promotion strategy business plan example

• Business strategy |
• In a sales slump? Try these 12 promotio ...

In a sales slump? Try these 12 promotion strategies to create customer demand

If you want people to buy something, you need to tell them about it first. It sounds simple, but that’s the core principle behind all promotion strategies—raising awareness about a product, then convincing potential customers they should buy it. Learn about 12 different types of promotion strategies, plus best practices to create a successful strategy of your own.

People don’t just choose Red Bull for the taste and jolt of energy it provides. Thanks to the brand’s distinctive promotion strategy, customers prefer the Red Bull brand because it’s famous, edgy, and part of something bigger. 

What is a promotion strategy?

A promotion strategy is a plan to create or increase demand for a product. It outlines the tactics you’ll use to raise awareness about your product and get people interested in buying it.

The goal of a promotion strategy is to introduce potential customers to your product and convince them to make a purchase. You want to move them along the buyer’s journey—the path customers take from realizing a need, considering your product as a solution, and finally deciding to buy.

Promotion strategy vs. marketing strategy

Your promotion strategy is just one piece of a larger marketing strategy —a long-term plan outlining how you’ll market and sell your product. A successful marketing plan covers all the tactics you’ll use to promote your product, including the full “marketing mix”: product, price, place, and promotion. Your promotion strategy is a key component of the marketing mix. 

Here’s a breakdown of the marketing mix, also known as the 4 P’s of marketing :

Product: The item you’re selling. 

Price: How much you should charge for your product in order to make a profit.

Place: Where you should sell your product to reach your target audience . 

Promotion: How you create demand for your product and move customers through the marketing funnel.

The 4th “P” of marketing—promotion—is your promotion strategy. 

Promotion strategies and the marketing funnel

The buyer’s journey is often visualized as a funnel divided into three sections: top of funnel, middle of funnel, and bottom of funnel. Customers enter their journey at the top of the funnel, then decide to purchase your product once they reach the bottom. A successful promotion strategy includes different tactics to appeal to customers in each section of the marketing funnel. 

Here’s a breakdown of the marketing funnel, with example promotion strategies for each section: 

Top of funnel

When a customer is at the top of the funnel, they know the problem they want to solve and are looking for a solution. They may not know your product exists yet, so at this stage your promotion strategy should grab the customer’s attention and build awareness about your brand and your product. 

Example promotion strategies: TV ads, event sponsorships, content marketing  

Middle of funnel

In the middle of the funnel, customers weigh your product against other available options. To keep them in the funnel, you need to show how your product is different from the competition and convince customers that your product is the best option. Here, your promotion strategy should create an emotional connection and show how your product can specifically resolve customer pain points. 

Example promotion strategies: Customer reviews, free samples, case studies

Bottom of funnel

Customers decide if they want to purchase your product when they’re in the bottom of the funnel. To target bottom-of-funnel customers, your promotion strategy should prompt people to take action.

Example promotion strategies: Special deals, email offers, flexible return policies

12 types of marketing promotion strategies, with examples

There are lots of ways to promote a product. If you’re looking for inspiration, we’ve laid out 12 different types of promotion strategies below. 

1. Paid advertising

Paid advertising is often the first type of promotion that comes to mind. This straightforward strategy involves paying to show an advertisement in a specific place at a specific time, so you can capture the attention of your target market. It’s a great way to build brand awareness and introduce your brand to people who may not have heard of it before. 

Here are some examples of paid advertising:  

Television ads

Newspaper and magazine ads

Online display ads (for example, through Google or social media)

2. Content marketing 

Content marketing is a common type of digital promotion strategy, focused on distributing valuable content in order to attract and retain an audience. The idea behind content marketing is this: It associates your brand with useful, relevant content that helps customers solve issues—building trust over time and ultimately encouraging customers to buy your products. Content marketing is a great promotional tool for any company, but it’s especially helpful for businesses with longer sales cycles, like B2B and SaaS companies. For these companies, content marketing helps provide enough customer education for buyers to make informed purchase decisions.

Content marketing comes in many forms, including: 

Social media posts

Email newsletters

Whitepapers or reports

Content created to improve SEO (search engine optimization)

3. Sponsorships

Sponsorships involve aligning your company with another brand—like an event, TV program, charity, or even a celebrity. For example, Pepsi routinely sponsors the Super Bowl, while Red Bull sponsors NASCAR and extreme athletes of all kinds. Nowadays, sponsorships often include social media influencer marketing—creating partnerships with individuals who became famous through social media platforms like Instagram or Youtube. 

The goal of a sponsorship is to boost your brand’s public image and credibility. Aligning yourself with another brand can drive media exposure, improve public relations, and expand your audience—plus make you stand out from the competition. 

4. Email marketing

Email marketing helps you connect with your target audience via—you guessed it—email. You can send emails to any subscribers on your mailing list—whether they’re potential customers, loyal customers, or something in between. For example, you can collect email addresses from potential customers by offering free products or services in exchange for their information. 

There are lots of things you can send via email, including: 

Newsletters and exclusive content

Information about product releases

Special deals and coupons

5. Retargeting

Retargeting focuses on customers (or potential customers) with high purchase intent. In other words, it involves targeting segments of your customer base who’ve already made it down to the bottom of the marketing funnel. Prioritizing retargeting can help you get a high return on your investment, since this audience is already primed and ready to buy. 

For example, retargeting could include: 

Sending reminder emails to customers who filled up an online shopping cart but didn’t check out.

Showing targeted advertisements to customers who purchased your products in the past. 

Sending nurture emails to people who purchased something a while ago but haven’t been back. 

6. Referral marketing

Referral marketing is when you get customers to tell their friends about your brand. Also known as word-of-mouth marketing, referral marketing happens organically when you have a great product—but you can also speed it along with special deals and incentives for customers who refer their connections. 

Referral marketing is a powerful strategy because it’s virtually free. And since people tend to trust their friends, referred customers are more likely to actually purchase your product than someone who just sees an ad. For example, Dropbox used referral marketing to permanently increase signups by 60 percent —eventually growing into a multi-billion dollar startup. 

7. Event marketing

Event marketing involves participating in, sponsoring, or hosting events in order to promote your brand or product. This strategy helps you connect and engage with customers first-hand, so they can get a real sense of your product and what your brand represents. Not only that, but events can help you build your brand presence, generate leads, and generate goodwill with customers. 

Event marketing comes in many forms, including: 

Conferences

Trade shows

Seminars and classes

Virtual events

Live streaming events

Community events

8. Special Causes 

Aligning your brand with a special cause makes customers feel like they’re part of something bigger. They’re not just helping themselves by purchasing your products—they’re also helping make the world a better place. This can help boost brand loyalty and give customers a reason to choose your brand over competitors. 

The clothing company Patagonia is a great example of this. By promoting their sustainable manufacturing processes, Patagonia attracts and retains customers who believe in environmental preservation. 

9. Customer reviews

Customer reviews are one of the most powerful marketing tools out there. Brands like Amazon, Yelp, and TripAdvisor built their businesses out of reviews—generating trust by promoting customer feedback. The beauty of this strategy is that it encourages customers to promote your brand for you. And as long as you have a high-quality product (and positive reviews), this type of user generated content can go a long way in convincing potential customers to purchase. 

Collecting customer reviews often happens organically, but you can speed it along by specifically requesting reviews from current customers via email or website banners. Some newer brands also seed reviews by sending products to customers in exchange for their honest feedback. 

10. Customer loyalty programs

Customer loyalty programs reward people who repeatedly interact with your brand. It’s a way to keep customers coming back by offering deals, discounts, and exclusive product launches. The more customers purchase from your company, the more perks they earn. For example, the beauty company Sephora promotes a loyalty program that offers discounts and gifts to customers who spend a certain amount.

Loyalty programs don’t just boost customer retention—they also help convince potential buyers to choose your brand over competitors. By promoting loyalty programs, you demonstrate ways customers can save money and get more bang from their buck over time. 

11. Free samples, giveaways, and trials

Everyone loves free stuff. Giving away samples of your product can help promote customer satisfaction and make customers feel like they’re getting a great deal. But most importantly, free samples and trials give potential customers first-hand experience with your product—and therefore the confidence to actually buy it later on. 

To employ this promotion strategy, companies can: 

Offer a trial period so customers can try out the product risk free. Gyms, apps, and online software companies often do this. 

Offer free samples for customers who visit stores in person. The warehouse club Costco is famous for using this method. 

Include free samples when customers purchase a product. This method can encourage existing customers to try new products. For example, online beauty suppliers like Glossier often include free skincare and makeup samples with every purchase. 

Organize contests with free prizes. This is a good way to collect contact information from potential customers. For example, a hotel company might encourage potential customers to enter their contact information for a chance to win a free vacation. 

12. Coupons and deals

Special deals can help you capture customers at the bottom of the marketing funnel—people who are deciding whether or not to purchase your product. Deals work in two ways: First, they create a sense of urgency and encourage customers to act quickly before the deal is over. Second, they help customers save money and feel like they’re getting a high return on their investment. 

The types of deals you can offer are endless. Here are some examples: 

Special intro offers for first-time customers

Bundling products together and offering them at a discount (for example, a 10-pack of socks)

Buy one, get one free deals

Seasonal sales and discounts (like Black Friday promotions)

Discounts on special item categories

Birthday coupons for customers

Free shipping for customers who spend over a certain amount

Best practices for a successful promotion strategy

Even the most innovative promotion strategies can fail if they’re not executed correctly. Here’s how to set yours up for success: 

Keep promotions simple: The best promotions strategies are simple and easy for customers to understand. You don’t want to make them spend a lot of effort figuring out what an advertisement means or how to redeem a deal. Instead, promotions should feel almost effortless—so customers don’t give up and decide to spend their money somewhere else. For example, keep sales promotion emails simple and to the point. Instead of cluttering the page with text, highlight the deal and include a call to action button so customers can click through and redeem directly. 

Measure results and be ready to change your strategy: Not all promotions work as expected. That means it’s important to routinely track metrics and measure how your strategy is performing—for example, with A/B tests or split tests. This helps you avoid wasting time on marketing efforts that aren’t working anymore, and quickly adapt when the market environment changes. 

Re-merchandise your product and homepage for promotions: People get used to seeing your homepage and product a certain way. Re-merchandising means mixing up your creative strategy and changing the look and feel of your homepage or product landing page to grab customers’ attention. For example, an e-commerce business could add new visual elements to their homepage to draw attention to promotions. 

Create a distinctive brand: There are a lot of products in the market, so chances are you need to compete for your audience’s attention. That means it’s important to focus on brand differentiation—demonstrating how your brand is better than the competition, and what you can offer that other companies can’t. For example, the grocery chain Whole Foods set their brand apart by promoting a healthier approach to eating and living—plus creating a visually appealing shopping experience. 

Provide a good customer experience: Your promotion strategy isn’t over once customers make a purchase. Instead of just focusing on attracting new customers, make sure existing customers have a good experience and want to come back to your brand later on. Create a customer journey map to plot how people think, act, and feel throughout the buying process—then see what improvements you can make. This might include better customer service, a more seamless checkout process, or even welcome emails and ongoing communications to maintain customer relationships over time. 

