - marketing research;
  • - designer services;
  • - promotional materials;
  • - money;
  • - staff.

Instructions

1. Conduct a market survey. Your goal is to determine the competitive environment, positioning of your own product, specifics of needs and the existing price environment. The results of the review will be one of the key factors for you when bringing the product to market.

2. Highlight one or more USPs (unique selling proposition) that accompany your product. It can be strange properties, more low price, after-sales service, more high quality, free shipping and service. In this case, your potential buyer must realize why he needs to purchase your product, and not a similar one.

3. On the basis of the finished USP, form the tactics of movement. Choose a slogan, features of an advertising campaign, especially effective media and ways of movement. Make a marketing plan that will help you budget wisely on the total product to market. If the competitive environment is quite strong, and there are a lot of similar products, choose more hostile methods of promotion. Provocative phrases, price dumping, loud sales promotion campaigns: at the start, all sorts of methods can be used that do not contradict law and ethics.

4. Design a memorable logo for your product. On its basis, make a full-fledged corporate genre, one that will make the product recognizable and help the buyer to easily distinguish it from analogues. Produce branded merchandise and POS materials for point of sale.

5. Create a "deferred" demand for your product, stir up an unnatural excitement about the launch long before the launch. For example, with the end result on the electronic novelty market, it is rational to provoke a discussion of this topic on Internet forums, post informative articles in the press, hire spies who will inquire about the new product in stores. This will help you achieve an environment where your product is known more closely before it hits the market.

For effective movement goods on market you need to conduct a number of marketing research. And you should start by determining the state of the branch to which the proposed product belongs, as well as segmenting the niche.

You will need

  • goods, traffic plan, computer

Instructions

1. Study the market in which you are going to work. One of the most primitive methods is to acquire a ready-made marketing survey. If your budget is tight, do your research with your team. Two ways are more suitable than each. Monitoring is the comprehension of industry and business media that can contain analytical materials. Expert survey - conversations with the leading players of the branch who are not direct rivals.

2. Analyze similar products as well as products that meet similar demands. For the review, you need lists of qualities, both favorable and not favorable to high sales. Knowing the strengths and weaknesses of direct opponents, it is easier to draw up an effective movement plan goods To the market.

3. Make a complete list of collations of the products you are going to promote. Do not forget about USP (unique selling proposition, that is, qualities inherent only to your product). Tie any of the positive qualities to some basic customer demand. Thus, you will receive a result when asked about the targets of influence on the consciousness of the target group.

4. Develop ways of getting the right message across. Decide which means of communication are appropriate for the product being promoted. Advertising, PR, viral marketing, cross-marketing - all these tools are allowed to be used together, but it is allowed to use them separately.

5. Approve a marketing plan in which you are required to find a reflection of all the actions necessary for traffic. Define the media circle that gets the attention of the target group. Find out the cost of advertising materials placement. Make a budget plan. Develop informational reasons why you will write press releases for free posting on news and other online sources.

6. Make a website. Ideally, this should not be your company's business card site, but a source dedicated to products. Content advertising is of great benefit, by means of which it is also allowed to successfully promote goods on market .

Note!
When dealing with the movement of goods, the main thing is to clearly outline its consumer audience. Otherwise, the target group will be too blurry, making movement difficult.

Helpful advice
Promote a product after examining its competitive advantages. People want to benefit.