Strategize your way to success

A solid promotion strategy is key for any great marketing campaign , digital marketing strategy , or go to market (GTM) strategy . As you craft your approach, keep in mind that the 12 examples in this article don’t need to stand on their own. You can combine different tactics to catch customers’ attention at every stage of the buyer’s journey—whether they’re new to your brand, weighing your product against the competition, or returning for a repeat purchase. 

To run a successful promotion strategy, you need to coordinate work with many different stakeholders. Keep tasks organized with a marketing strategy template, which can help you plan goals, allocate resources, and clarify strategy owners—all in one place.

• Paid Advertising
• Content Marketing
• Case Studies
• Press & Media
• Write for Single Grain
• General Inquiries
• Leveling Up Podcast
• Marketing School Podcast
• Executive Mastermind

Work With Us

How to Create a Promotional Plan to Maximize Business Growth (with Examples & Strategies)

Updated July 2023.

You can elevate your business to new heights with a stellar promotional plan. In an increasingly competitive world, this tool has become indispensable for businesses big and small.

From identifying your target market to choosing a catchy promotion name, from selecting an effective promotion type to deciding on key messages and promotional products, we’ll journey through the creation of a powerful promotional plan.

Get ready to excel with our comprehensive guide and downloadable promotional plan template. You’re one step away from transforming your business goals into a reality!

Single Grain enables us to increase our impact without increasing our headcount

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

What is a promotional plan.

• Public relations
• Sales promotion
• Social media marketing
• Online marketing

Advertising

• Personal selling
• Conduct a SWOT Analysis

What Are the Main Components of a Promotional Plan?

• Define Your Target Audience
• Name Your Promotion
• Determine Your Promotion Type
• Craft Your Key Messages
• Create Your Promotional Products and Swag
• A Promotional Planning Template to Help You Get Started

Brand Promotion

6 types of marketing & sales promotion strategies to boost your sales.

• How to Create a Promotional Plan: A Final Recap

Before we dive deeper into the main components of a promotional plan, I think it’s absolutely necessary to understand what a promotional plan is. This will help us be more accurate in defining the future steps of a business plan, thus making it more likely for us to achieve our marketing objectives and grow.

A promotional plan is a strategic document that outlines your company’s marketing and advertising efforts over a specific period. It details the actions your business will take to promote its products or services to its target audience.

A promotional plan is an element of a marketing plan for a specific product or service. It includes the types of promotional methods you’ll use, such as social media marketing and print advertisements, as well as key components like target market and key messages.

Here are some of the key elements that you might find in a promotional plan:

• Objective : Clear, specific goals that the promotion seeks to achieve, such as increasing product awareness, driving sales, or attracting a new audience.
• Target Audience : Identification of the group of people who are most likely to be interested in the product or service. This can be based on demographic information, lifestyle, consumer behavior, and other factors.
• Promotion Name : A catchy name for the promotional campaign that aligns with the brand and resonates with the target audience.
• Promotion Type : The specific form of promotion that will be used. This might include advertising, direct marketing, sales promotion, public relations or digital marketing, among others.
• Promotion Mix : This refers to the combination of promotional tools and methods that will be used to reach the target audience. It might include a mix of traditional advertising, social media marketing, email marketing, event marketing, and more.
• Key Messages : The main points that the promotional campaign seeks to communicate to the target audience. This could include information about the product, the brand, or other important aspects.
• Promotional Products or Services : The specific products or services that will be promoted. These might be a new product, a seasonal offering, a special deal, etc.
• Budget : The financial resources allocated to implement the promotional plan. This should cover all costs associated with the promotion, such as advertising costs, production costs, and event costs.
• Timeline : The start and end dates of the promotion, including any important milestones or deadlines within the promotional period.
• Evaluation Metrics : The measures that will be used to determine the success of the promotional campaign. This could include sales data, website traffic, social media engagement, customer surveys, and more.

It’s essentially a roadmap that guides all of your promotional activities, helping to ensure they align with your overall business goals and objectives.

What Are Promotional Strategies?

As you can see from the definition above, this plan details the tools and you need to implement various promotion strategies. But what exactly are promotional strategies?

In a nutshell, promotional strategies are the tactics, techniques, and activities you use to promote your product or service. Promotional strategy examples can include:

Public Relations

Playing a major role in getting your key promotional messages out to as wide an audience as possible, Public Relations (PRs) uses various communications strategies designed to influence public perception and opinion of a brand, its products, or public-facing figures.

These strategies include:

• Media relations and pitching stories to journalists
• Organizing press conferences and media events
• Community engagement events covered by the media

Sales Promotion

Sales promotions typically involve enticing customers with a discount, freebie or other perk.

Examples include:

• Buy-one-get-one-free offers
• Percentage-off sales
• Limited-time only discounts
• Seasonal sales
• Free trial periods
• Free shipping when the cart total reaches a specific volume

Social Media Marketing

Few brands (if any) can truly thrive in today’s digital society without an effective social media presence.

With an array of social media platforms available, brands have unprecedented opportunities to connect with their target audience and drive engagement.

Examples of social media marketing include:

• Partnerships with social media influencers
• Creating and sharing relevant and useful content
• Running contests and giveaways
• Using paid social media advertising such as Facebook ads
• Improving brand loyalty and reputation by engaging with followers

Online Marketing

Online marketing can take many forms, including:

• Content such as blogs and videos
• Email marketing
• Influencer marketing
• Social media
• Affiliate marketing

Advertising remains a tried-and-true promotion method that continues to generate significant revenue for brands, even at a time when those brands have more marketing and promotional options at their disposal than ever before.

Examples of advertising as a promotional strategy can include:

• Display ads placed on websites and video sites such as YouTube
• Print advertising
• Television , radio and streaming media spots
• Billboards and street furniture (like bus benches) advertising

Personal Selling

Personal selling is all about building direct connections and relationships with potential customers. It’s a hands-on approach that involves face-to-face interactions and persuasive communication techniques such as:

• Presenting products at tradeshows and exhibitions
• Product demonstrations at locations your audience is likely to populate
• Networking at events
• Personalized lead generation and follow-ups

Together, these strategies can prove highly effective for achieving marketing goals relating to your website or digital presence.

Related Content:   10 Inspiring Examples of Promotional Campaign Videos for Startups

Conduct a SWOT Analysis for Your Promotional Plan

After having outlined your activities and marketing efforts, you then need to put your plan out there. What’s extremely important is to make sure that you conduct some sort of situation analysis or SWOT analysis.

SWOT is an acronym for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats:

To put it simply, such an analysis will help you track and measure the effectiveness of your promotion plan as well as your marketing plan as a whole.

Author’s Note:  Keep in mind that conducting a SWOT analysis can also be beneficial for your business’ content marketing strategy, social media plan, SEO, and – in general – any other actions that your marketing department might be taking, like creating a marketing plan template.

Measuring the results and monitoring your metrics will help you understand whether you’ve put some smart goals in place when designing your plans or if you should reconsider. It’ll also give you a clear idea of how close you are to achieving your marketing goals and what your future steps should be.

Simply put, to be aware and keep track of the results will help you make sure you’re not losing time or money on an ineffective promotional plan.

The promotion plan template below illustrates the main components you’ll need to use in your plan, including (we’ll go into details about each one in the next section):

• Target audience
• Name of your promotion
• Type of promotion
• Key messages
• Promotional products and swag
• Additional notes

This template illustrates various examples of promotional strategies inspired by a UK government promotional campaign that ran across the country after the reopening of restaurants. The campaign’s goal was to help the industry that had been hit hard by the pandemic:

How to Create a Promotional Plan

I’ll use the example of a fictitious London restaurant participating in this campaign to demonstrate how to create a promotional plan of your own in the following step-by-step tutorial.

1) Define Your Target Audience

No promotional plan can ever be successful if you don’t know who it is you’re promoting to. This is why it’s so important that you start this process by defining who your audience is and what they want.

In the free promotional strategy template included with this guide, you’ll see that the target audience doesn’t have a specific audience, as the campaign was essentially an appeal to the entire country.

That may be fine if you’re a national government with a bottomless budget, but let’s face it: The products and services produced by most businesses were never designed to appeal to everyone.

Whether you sell classy-but-comfortable business shoes to female executives or performance monitoring watches to marathon runners, practically every business has a specific ideal customer they want to reach.

So, before you do anything else, determine who that ideal customer is for your brand.

If your business is brand new, you’ll benefit from learning how to develop buyer personas , a process that can be invaluable for helping you think about the type of people your promotional marketing strategies are aimed towards:

If you’re already well-established, think about your long-term customers:

• Who are they?
• What do they like?
• What would appeal to them from a promotional stand point?

These insights into your target audience will make a world of difference when it comes to making informed decisions about the kind of promotional message that is most likely to hit home with your customers and the best approach to deliver that message.

To show you what this might look like, we can refer to our fictitious London restaurant, which might come up with the following:

Our target audience is young executives working in the nearby business complex. Most of our existing customers fit these audience demographics and we know that they value fast, efficient service. We also know that the majority of bookings and enquiries from this demographic are made on social media.

2) Name Your Promotion

Now that you know who your audience are, you need to give your promotion a name that will appeal to them.

“Eat Out to Help Out” was a great name for this campaign because it was catchy, memorable and appealed to people’s sense of patriotic duty in the aftermath of major crisis while also answering that fundamentally important question: “What’s in it for me?”

You mean all I have to do to help out my country is go to a restaurant for a hugely discounted meal? Sure, I’ll do that, sign me up!

To give a more recent example from here in the United States, Taco Bell’s “Freeing Taco Tuesday” campaign is fast gaining a lot of attention partly because it’s such a unique idea, but also because it genuinely engages the curiosity of its audience.

Why does Taco Tuesday need freeing? Who from? I don’t know! Tell me more Taco Bell, and tell me how I can help!

LeBron James was featured in an ad called “Taco Bleep,” which emphasized the campaign message: the absurdity of “Taco Tuesday” being trademarked:

This is what you’re trying to do by naming your promotion. Come up with something that grabs the attention of your audience, sticks in their mind, and compels them to want to take action, whether that action is signing a taco-related petition , eating at a restaurant, or buying a pair of shoes.

3) Determine Your Promotion Type

Next, you need to determine what type of promotion you’re planning for.

Some of the most effective promotion types  include:

• Discounts (percentage off or dollar off)
• Loyalty schemes
• Referral rewards
• Free shipping
• Spend a set amount and get a free product or service

To determine which promotion types are bested suited for your campaign, it pays to think about what your goals are.

With Eat Out to Help Out , restaurants were offering customers £10 off (almost $13 USD) per person:

This type of promotion would be classed as a discount and is the right approach for our restaurant, as it aligns with the business goal of getting more paying customers through the door and increasing profits.

However, for the aforementioned Taco Tuesday  campaign, a discount would be less effective as the main goal of this campaign is essentially boosting Taco Bell’s brand reputation and visibility by presenting themselves as “the good guys” who want to liberate the Taco Tuesday trademark from the evil clutches of their competitors.

If you were selling shoes, you might also run with (pun intended, of course) a discount promotion, while a company selling performance monitoring watches might run a promotion in which customers who upgrade to their newest device get an additional product for free.

4) Craft Your Key Messages

Your next task is to come up with a compelling marketing message that tells your audience what you want them to do and how they’ll benefit from doing it.

Again, the Eat Out to Help Out campaign did a good job with their message:  Support your local restaurant by eating out with a 50% discount on food or non-alcoholic drinks.

This one has it all.

It provides a clear call to action to eat out at a local restaurant and answers the “What’s in it for me?” question by telling people that they’ll benefit by enjoying a half-price meal .

Here, the word “support”   lends this promotional message added gravitas as it subtly tugs at our emotions and appeals to that part of human nature that makes us want to help others.

Your message should be equally as clear, concise and compelling as this one.

If you’re struggling with this, here are a couple more examples to get you inspired:

• Upgrade your TechX Performance Monitoring Watch to the latest new model and get a free pair of headphones.
• Save 50% on this season’s most popular shoes when you shop at Big Foot’s Shoe Store.

Both of these messages contain all the vital components.

They make it clear what action the audience should complete (upgrade their watch or shop at a certain shoe store), and they outline a clear benefit (save 50% or get some free headphones).

Each example also appeals to the audience’s emotions in different ways. The word “free” triggers a certain level of excitement in all of us, while the promise of a discount on “this season’s most popular shoes” appeals to customers who love staying up-to-date with the latest styles.

6) Create Your Promotional Plan’s Swag

Promotional products serve as a kind of distribution channel which help draw attention to your current campaign and your business as a whole.

What’s great about branded merchandise is that it can be almost anything, through the closer your swag ties into your campaign, the better.

In my hypothetical promotional campaign, I’m using promotional t-shirts  to convey my message and promotion name:

Promotional hats are also among the most popular branded products, so why not include them as well?

Both the t-shirts and hats can be worn by members of restaurant staff, but also be given to customers as a “thank you” gift.

Elsewhere, our shoe store might create high-quality, reusable bags that customers can take away their purchases in, while our company selling performance watches for marathon runners would naturally opt for branded running apparel to help boost their campaign’s visibility among their key demographic.

You might even choose to create a swag box  in which you put several useful items relating to the promotion and your brand:

When it comes to creating products of your own, keep the following tips in mind:

• The more useful your promotional items are to your target audience, the more they’ll be used, and therefore the more effective they’ll be at increasing brand recognition.
• Use your company’s logo and usual branding colors across your items. If your logo, website, and storefront all use a blue and white color scheme, don’t suddenly start giving away yellow and black t-shirts.

6) Take Notes

Creating a notes column in your promotional plan template will be a huge help when it comes to keeping track of new ideas or other relevant details that could help you run your campaign more effectively.

I’ve definitely used the notes column in my promotional plan template to write down a few additional ideas for promoting my campaign.

For example, I thought promotional banners outside the restaurant, alongside digital banners posted on social media platforms, would significantly help me bring more awareness to my campaign.

A Promotional Plan Template to Help You Get Started

After having broken down the components of a promotional plan, here’s the promotional plan example I promised I’d give you.

👉 Click here for access to the Promotional Planning Template 👈 ( be sure to save a copy to your own computer first ):

The columns are as discussed above and include all essential information about the promotion. Make sure to copy/download it first and then start using it to build your promotional plans!

Related Content: Just Do It: What We Can Learn from Nike’s $39B Marketing Strategy

Promotional Plan Examples

1) Johnston County 2022-2023 Marketing Plan

Johnston County in North Carolina put together a comprehensive marketing plan outlining how they plan to increase visitor numbers:

The plan outlines the challenges faced by the tourism board: “In year two of recovery from the pandemic, travel seems to be on the rise, however, new challenges continue to plague the tourism industry.”

To overcome those challenges, Johnson County first defines its target audiences and then sets forth a list of clearly defined marketing goals.

The plan then outlines the strategies they’ll use to achieve those goals, such as increasing email marketing efforts and upping the game in online paid advertising.

2) Viral Spiral Marketing Plan

Viral Spiral (VS) is a Taiwanese biotechnology company that used its marketing strategy to promote at-home covid testing kits:

Containing everything from an analysis of current market trends and the company’s competitors to a thorough SWOT analysis and detailed information on their promotional strategy, this is an excellent marketing plan example for those going to market with a new product.

1) Unicef PPC

An excellent example of a promotional strategy focused on advertising comes from Unicef:

The charity frequently uses pay-per-click advertising on YouTube and social media as part of its fundraising efforts.

If you read our round-up of multi-channel PPC case studies , you may recall that one campaign served display ads to around 5 million people, resulting in Unicef tripling their anticipated fundraising total.

2) Boston Red Sox Media Campaign

The Boston Red Sox had an image problem:

“Despite coming off two straight division titles, there was an inexplicable yet palpable “ho-humness” among the team’s fanbase that not even a new manager or a $100 million slugger could fix. We needed to find a way reignite the city’s passion for the team.”

Since a disengaged audience can harm brand reputation and sales, the Red Sox launched a new advertising campaign to foster a personal connection between the team and their fans:

“’More’ became a foundation for our work: the idea that to the city of Boston, baseball is more than just a game. And those who play for the team are more than a collection of names and uniform numbers. They’re our family. It was a deliberately intimate campaign that provided snapshots of the team and players, thereby giving fans a more personal connection with the team.”

The Opening Day spot earned over one million impressions within the first two weeks of airing.

1) Boohooman Personalized Promotions

In men’s fashion, boohooMAN was experiencing some frustrations when it first began sending SMS campaigns to customers:

• They used the channel mostly as a one-off on big shopping days such as Black Friday.
• They sent non-personalized messages to unsegmented customers.
• They sent these messages to largely inactive customers.

Their ROI was, as they stated, “subpar at best.”

So they created a new promotional plan in which they sent personalized SMS campaigns to drive more sales:

With messages relating to each customer’s purchase history, birthday and other key data, the company generated increased ROI on promotional activities 25-fold.

2) Industrial Tool Supplies Customer-First Approach

Further proof that focusing on your audience can lead to better sales comes courtesy of UK-based Industrial Tool Supplies :

A case study  showed that focusing on giving users the best shopping experience and putting customers front and center of every decision helped them increase orders by 21% and revenue by 23%.

1) Glossier Brand Promotion

This case study details how beauty company Glossier grew into a $1.2 billion enterprise by placing a heavy emphasis on branding in its promotional plans:

The company focused on getting to really know its audience and developing a unique signature style that proved irresistible to its target customers.

2) Visit Baton Rouge

Here’s another example of a tourism board making good use of its promotion plans. This time, it’s from the folks over in Louisiana who came up with a detailed campaign to promote their “Visit Baton Rouge” brand:

Their strategy involved a complete rebranding with a new logo, tagline, and vision that appealed to tourists and local Louisiana folk alike. They used the SWOT template for a deep analysis, deeply segmented their target audience, and outlined specific goals.

In the dynamic world of commerce, employing a diverse mix of marketing and sales promotion strategies is crucial for driving growth and achieving your revenue goals. These six strategies encompass a blend of paid and organic methods to attract, engage and convert your target audience.

We can help you skyrocket your sales and grow your business with these strategies:

• Paid advertising :  Harness the power of targeted advertising platforms to reach your ideal audience with compelling messages that drive conversions.
• Content marketing : Create and distribute engaging, informative and valuable content that attracts and retains a clearly defined audience — and ultimately drives profitable customer action.
• Sponsorships and Influencer Marketing :  Collaborate with reputable brands and individuals to tap into their established audiences and gain credibility in your industry.
• Email marketing :  Build strong relationships with your subscribers through personalized and relevant email campaigns that nurture leads and drive sales.
• Retargeting :  Reconnect with website visitors who have shown interest in your products or services by displaying targeted ads across the web.
• Referral marketing :  Encourage your existing customers to refer their friends, family, and colleagues to your business through incentives and rewards.

Final Recap: How to Create a Promotional Plan

Once again, here is your free Promotional Planning Template  ( be sure to save a copy to your own computer first! ).

In this post, we’ve discussed the definition and importance of a promotional plan, some of the main activities that such a plan might include, and what the components of a promotional plan should be in order to be concise and successful in achieving your goal.

After presenting the main components of a promotional plan, we’ve also shared with you a free promotional planning template.

If you’re ready to level up your business, Single Grain’s marketing experts  can help!👇

Additional content by  David Borgogni .

IN Blogging 6 Benefits of Guest Blogging (And How to Get Started!) BY Robert Katai From writing the pitch to strategically boosting your blog's rankings, this guide is a comprehensive roadmap for guest blogging success. Read Article

IN Advertising 17 Cheapest Ad Networks for Best PPC Conversions in 2024 BY Ryan Prior These 17 cheapest ad networks - with lower CPC rates and less competition - are great alternatives to Google Ads and Facebook Ads. Read Article

IN Content Marketing Strategy How to Create a High-Performance Content Marketing Strategy for 2024 BY Ana Gotter This comprehensive guide walks you through developing a content marketing strategy that delivers high ROI, more traffic and stronger leads. Read Article

I hope you are getting a lot of value out of this blog post.

Do you want to grow faster? Schedule a Free Consultation call with a Single Grain Expert now!

Get Free Instant Access

8 Effective Online Marketing Tactics

That Have Generated 1,545%+ ROI for our Customers (and You Can Easily Use)

We hate SPAM and promise to keep your email address safe.

Fill out the form below to speak with someone from our team.

Tell us a little more about you and your goals so we can come prepared for our call!

Promotion Strategy: How to Promote Your Business [2023]

[Lee este artículo en español: Estrategias de Promoción ]

No wonder that promotion strategy is one of the most important processes in marketing .

In fact, it supports your marketing voices to reach your target audience, creates interest, and helps you to engage with them. If you want more traffic and conversions, then developing promotion strategies is critical.

Here’s the deal:

You’re going to find out how to promote your business and how to build a promotion strategy with actionable promotional tactics. Then, you will get a better understanding of content promotion, digital advertising, mobile marketing, and public relations.

Everything here applies to a GREAT promotion strategy in 2023.

So let’s begin!

Promotion Strategy Fundamentals

Promotion strategy overview, content promotion, digital advertising, mobile marketing, public relations, promotional marketing metrics​.

Business promotion is the first marketing communication with customers. There are too many companies talking about their products and services. So you must create a well-crafted road map for your promotion to reach out to the right audience and convert them into your customers.

In this chapter, you’re going to learn the basics of a promotion strategy and why it is so important for your marketing success.

What is a promotion strategy?

A promotion strategy is an actionable plan to influence people about your business, generate more leads, and boost customer engagement. It visualizes how to perform your marketing strategy and communication, who to target as your audience, and where and when to execute the promotion plan.

Many marketers spend more on business promotion each year, but they receive less. There are too many options and marketing voices, so you have to make sure that your messages are really reaching the people you want to approach when you promote your business.

What’s more, it is very difficult to convert people into customers without resonating marketing voices to create emotional connections and arouse interests and demands to your offers.

Role of promotions

Business promotion is one of the 4 P’s of the marketing mix. It is a part of marketing communication which reaches your target market to gain awareness and foster conversation with prospects and customers.

Promotion helps you draw your target’s attention, create interest in your products and services, generate demands, and encourage them to purchase from you.

The following are the four main roles of promotion:

• Build awareness – Making your target audience aware of your products and services. You must identify your target audience, your promotional marketing messages, and your outreach strategies.
• Foster interests – Gaining their interests in your business. It requires a well-designed content marketing strategy to provide enough information for lead nurturing, and show uniqueness for differentiation from competitors.
• Generate demand – Making your products and services desirable. You can share great features and benefits, and create an emotional connection with your prospect.
• Induce prospects to take action – Placing a call-to-action for your target to easily engage and find the next steps. Anywhere you can position to drive conversions, such as your website, digital advertising, and social media.

As you can see, these are following the A.I.D.A. marketing models. It means that promotion can contribute to all the consumers buying processes.

Besides, it will help you to establish a stronger relationship and cultivate the repeated customer to stay longer with you.

Types of promotion

There are many promotional marketing approaches where you can attract your prospects and customers and draw people into the A.I.D.A. process. From traditional promotions like face-to-face selling to digital advertising and the customer loyalty program.

The key promotion types are:

• Personal (face-to-face) selling – Salespeople from a company give you a sales presentation in person to present their offer. Unlike the other approaches, it is easier to build relationships with you. i.e.) Sales meeting, sampling, telemarketing, etc.
• Traditional advertising – You can use any paid advertisements to reach a bigger audience and prompt short-term engagement and sales. It is one-to-one marketing, and its costs are based on the bidding. i.e.) Print ads, billboards, TV, radio, etc.
• Direct marketing – It is direct communication with a highly targeted audience through marketing channels. It has more chances to get quick feedback and retain customer relationships. i.e.) Emails, direct mail, digital ads, etc.
• Sales promotion – Performing a short-term marketing campaign to gain attention and encourage conversion or purchase. You can get immediate responses and interactive, but it’s not good for developing a long-term relationship. i.e.) Contests, coupons, flash sales, sweepstakes, etc.
• Public relations – To build a good corporate image and cultivate a stronger customer relationship, you can provide appropriate information and handle both positive and negative voices from consumers. i.e.) Newspaper/magazine articles, seminars, speeches, etc.
• B2B promotions – a B2B company offers materials and services that other businesses need to work and get benefits. It focuses on how people will benefit from using your offers. i.e.) Trade shows, case studies, online courses, etc.
• Word-of-mouth marketing – It is the process of motivating people to share information about your products and services with others. Since people trust words from close people more than from a company, it will bring qualified leads. i.e.) Referral program, customer reviews, influencer marketing, etc.
• Customer loyalty program – a Customer loyalty program induces your current customers to make frequent purchases and retain them, which brings you great profits in the long run. i.e.) Reward programs, referral incentives, etc.

You’ve got what a promotion strategy is and what you can do. Before we go any further, let me explain why it is critical for your business.

Why is a promotion strategy so important?

Business promotion is one of the most critical processes in marketing. It focuses on how to attract the right audience to your business, introduce your product and service effectively, and convince people to buy it.

Back to what I was saying, with a great promotion strategy you can drive prospects from the awareness stage into the action stage if you do it right. It allows you to create strong brand awareness, generate leads and build a long-term relationship with your target audience.

Besides, developing a promotion strategy helps you to cut unnecessary promotion costs. This is due to the fact that you’ll target the right audience instead of marketing anyone out there. And they will start recognizing you more and choose you over the competition.

By creating a good corporate image in promotions, you can also build a better reputation that will bring more benefits for your business, like word-of-mouth.

Benefits of a promotion strategy

A promotion strategy will be the compass for your promotion. And it will have a great impact on the consumer decision-making process.

These are the key benefits of a promotion strategy:

• Target the right audience.
• Gain brand awareness.
• Attract prospects and customers.
• Publish your promotion at the best time.
• Increase qualified customer traffic.
• Show differentiation from competitors.
• Offer more value to your customers.
• Engage with your target audience.
• Drive customer decision-making.
• Find potential partnerships.
• Create customer relationships.
• Build your reputation.
• Improve word-of-mouth opportunities.
• Stay ahead of the competition on market share.
• Grow sales and profits.

Thus, the potential benefits you’ll get from a promotion strategy are huge and you don’t want to miss them! That’s why you need to craft a well-designed promotion strategy and ensure your success.

So, how do you create one for your promotion success?

Don’t worry! I’ll walk you through the whole process in the next chapter.

In this chapter, I’ll show you the value of each step and the best way to set a promotion strategy for your business. If you are ready to start learning how to promote your business, you are in the right place. Keep reading, and you will discover all the possible ways to promote your business.

Great success without a strategy is impossible on business unless you’re super lucky.

Having a solid strategy helps you to go through an effective path for your goals and see where you’re in the campaign and what you have to do. It is vital not only when you execute and improve your plan, but especially when you face difficulties and obstacles.

Therefore, I would like to share some promotional tactics on business promotion strategy to make it easier for you to put them into practice.

Promotion trends and terms

But before we go into that, I would like to share some terms of the promotion trends. Understanding these trends and adapting them to your approach might help you to beat the competition and stay one step ahead.

• Artificial intelligence (AI) – In digital marketing, Artificial Intelligence (AI) enables you to predict customer behavior, create content, personalize customer experience, manage promotion and optimize your performance. It makes it easier for you to take any marketing data, analyze it and learn from it, and provide better solutions and results. Read more about Artificial Intelligence .
• Chatbot – A chatbot is a type of conversational AI that interacts with people through a text or voice interface. Using chatbots in your marketing allows you to offer 24/7/365 customer service and enhances customer satisfaction. What’s more, it saves you time and money. Read more about Chatbot .
• Customer experience email marketing – Email marketing is still the top way to drive qualified traffic and generate leads. Especially, creating personalized emails is becoming a must-have tactic to gain better recognition and engagement. Make sure to focus on providing great customer experience and develop relationships.
• Micro-influencer – Continuing from last year, influencer marketing will dominate 2023 and grow even more. Among the movements, you need to give special attention to Micro-influencers. They use social media and have a bigger impact than top influencers. People trust that micro-influencers use a product or service in their posts without having a sponsorship with brands (they don’t post for advertisement). Read more about Micro-Influencers .
• Messenger Ads and In-App Ads – As more than half of online traffic comes from mobile devices, mobile advertising will stay on top of marketing communication. There are many types of mobile advertising, but in particular, messenger ads and in-app ads are on the rise. They show ads which have more visibility and engage better with users.
• Video content – Video content has the highest click-through rate of all digital formats. As you know, it dominated digital advertising like YouTube and short videos on other social media last year, and more and more companies are investing in it to promote their businesses. Read more about Video Contents .
• Mobile coupons – As the redemption of coupons has increased and most of them can be carried out on mobile devices, you cannot ignore them. They have a great impact on consumers buying decision process and boost sales. Also, you can acquire customer data easily and use it for further approach. Read more about Mobile Coupons .

I hope these trends and are helpful when you craft your strategies. Just keep in mind that they might affect your promotion.

How to promote your business: Build your promotion strategy

Now you’re good to start developing your promotion strategy.

Here is the step-by-step process to successfully promote your business using a great promotion strategy. I’ve also made a list of all the things to do for a successful promotion. In each step, you will find tips and some pieces of advice that will help you in the process. Following this guide on how to promote your business, you are closer to building a winning promotion strategy.

1. Set Your Promotional Goals.

Goal-setting is vital to your promotion success. It will give you a sense of direction and motivate you to be productive and achieve your goals efficiently. Think about what you want to achieve with it and establish your promotional goals. If you set goals that you cannot control or that are dependant on others, your goals may block off your progress and waste your time and money. So, check the following goal-setting tips to ensure your promotion will work effectively.

Define S.M.A.R.T. goals

There’s a reason why people follow S.M.A.R.T. goal-setting. Simply because it works. Specific goals make it easier for you to create detailed action plans and achieve them. A measurable plan visualizes your progress and helps you to stay on track. Achievable goals motivate you to focus on tasks and improve your progress. Realistic goals lead you to accomplish your progress and avoid a big failure. Time-bound goals give you a sense of urgency to achieve the goals and ensure your plan completes on time.

Align the goals with your overall marketing strategies

Review your overall marketing strategies. Since if your promotion goals don’t fit in with the other 3 P’s of marketing mix strategies, your promotion strategies won’t work. Consider how your price and product strategies are devised and influence your place strategies.

Determine what you want to achieve with promotion

As I mentioned in the previous chapter, there are a number of potential benefits on a promotion strategy. Such as, providing features and the functionality of your product to create interests, turning your one-time customers into loyal customers, or beating your competitors on customer acquisition. You can get ideas from those advantages to set your goals.

Keep it simple and small

Your goals can be big, but you must keep them simple and break them down into small goals. That helps you to stay focused and certainly attain your goals. Like you have yearly goals, quarterly goals, monthly goals, weekly goals, and daily goals. It allows you to create action steps that assist you to reach your goals.

Set up your success metrics to measure

Once your goals are set, you should determine what metrics to measure for your promotion success. If your goal is to increase customer traffic, you need to get data on traffic growth, traffic sources, organic keywords, etc. The metrics you should track vary depending on your goals, so work on them right after goal-setting.

Brainstorm what call-to-actions to use

When you set your promotional goals, start thinking about how you can make your prospects take a specific action. Since you want them to do something, you’re going to promote your business. Crafting an effective call-to-action is the key to achieve your goals. Brainstorm what action you want them to take, and what content you can prepare for the promotion.

Important note:

Success without having a strategy is impossible on business. It’s how you keep trying to achieve your goals and put your efforts at the right place in the right direction.

Make sure that you take enough time to set goals and design your strategies for what you’re going to achieve.

2. Make Your Budget Plan.

When you think about budgeting, it’s important to balance your budget and your goals. Depending on them, determine how much you’re going to spend on each promotion. Even if you choose online promotion, which is low-cost, interactive, and effective for targeting and measurement, you’ll still want to cut down costs. These are some budgeting tips.

Prioritize your goals

When you have a small budget, prioritizing your goals and strategies can help you cut down on costs and achieve the desired goals at least. Once the target goals are taken care of, then you will be able to move forward to the rest.

Schedule your promotion

To control your budget, you can specify the time and limit your promotion schedule, especially with digital advertising. Since you can select your promotion’s timing, you can restrict the time to display your promotion.

Use geotargeting

Another effective way to reduce your cost is geotargeting. It allows you to target your audience by geographic locations and deliver them your content effectively. For example, local PPC is to attract local prospective customers.

Choose your conditions carefully

When you make digital advertising, there are a variety of settings by goals and plans to promote your business. For instance, you can select the conditions of “pay-per-conversions” as you pay when your prospects convert, rather than when they click.

3. Define Your Target Market.

Narrowing down your target market can cut your promotion costs down and help you to implement effective measures. If you aim for the wrong target market, you’ll not only spend time and money for nothing, but it will also move you away from success. To avoid this, you need to define what’s your target market and seek your marketing communication opportunities.

Understand your current target market

First, you have to evaluate your current promotion and analyze it for opportunities and gaps. It gives you ideas of what to aim for a successful promotion. If your current plan is not working well, then you need to come up with a way to break through the situation by targeting a specific segment or changing it.

Conduct a SWOT analysis

What are your competitive advantages and weaknesses? A SWOT analysis helps you to look at yourself from an outsider’s perspective and make smart decisions. You can build strategies around your strengths and opportunities to take advantage of them. Don’t forget to consider the threads your targeting has.

Sharpen your target market

Setting your target in as much detail as possible leads you to implement your promotion effectively. You can consider it by many factors, such as location, gender, interests, income level, etc. with marketing analytics tools. Check out your current customer base, it should give you an idea of who to market and the details of the persona.

Research your target market

To provide better marketing communication, you should find out their preferences and their pains at least. Without understanding your target market, grabbing their attention and interests is not going to be a piece of cake. You can ask directly to the target, check it on your analytics tools, or carry out a survey.

Learn your competitor’s strategies

Studying your competition allows you to build your strategies around their weaknesses and beat them by doing better. You’re targeting the same people as them. Thus, you should look at their strategies carefully, from their messages and channels to their top-performing content.

Make sure that you fully understand your target market to grab their attention to your business promotion. By putting yourself in their shoes, you will be able to choose compelling words and call-to-actions that reach their heart.

4. Determine Your Promotion Types.

Before creating your promotion message, you need to select what types of promotion you’re going to use based on your target audience.

If you’re looking for O2O marketing, consider implementing local SEO and creating a location-based service on mobile. 

Based on your goals and what you’re capable of, select your promotion types. If your budget allows, you can develop cross-channel promotions.

5. Develop Your Marketing Messages in Your Promotion.

Now that you have a better understanding of your target market and promotion channels, it’s time to build your marketing message in your promotion.

Your marketing message is one of the most important components in a promotion strategy. It impresses people, tells them how you can solve their pains, and gives them a call to action.

People won’t pay attention to your promotion unless you have powerful messages that attract your target audience and make them want to know more about you.

Here are some promotional tactics to craft powerful marketing messages:

Look at what pains your target market has

In the previous step, you’ve researched your target market and understood their pain points. To make your marketing messages persuasive, you need to face the problems your target market cares about the most. And then think about how you can present solutions from their perspective. Without understanding their pains, you won’t be able to deliver marketing messages that reach their hearts.

List out the value and benefits that you can offer

Make a list of the value that you can offer and the benefits that match your target market’s pain points. This will ensure you offer what your target market needs. That is to say, benefit-driven solutions. To appeal to your prospects effectively, it is key to focus on those benefits that can solve their problems over what you do.

Highlight your competitive advantages

In addition, your marketing message should contain a differentiation from your competitors. If there’s nothing you can convince people about why you are the best choice for a type of products/services, they won’t choose you over the competition. Thus, you must highlight what are your competitive advantages to show your uniqueness.

Prove that you’ve solved their suffering

Social proof makes your business more trustworthy and has an impact on influencing people. As social proof like reviews and testimonials work, you should prove that your products and services have gotten results. Collect proofs that your target market wants to hear about.

Make your message clear and sharp

The marketing messages in your business promotion strategy must convey the main idea to your target audience and communicate well. If the message is too long and deep, people will not get the point and take time to respond. Keep your message as clear as possible and make it sharp!

Research keywords that your target market searches for

Understanding what keywords your prospects search for in search engines is decisive to attract them and make your message persuasive. Besides, it helps you to increase your visibility and deliver your content to your target audience if your promotion is online. Don’t forget to work on SEO.

Change your message depending on channels

Based on where your target market is and how effective your message can be delivered, you choose your target channels and create your messaging. Check out the rules and regulations that each channel has, like the limits on the number of characters and video length.

Come up with ideas for content creation

While you’re making your marketing message, start thinking about content creation. To make your promotion stand out, seek the best way to achieve your promotional goals. If your goal is to build awareness, you should give enough information and show your values without sales pressure.

6. Build Your Promotional Tactics.

Developing your promotion strategy is to figure out how you are going to achieve your promotional goals and make a scenario of how you build awareness, get your target audience to be interested in your business, and turn them into customers. Don’t forget to develop strategies that focus on results for your business!

Visualize your progress

Visualizing your workflow allows you to see a bigger picture, prioritize your goals, and focus on your plan. It also helps you to improve teamwork since it is easy for anyone to grasp what’s going on in a project, share what you’ve done and contact others when needed.

Find the best time to execute

Needless to say, timing influences results. Even if you have perfect strategies and sources, bad timing can destroy your opportunity for success. Use analytics tools or spy on competitors to seek the best time to run your promotion.

Commit to a specific time frame and deadlines

It is wise to specify a time frame for your promotion. Since it gives you an idea of how much work you need to put into the marketing campaign and when each task needs to be completed. Remember to overestimate a little bit to ensure your campaign accomplishes on time.

Create a sense of urgency

A sense of urgency makes people feel anxiety for losing a great offer if they don’t act right away or within the time limits. It works especially with promotional offers. You can run a limited time or limited quantity promotion to make conversions and sales.

Make leads for content share

A great way of promoting your business is to let others share your content. Encourage the people who are interested in your promotion to share, interact or even give reviews. You can also consider influencers to promote your content to a wide range of audiences.

7. Execute and Measure Your Promotion Efforts

Now is finally the time to spread your promotion. After starting your promotion, you always need to track your performance so that you will develop your strong points and work on the prompt correction when something goes wrong. If you notice errors and mistakes at an early time, it would be easier to adjust your strategy and avoid a big failure.

Review your goals on a regular basis

Checking your goals frequently helps you to motivate yourself to tackle each task of the campaign, commit to the plan, and come up with a better idea to improve your promotion. What’s more, it avoids losing focus on the goals and end up just following directions.

Check if you’re tracking the right metrics

If you’re not tracking the right metrics, you’re missing the opportunity to grow and improve. To see if your chosen metrics are the right ones for your goals, you need to confirm how the metrics relate to your goals and how your promotion affects the metrics.

Don’t judge without enough data

Sometimes it’s hard to get enough data in a short period of time, and people reach a conclusion at an early stage. Go for a growth rate instead of counting the numbers in that case. You will be able to see how your performance is, what’s working, and what isn’t working properly.

Stay flexible and adjustable

To improve your performance, you must be flexible and make changes in real-time. Because most of the promotion is time and cost-consuming, it’s wise to make adjustments whenever needed and perform your best promotion.

I hope those step-by-step promotional tactics are helpful when you create a promotion strategy. All you need to do is to apply them to your promotional campaign!

In the next chapter, I would like to share more details about digital advertising to help you win the promotion battle!

Keep reading and you’ll find actionable business promotion tactics…

To maximize content marketing which allows you to grab and keep the attention of your audience, it is critical to promote your content to the right target who is interested in your business and really consumes it. So, you will need a strong content promotion strategy.

In this chapter, you’re going to learn how to promote your content with eight proven tactics.

What is Content Promotion?

Content promotion is one of the key marketing processes to expose your business and earn an actual audience for your content. It helps you to grow your traffic and gain results quicker.

However, many people fail to get their content in front of a target audience who cares about it. This is because most businesses fail to build the correct content promotion strategy. If your content doesn’t lead to further engagement, you might be delivering it to the wrong people and wasting your effort in creating it.

To avoid this, you must outreach to a qualified audience and engage with them efficiently.

The bottom line

For successful content promotion, it is critical to reach out to the people who can have an impact into your business and share your content.

Email Subscription

Email subscription is one of the most effective ways to receive news and updates. It is cost-effective and helps you to do direct marketing. It’s a great tool and an essential part in every content promotion strategy.

Since most people who subscribe to your newsletters are already interested in your business (maybe some of them are not reading your emails though), they can be your potential customers and the actual readers of your emails.

In short, sharing your content to your subscribers is a must. If you don’t, you’re missing out on the best prospects and customers who care about what you have to say.

It means that it is essential to set up an email subscription form on your website. If you don’t have one, you can create yours easily with email marketing tools like OptinMonster .

Now that you understand the importance of email subscription in content promotion, it’s time to grow your email list.

However, acquiring new email addresses isn’t easy. To make that happen, you also need to offer something they would like to receive in return.

For example, you can create gated content in which you ask readers for their submission to your form and they get premium or bonus content in exchange.

But don’t forget that gaining email addresses is the first step, it shouldn’t be your goal. From then, you will need to foster a strong relationship.

If you would like to build your email list, read these proven tactics to develop an email list .

Blogger outreach (Link building)

This is one of the most strategic and efficient approaches to spread your business to other audiences and get quality backlinks . Backlinks are essential in content promotion.

It sounds quite difficult but it is actually simple:

You will reach out to bloggers who might want to include your content in their articles. So, your content gets promoted by others to their followers and you will receive quality traffic without extra advertising.

To make this happen, you need to research who shares content like the one you want to promote. Thus, you will grow your outreach list, if you send an email to them.

You can use Buzzsumo to find out who shares content like yours. Since it has great filters to find key influencers and your target audience, you can save tons of time looking for influential bloggers.

Also, from an SEO point of view, I recommend you check out Ahrefs ’ Domain Rating (DR). The domain rating shows backlink profile strength and searches traffic size.

A backlink from a higher authority domain will help you to rank your content up on Google. So you’d better outreach the highest DR bloggers.

Then, it’s time to move onto the most important part in blogger outreach; reaching out via emails.

It is vital to explain why you’re sending them out to people and make it easy for them to check your content out. Make sure to keep your message simple but seize the point.

Here are some great tips when you outreach your influencers via email .

And don’t forget to avoid being a hard sell!

Blogger outreach is one of the surefire ways to boost your online visibility and backlinks and gain credibility and promote your content.

Remember: After spotting relevant bloggers, check what they can bring to your business and outreach them strategically. And make sure to add value to them and offer a win-win situation.

Content syndication networks

Another great way of promoting your content is to leverage forums where people share great resources and exchange thoughts.

Content syndication is a content marketing tactic of republishing content on third-party websites, including guest-posting. It brings you fantastic opportunities to expose your content to a broader audience.

Normally content syndication networks require just sign-up or becoming a member for content promotion. Then, you will republish your content on the communities and that will help you to increase your visibility and credibility.

There are several content share communities you should try in, such as:

• StumbleUpon
• GrowthHackers
• SocialMediaToday
• Inbound.org
• BlogCatalog

With content syndication, your content may not only get a backlink from third-party sites, but you will also benefit from SEO performance.

To get those results, seek the best community and the best ways to promote your content. If you’re new to this, try some and see if it’s worthy for your content promotion strategy or not.

SEO content

Needless to say, SEO will help you to spread your online business in an effective and steady manner.

When your content ranks in a higher position on search engine result pages, you will not only get lots of traffic without promotions, but you will also create brand awareness.

So, it is critical to optimize your online content for SEO. From keyword research to page loading time, you have a bunch of things to complete to gain a better position on SERPs.

For example:

These two posts from Faverie, a fashion eCommerce, “ Types of Shoes ” and “ 70s Fashion ” have experienced tremendous growth in a short period of time.

The former started getting some traffic in just six months after publication (August 19, 2021). This was one of the first blog posts in a new domain with zero authority. This is generally a great result for a new site. Yet, what surprises me the most is how much it grew in the first year.

As to the “70s Fashion” blog post, has started to grow traffic just in the first month after publication (April 10, 2022). It is already showing amazing results by the time been.

When you create high-quality content and have a great SEO strategy, you can significantly improve your website’s traffic in a short period of time. These two strategies together are critical to success. What’s more, they’ll help you to reach your target audience organically.

To complete your content to be SEO friendly, use SEO tools that tell you how to improve.

There are plenty of tools that can help you with your marketing efforts, and you do not have to spend a dollar.

In particular, the following elements are the ones you need to pay attention to for on-page SEO:

• Meta description.
• Website optimization.

SEO is essential for online business. To learn SEO and get more organic traffic, you can watch this powerful SEO checklist video:

Content update

Content update gives you another chance to promote and drive traffic to your existing content again and gain new audiences.

As time goes by, it is true that some of the information on your content becomes old-fashioned or no longer useful. That’s when you must focus more on updating your blog rather than creating new posts.

For example, you can add up-to-date information such as the latest statistics and trends. Many people search for fresh information like “keywords 2023, ” so I recommend you to include this data to get easily found.

You can create checklists and cheat sheets to upgrade your content. Those additions mostly improve user experience and their loyalty.

Take some time to give a fresh air to your content and be a great resource for your audience!

Content transformation

Content transformation is an advanced technique in content marketing that turns your content into a different format. It captures more opportunities for your business and increases your SEO performance.

Repurposing existing content helps you to reach a new audience and find the best formats to engage with your audience. This is worth almost any content promotion strategy.

Although the most popular way of content transformation is to convert a blog post into a video, here there are a few examples of content transformation:

• Infographic.
• Slideshare.
• Online course.

Like content update, it is very important to look back at your old content and keep adding valuable sources for your audience.

Social media

In content promotion, you cannot forget about the power of social media. It’s one of the easiest ways to increase traffic to your content and improve brand perception .

There are many tactics to boost traffic from social media:

• Impress your audience with visuals.
• Share your content at the optimal time.
• Engage with your audience consistently.
• Optimize your content for mobile.
• Make your content easy to share.
• Add compelling call-to-actions.
• Use social media advertising.

Social media is a fantastic approach to content promotion. Once you share valuable content on social media, it has a great possibility to get viral and maximize your efforts.

Don’t forget to mention your sources and the influencers that are related to your content when you share! They might reshare your post.

Paid advertisement

At last, getting help from a paid advertisement will promote your content faster and effectively. Especially, digital advertising is more cost-effective than traditional advertising.

There are many ways of digital advertising: display advertising, search advertising, social media advertising, video advertising, and more.

With digital advertising, you can greatly benefit and grow your business. That’s why I’m going to explain it more in detail in the next chapter.

Digital advertising allows you to deliver advertisements to target segments that you subdivide for your target prospects at a low cost. It makes it easier for you to measure what kind of effects it brings due to its interactivity. It’s a powerful promotion tactic.

In this chapter, I’ll cover the basics and seven types of digital advertising.

What is digital advertising?

Digital advertising refers to any promotional advertisements on digital mediums. It is the most cost-effective way for digital marketers to reach a target audience and improve their ROI.

You can creatively practice storytelling, enhance personalization to maximize customer experience, and leave a strong impression in the audience’s mind.

What differentiates it from traditional advertising the most is that digital advertising can creatively drive interaction and engagement. Since it encourages interaction, it makes it easier for you to keep your target audience engaged and drive them to take the actions that you have designed.

As you can see, using digital advertising helps you to provide enough information to manipulate people’s minds and emotions. Thus, you will improve customer experience.

Benefits of digital advertising

Digital advertising has so many advantages for promoting your business, besides its interactivity.

For example, digital advertising gives you a valuable insight that allows you to see how many people have seen your ad, how many of them engaged with it, what is the demographic information of those people, and more.

Besides, since you can access the data in real-time, you’ll be able to vary your promotion approaches with the situation and respond in real-time.

Let’s sum up what you can expect:

• Cost-effective.
• Effective targeting.
• Access to data and insights.
• Trackable and measurable results.
• Personalized approach.
• Interactive.
• Higher conversion rate.
• Obtain valuable user insights.
• Qualified customer traffic.
• Flexibility to change and make an adjustment.
• Great ROI and ROAS.
• In control of your budget.
• Improving Ad formats every year.
• Mobile engagement.

Thus, digital advertising can maximize the effectiveness of your promotional marketing efforts and boost your conversions and sales efficiently.

Want to know more about the types of digital advertising?

Let me explain the main options and help you find the best way to promote your business.

Display Ads

It is a paid advertisement on third-party platforms (websites, mobile apps, etc.) including banner ads, rich media ads, and video ads . An example of display ads is the Google Display Network, which allows you to place your ads in websites using Google AdSense.

With display ads, you are targeting people by demographics and interests. You can also use it to retarget prospects and customers.

This is different from search engine marketing which focuses on displaying ads on search engine result pages.

Be aware that there are ad blockers that remove ads and prevent users from seeing your ads.

It is a popular online advertising form and often shows up at the top side, or in the middle of a webpage. It shows your ads to a specific target market with levels of targeting so that you can improve conversion rates strategically.

To get clicks, there are several things to consider: size, place, value proposition, image, CTA buttons, and more.

For more details, check out this ultimate guide to display advertising .

Rich media ads

Rich media ads are a kind of display advertising. Besides, they are a highly creative and innovative way to impress your audience and generate leads. It gives you the flexibility to promote your business and offers interactivity with the ads.

With rich media ads, you can tell your brand’s story dynamically, drive engagement and achieve higher CTR and ROI. What’s more, it can improve brand experience and make your ads memorable!

There are many rich media advertising formats:

• Rich media interstitial ads.
• Rich media (floating) banner ads.
• Interactive rich media banner ads.
• Expandable banner media ads.
• Pushdown rich media ads.
• Pop-up ads.
• Slider-rich media ads.
• Rich media billboard.
• Rich media video.

Read this rich media ads guide to make the most out of them.

Search advertising

Search ads are one of the most popular methods in online advertising where you can target a certain audience who searches for specific keywords or phrases. As you know, these advertisements are displayed at the top of SERPs that get most clicks.

Thus, using search advertising you can target a highly relevant audience who already has search-intent and your ads can enhance better CTR and conversions.

However, search advertising gets expensive if you’re targeting highly competitive keywords. Don’t forget to check the value of your keywords and look for the best options considering your budget!

Pay-per-click (PPC)

PPC is a paid advertising in which advertisers pay each time a searcher clicks on their ads. So even if you’re a small business, you can buy traffic for your website to convert and make sales.

To make it work, you need to study the Quality score which is Google’s rating of the quality and relevancy on the combination of your keywords and PPC ads.

You can also test whether your keyword ideas will work using PPC advertising. It will help you to build better SEO pages and improve your ads.

But here’s the scary part:

As the name (per-click) goes, you have to pay when someone clicks. If you’re targeting a broad keyword, you may end up finishing your budget without enough results.

Put a lot of thoughts on your bid strategy, targeting, and keywords to make a wise decision. If you’re not familiar with PPC advertising, you can check this guide to get a better understanding of what it is and how it works .

Shopping Ads

If you sell products or run an e-commerce website, creating shopping ads for search engines is the perfect way to increase your visibility and drive qualified traffic.

Shopping ads showcase and promote your products at the top of the SERPs. You have a great opportunity to display your products besides the web page results and attract your prospects with a product image on SERPs.

Social media advertising

Social media advertising is one of the most powerful and cost-effective digital advertising methods. Due to a great number of active users on social media, you can reach a bigger audience.

With this kind of advertising, it’s easy to catch users’ attention since people on social media normally pay attention to all the content in their feed, unlike looking for something in mind on search engines.

What’s more, social media advertising allows you to target or retarget specific segments by more accurate user information like their interests, geographics, and connections. Thanks to the effective targeting setting, it increases brand recognition and drives higher conversion rates.

But here’s the problem. Social media advertising is a great way of drawing users’ attention, but it may be less likely to convert. Because social media cannot track users’ real-life; and information on social media might not be accurate. Also, even if you target the right audience for your business and they wish to use your products or services, they may not have time or budget.

YouTube video ads

Needless to say, YouTube is the best and easiest platform for video marketing to generate traffic, market, and promote your business. You can reach a large number of your audience, and a video is sharable like other social media content.

Moreover, search engines love video content and YouTube helps you to boost search engine rankings. Thus, it is a great opportunity to get your content viral and grow brand awareness.

The following are the three main types of YouTube video ads:

• TrueView Ads (In-Stream ads and Video Discovery ads).
• Pre-Roll Ads.
• Bumpers Ads.

For more information about YouTube video advertising ads, check this comprehensive guide .

Native advertising

Native advertising consists of a paid advertisement that doesn’t make people feel “I’m watching an advert,” even though the functions are almost the same.

Many people skip and ignore advertising, but with native advertising, people don’t see your ads as advertisements. So they will naturally consume your content.

An example of native advertising is the sponsored content on social media. It shows up as an in-feed unit and promotes ads in a similar form as the other organic content.

Here are the main six native advertising types:

• In-feed units.
• Paid search ads.
• Promoted listings.
• Content recommendation widgets.
• In-ad with native element.
• Custom content ads.

You can read this guide for more information about native ads .

Email advertising

Email advertising is one of the top performing and cost-effective marketing approaches. It allows you to place your ads into newsletters by leveraging your email list. Besides, you can send personalized messages with a flexible design.

Mostly, email advertising uses opt-in or permission-based marketing. It means that most recipients already show interest in your business so that they are more likely to engage with the advertising you offer and convert.

However, here’re huge challenges for marketers to improve open rates. Since it is easy for users to arrange a spam filter setting, your emails might not be delivered and your subscribers don’t even notice your emails. Remember to keep your email list up-to-date and build relationships to constantly get your messages consumed.

Video advertising

It is the fastest growing advertising format. Since it can carry so much information for a short period and impact on the audience’s mind, video advertising is a smart marketing approach to take.

With video advertising, you can introduce your products and services in a way that’s easy to understand for viewers, and it creates emotional triggers to engage with the ads.

Now that we are exposed to many video ads, if you make a poor quality video advertising, your audience will notice the level of your quality and that determines whether they will be interested in your business. So, be creative and come up with well-designed ads that convert.

Here are the following key options in video advertising:

• In-stream ads (Linear / Non-linear).
• Out stream in-read video ads (In-page / In-banner / In-text).
• Interactive video ads.
• In-game video ads.
• TV video ads.

To understand each video advertising option, read this great post about video ads .

Remarketing and Retargeting

At last, I would like to talk about remarketing and retargeting. Both are very effective marketing tactics to reach out to people who have shown interest in your business.

Leveraging these approaches will bring another opportunity to build brand awareness, drive qualified traffic, retain previous customers, and improve conversions.

Consider that the frequency of your advertising can make your audience find it as a violation of their privacy and they might feel annoyed. This may cause them to keep away from your ads.

• Remarketing – Remarketing in digital advertising is a powerful technique to place your advertisement in front of the people who have already visited your website. It helps you to set focused targeting, keep your brand top of mind, lead your target users to return to your website, and boost your ROI.
• Retargeting – On the other hand, retargeting focuses on users’ previous online actions instead of browsing history. It allows you to display your ads when your target audience is ready to buy. With retargeting, you can find a relevant audience for future sales emails, draw them to a specific page, and avoid shopping cart abandonment.

As you’ve seen in this chapter, digital advertising can boost your bottom line and that will take your business to the next level.

In the next chapter, I’m going to explain mobile promotion which is one of the best promotional marketing tactics to really connect with your target audience in an effective way.

Mobile has become the main screen for information consumption and purchasing online. Although there are common promotions on the web and mobile, it is key to take advantage of mobile’s unique characteristics such as their location and personal information.

In this chapter, I’ll cover the basics of mobile marketing and the main types of mobile marketing approaches that work great.

What is mobile marketing?

Mobile marketing is a mobile user-centered marketing approach that reaches out to your target audience and gets you as close to your prospects and customers as possible. It makes it easier not only for users to leverage your services, but also for you to offer business value.

What’s more, mobile marketing allows you to have direct marketing communication with target users, send out specific content to them, and gather customer data effectively.

Let’s see some of the mobile marketing statistics.

There are some interesting insights that you should not ignore .

• 80% of internet users own a smartphone.
• Mobile devices are used for over 40% of online transactions.
• 52% of companies use a simple template that works for all devices.
• Apps account for 89% of mobile media time.
• 80% of shoppers use smartphones during physical shopping.
• 39% of companies create a mobile responsive email template.
• Google owns 96% of mobile search traffic.

As you can see, mobile marketing is crucial for your business and you must improve your mobile user experience to promote your business successfully.

Benefits of mobile marketing

Mobile devices are becoming increasingly popular tools to communicate and make a purchase. So, mobile marketing plays a critical role in overall marketing strategies.

Here’s why mobile marketing is a must:

• Reach out to a large number of users.
• Give convenience to share content socially.
• Increase brand awareness.
• Enhance the effectiveness of cross-media ads.
• Keep users engaged.
• Build a personal relationship.
• Gain instant feedback (higher response rates).
• Easy to track results.
• Improve user experience.
• Drive O2O marketing.

In short, mobile marketing gives you the opportunity to provide your target prospects and customers with unique user experience and engage with them.

Let me show you what you can do with mobile marketing to promote your business.

Mobile-friendly websites

This is crucial and the first thing you should do to perform mobile marketing effectively. A mobile-friendly website is a tiny version of your website and has a great impact on the consumer buying process. It attracts new customers and retains your current customer base.

When it comes to a mobile-friendly website, it is critical to display your content and text correctly to any different size of screens and devices. For example, if your website requires users to zoom in every time they read texts, you’re giving a poor and uncomfortable user experience.

What’s more, it is good for your overall SEO performance. A mobile website provides improved rankings on search engines and drives customer traffic. Also, it enhances mobile user experience and user satisfaction.

Responsive web design

Responsive web design (RWD) adapts and changes web content depending on screen sizes and browsers. It gives you better SEO results and helps you to improve user experience.

Designing your website and content focusing on how a user makes use of it is of vital importance. From homepage design and layout to web forms, make sure to offer great usability and work on increasing mobile user engagement.

You can read this guide to better understand what it is and how to use it.

Loading time

Another way of enhancing mobile user experience is to reduce loading time. Now that more than half of visitors leave a page if they’re forced to wait longer than 3 seconds, you must improve your page speed as fast as possible.

There are many techniques to improve your page speed:

• Avoid landing page redirects.
• Enable compression.
• Improve server response time.
• Leverage browser caching.
• Minify resources.
• Optimize images.
• Optimize CSS delivery.
• Prioritize visible content.
• Remove render-blocking JavaScript.
• Use asynchronous scripts.
• Avoid plugins.
• Configure the viewport.
• Size content to viewport.

Size tap targets appropriately

Use legible font sizes

You can use PageSpeed Insights from Google to make your web page faster.

Text-based marketing

Text-based marketing is a fundamental and promotional way to reach out to a target audience. As texting is the most used mobile device feature, you are able to communicate with the right message directly and stay in touch with them in a comfortable way.

Besides, the global SMS open rate is over 90% and its click-through rate is better than email. You can send promotions, updates, confirmations, and reminders using text messaging. Text messaging allows you to promote your business and generate leads effectively.

What makes text-based messaging so powerful is that it is cheap and you can automate all the activities for great user engagement. However, you have limits of space to send your messages and function to attract your audience and integrate with other apps.

SMS Marketing

Short Message Service (SMS) is the most used mobile marketing approach. It allows you to have instant communication with customers through short text messages up to 160 characters. Since it only requires the phone numbers to send, it is easy to get started with SMS marketing.

SMS marketing can bring the best engagement and conversion rates of any of the marketing methods. You can increase brand awareness. Thus, making your audience feel comfortable to open your short message and click on the link in it. That will help you not to go into a spam folder.

Opt-in SMS marketing is a more comfortable way for both sides to communicate. You can ask your prospects and customers for permission to keep sending your marketing messages. Remember to give instructions to opt-out, with a short message like “Text STOP to opt out.”

MMS Marketing

Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) is when you send a message but with an image, video, or some other type of multimedia on it.

What’s different from SMS is that you deliver information through email addresses instead of phone numbers. So with MMS you can send long-form texts and include images, videos, voice data, etc.

Push notification

A push notification is a message or alert that pops up on desktop and mobile devices. You can send personalized information, reminders, and advertisements to users after you ask for permission (opt-in) to receive your message.

As the opt-in rates are much higher on Android devices (91.1%) than iOS (43.9%), it can be one of the easiest ways to send messages to your targeted audience and increase user engagement.

With push notification, it is easy to segment your target audience based on real-time website behavior, device type, geographic information, etc. It helps you to acquire new customers, encourage users to complete certain tasks on your website, and convert abandoned carts into sales.

Also, you can conduct an A/B test to check which title/message/CTA/image works better with your audience. So you can perform your best to drive engagement and conversion.

Find out more information about push notifications in this post .

Location-based service

Location Based Service (LBS) is a service to deliver custom information or promotions based on the geographic information of mobile devices through GPS. It gives you a better understanding of user behavior by tracking analysis.

This works especially well when they are physically close to your business. Using location-based mobile marketing you are not only able to attract new customers, but also accelerate your local business and drive O2O marketing effectively.

Thus, LBS sends your marketing messages to potential and current customers effectively. Besides, it gathers their information in real-time and customizes your marketing campaigns to fit your customer’s location.

If you’re looking for more information about location-based marketing, you’ll love this publisher’s guide.

A famous example of LBS is a “check-in.” Mostly it is visible on social media to the friends of the person who “check-in”. So it can be social proof of your business, drive personal referrals, and increase your local business exposure.

What’s more, check-in is a geo-targeted service that allows you to provide additional information about your business, engage users, and offer promotional offers like discounts or coupons.

Make sure to activate your check-ins and monitor activities frequently. It gives you the chance to interact with users and draw them into customers. Also, you can get a better idea of who’s checking, what they’re saying about you, and how you can approach them effectively.

Mobile advertising is a fast-growing and influential promotion method that displays advertisements on mobile web pages and in mobile apps.

As the global mobile device usage is continuously growing, you cannot miss this amazing opportunity to reach out to a wide range of active users and convert them into your customers.

By placing relevant information on what users are doing with their mobile devices, it is not only possible to attract users, but also to significantly improve lead generation and sales.

Mobile coupon

A mobile coupon is an electronic coupon delivered to mobile devices. It allows users to access a certain web page and receive valuable information or special deals/discounts/rebates when purchasing a product or service.

According to a mobile coupon survey , 25% of the responders redeem texted coupons within three days, and 60% redeem them within a week. Many shoppers are influenced by coupons and discounts. So, a mobile coupon plays a key role in consumers’ purchasing decisions.

Thus, you have a great opportunity to promote your product or service, increase customer traffic, build a customer database, and deepen customer loyalty with mobile coupons.

A QR code is a readable barcode by camera-equipped mobile devices. It stores specific texts or web URLs to let people take specific actions, such as visiting a mobile website, offering coupons and deals, or giving downloadable information.

With a QR code, you can provide users with convenience and great user experience at the same time. It will guide users to a particular page and induce people to take the desired action.

However, you need to work on its disadvantages. Since QR codes need to be scanned with a mobile device, obviously you are asking users to take additional action before receiving your offers. You must give clear benefits and persuasive messages for users to scan your QR code.

Mobile Apps

As 90% of mobile time is spent on apps , mobile apps have sunk into our lives. They are distinct from a mobile website and they bring a huge opportunity for businesses to boost brand awareness, highly engage with users, improve customer service and increase customer loyalty.

Most importantly, you can offer better personalization with mobile apps. Since they track user engagement and collect data, you can offer customized content and a personalized experience. Also, mobile apps allow you to send push notifications at a point of sales so that they have higher conversion rates.

Besides, mobile apps can utilize mobile device features such as phone, camera, GPS, contact lists, Face ID, etc. This will give you additional value that can differentiate you from your competition. It enhances user experience and generates customer satisfaction.

Social media marketing

Social media is a cost-effective and interactive marketing channel for businesses to reach prospects and customers, increase brand awareness and traffic, promote your content, and engage with them.

As there are about 3.5 billion active social media users, marketing your business on social media has so much potential. It allows you to promote your brand and content and helps you to find your audience in an easy and fast manner.

Besides, you can easily join any conversation and offer real-time customer services. So, it is effective to perform one-to-one marketing and develop relationships with users.

Mobile payment

Mobile payment is an electronic point-of-sale (EPOS) transaction which makes it easier for users to make payments. This improves cash flow, conversions, and user experience.

Since app stores keep track of the purchase information each time the user buys something, it allows you to access customer data and integrate loyalty programs. For example, you can use this data to offer reward points, coupons and more.

If you’re not familiar with mobile payment, check out this great Q&A post .

Don’t forget

Mobile marketing only works if you offer mobile users content that is optimized for mobile platforms and display it correctly. Keep in mind that mobile devices have diverse platforms with different screen sizes. And the performance varies for each browser.

Mobile marketing is very effective by collecting user data like preferences and searching history through mobile devices.

But you need to deal with users’ data privacy and security carefully and you must be transparent about your use of personal data.

When it comes to promotion, marketers tend to focus on the online marketing strategies I mentioned earlier.

However, you cannot neglect the power of public relations (PR) to promote your business.

In this chapter, you’re going to learn what PR are about and how you can leverage them.

What are public relations?

Public relations focus on strategic communication management in marketing that develops better relationships between organizations and their public. They help you to maintain a good brand image and a stronger relationship with your audience.

One of the main PR functions is storytelling through the media. It spreads your story to the public and builds your credibility among your audience. Another one is marketing communication that handles good and bad perceptions of your corporate images.

As you can see, public relations aren’t all about getting brand mentions and promoting your business. Without striving to keep your brand image clean and safe, you won’t achieve marketing communication success.

The roles of public relations

Public relations support your brand building, expand your messaging reach, minimize your damage by negative publicities, and shape your organization image. Thus, PR have so many functions.

If you’re new to public relations, check out the following roles below:

• Media representation.
• Content development.
• Media relations.
• Community relations.
• Financial relations.
• Government relations.
• Employee relations.
• Customer/Client relations.
• Investor relations.
• Influencer relations.
• Marketing communication.
• Public affairs.
• Reputation management.
• Crisis management.
• Social media management.

Building a good brand image is not an easy task and it will take time till you feel the power of public relations. But if you have a brand and a business to run, you won’t want to miss what public relations can bring to your business!

Do you want to know why it’s worth implementing?

Then, let’s see what advantages you can expect from operating public relations!

Benefits of public relations

Public relations can secure beneficial relationships with the public and protect your established brand from negative publicities. This will drive so many advantages to your business and support your business producing the best results.

Here are some benefits of public relations that you can gain:

• Shape a better brand image both online and offline.
• Highly target your market and audience.
• Attract public, investors, partners, stakeholders, and employees.
• Generate leads.
• Cost-effective (more than advertising).
• Build trust and educate your target audience.
• Influence the perception, knowledge, behavior of your audience.
• Obtain credibility, reliability, and authority.
• Generate positive media coverage.
• Develop long-term relationships.
• Expose your brand to a large audience.
• Raise brand awareness.
• Gain endorsements from a third-party media outlet.
• Avoid false information spreading.
• Minimize the damage and crisis of your brand reputation.
• Establish your brand.
• Improve customer experience.
• Boost your brand mentions.
• Increase qualified traffic.
• Enhance social media engagement.
• Gain backlinks.
• Acquire new customers and retain current customers.
• Drive revenue and profits.

Public relations are quite different from marketing which focuses more on sales by direct and promotional marketing. Yet, they share common goals such as promoting news, raising awareness, and improving attitudes.

Public relations focus not only on impacting the perception and behavior of the target audience, but also on preventing reputation attacks. Those activities will eventually build positive relationships with the public.

Now you know what PR is all about, let’s get to the point – how you can implement them as a part of your promotion. I’m going to share some key PR activities that you can apply to your strategies.

Content Development

To nurture your audience and build a good image of your brand, content development is one of the key activities for public relations. It is necessary that you get some endorsements from the media to promote what you’re and what you can bring to the market. But it’s not enough to make the public get a better understanding of you.

With content development, you can share your pitches from your angle and promote your message to your target audience. This way, you will capture more qualified leads who are already interested in your keywords, topics, or business.

Press release

A press release is one of the most valuable assets in public relations. It can reach a wide range of audiences, and generate media coverage, and it creates public awareness like journalists and media outlets. 

You can include anything you need to tell your story within a few pages. However, there are some content aspects a press release should contain:

• A compelling headline that attracts the public.
• Subheadings.
• Body in detail.
• Release date.
• Contact information.

A press release is a great opportunity to promote your brand professionally. You can send out as many as you like from different angles. This will lead your audience to find you as they need. Be sure to triple check if your press release is proofreading and error-free before media distribution!

Website content

As you already know, your website is a critical component of digital marketing performance . PR’s content development is not only about a press release. You can promote your business on your website by adding features that make your website visitors get to know you better.

Here are some examples you can consider:

1. Develop an attractive About Us page.

An ‘About Us’ page is a very important page on your website. This is the place where you can introduce any appealing information for your website visitors to understand who you are, how you can help them, what you’ve done to solve the problems your customers and clients have, etc. 

Many people think that an ‘About Us’ page should be all about yourself. But it’s the place where you need to focus on how your target audience reads your content and how you can persuade them to do business with you. If you have more things to talk about, you can write a blog post or a case study.

2. Winning industry awards.

Winning awards boosts your credibility and reputation. It showcases your achievements and how reliable your service is. It is time-consuming and requires extra work to get awards, but you cannot miss out this big chance to win the trust of your audience. Even for the people who don’t know your business, award marks are effective.

Either on the ‘About Us’ page or at the footer, it is a great chance to show your credentials, awards, and certifications. Be sure to apply for quality and credible awards. This will make your audience feel confident to trust and try your business.

3. Update blog posts.

Blogging is an effective public relations tool to promote your work. It enhances not only your reputation, but also your authority. Let’s see if you write how-to posts about your industry topics that your audience may want to hear about. It is helpful for them to figure out what’s going on, especially from someone (you) who they consider as an expert. Also, it can show that you care about them.

There are so many reasons why you need to blog, but one of them is that a blog post is shareable. So you can spread your messages to a large audience and your readers can also share it. This way, your content gets more exposure and generates extra leads.

4. Create case studies.

A case study is one of the best ways to showcase your business value and the effectiveness of your marketing performance. It tells a successful story about how effective your business is dealing with your customers. You should choose the most valuable stories that brought satisfying solutions.

Most potential customers want to know how you did your job with others before they contact you. To grab your audience’s attention and convince them that you’re the best choice, you must make your case study as specific as possible. Don’t exaggerate your story, and use the real numbers!

5. Ask for testimonials and reviews.

Social proof is a powerful marketing technique that you should include in your website content to boost your value. People believe and trust what others say more than your words. So, it is vital to add testimonials and reviews on your website. They strengthen your credibility and convert your visitors into your customers.

For collecting testimonials and reviews, you should ask your customers and clients to give you feedback right after your delivery. Otherwise, you may lose the opportunity to ask for a testimonial and get detailed information from them. Remember what others say matters most to your potential customers and clients!

6. Video content.

Considering the fact that video is one of the favorite types of content that people like to consume, you should think about creating one for your business. It takes lots of time and effort to make one, but you cannot overlook that video content drives qualified leads and better SEO to your business.

Video is easy to consume and people are 95% more likely to remember the message in video content rather than text-only content. Besides, it also increases user engagement.

Though, it is key to make your video interesting and work on how to prevent bounces by hooking viewers at the very beginning!

Consider adding a good promotional video to your website.

7. Infographics.

Infographics are eye-catching content that support your message. It helps you to tell your story visually and deliver complex information in the easiest way. As infographics get higher engagement on social media , they can generate more traffic and improve your SEO.

My advice here is that you should create infographics as an assistant of your content like blog posts. Although they are generally used as a supportive channel, infographics are a great link building tool and a helpful source for your audience. Especially for busy people who write articles.

It is always a good idea to go to PR events in order to interact with professionals in your industry and its audience. PR events can be your great shots to build relationships with real-people, develop your professional profile and polish your brand image.

There are three ways to participate in PR events:

1. Be a speaker in PR events.

Public speaking is one of the most powerful ways of sharing your message and building your credibility with the audience. With strong communication skills, you can influence and create relationships with them. What’s more, public speaking helps you to grow your business and career.

So, you must improve your communication, critical thinking, and leadership skills to inspire people. You should test which tools and equipment work best for your messaging. And when you give a speech, be confident and enjoy!

2. Organize PR events.

Sponsoring PR events can put your business front and center. It will generate brand awareness and improve consumer perception of your business. Normally event attendees provide personal data like contact information. So you can organize your event more related to them and strive to strengthen relationships with them by sending emails after the event.

Speaking in front of a large audience can be terrifying, but choosing your guest speakers is hard. Since your PR event must reflect your brand image, you cannot risk the event’s success to guest speakers.

Though, if you decide to do so, you should select them carefully by checking their previous speeches and talking in person before making a decision.

Last but not least, you must prepare your backup plans in case something goes wrong. Otherwise, it can destroy your reputation, brand image, and relationships.

3. Attend industry events.

You should search for events in your industry and attend them for your network. Industry events are a gathering of professionals and their audience so that it is a great PR opportunity for you to meet people and start business relationships with them.

Who knows you might meet your future clients and partners in the events. Your business chances are laid in anywhere. All you have to do is look around and grab them!

Public relations play a significant role in your business development and marketing communication. And it spreads a positive image to everyone. Thus, you should incorporate public relations into your promotion strategies if you haven’t done it already.

Promotional marketing metrics are very important factors to spread your brand. Tracking and analyzing your performance helps you to do your best and develop better strategies.

Before completing your promotion strategy, let’s check out some promotional marketing metrics.

Measuring your performance is extremely important because it will tell you whether your approach is worth continuing and you need to modify your strategies.

Without knowing promotional effectiveness, you may waste your time and effort focusing on results that don’t bring any benefits for you.

The bottom line:

I’m going to share key metrics for content promotion, website performance, and advertising so that you can strive for your best promotion.

So let’s get to it!

Content promotion metrics

Content marketing works when you track and measure the right metrics for your goals. Although which metrics to track depends on your business and your content marketing goals and strategies, the following metrics are essential.

Consumption

Seo performance, lead-generation.

These metrics are not all you should track. They can be useful to understand your performance better. But as I mentioned earlier, you need to match your goals and what metrics to measure.

Website performance metrics

Simply, website performance metrics are indicators of whether your website is successfully working or not.

And here’s the point:

No matter how awesome your content is, you won’t be able to make the most out of it if your website performance is bad.

It means that you must check out the efficiency of your website before your promotion. You can use a website speed test tool like WebPageTest to improve the usability and user experience on your website.

Here are some key indicators for speeding up your website performance:

Digital advertising metrics

Digital advertising is one of the most common advertising techniques. Still, every lead you get with it has a direct acquisition cost.

Therefore, it is very important to track digital advertising metrics not only to improve efficiency but also to reduce costs. Otherwise, you may get a negative ROI.

The following are critical for digital advertising success:

With successful promotion strategies, you will be able to increase the engagement and conversion of your products and services. They will also help you to make more sales and grow your business as a result.

There you have the step-by-step promotion tactics and useful techniques that you can implement right away.

What is important is, don’t wait for things to happen, take the initiative.

Now I would like to hear from you!

Which of the promotion strategy formulas in this post are you going to apply?

Or perhaps did I miss your favorite strategies…?

Leave a comment to let me know what you think!

6 thoughts on “Promotion Strategy: How to Promote Your Business [2023]”

that’s an amazing article

Thank you Akhil, I’m glad you like it!

Very interesting and informative post. keep sharing.

Thanks for your great information, want to hear more from you.

Great post! I find it very interesting going through the write-up. The main point is clear to understand, and I find them very resourceful. Hoping to see more similar content.

thanks for sharing very interesting post .

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

9 Marketing Promotion Strategies from Concept to Top Brands Practice

A promotion strategy is key for positioning your brand on the market, making people aware of the products or services you offer, and how they could benefit by choosing you. 

But with so many brands offering similar products or services as you do, your promotional techniques may be decisive for many potential clients.

What Is a Promotion Strategy?

A promotion strategy is defined by the plan and tactics you implement in your marketing plan to increase your product or service demand. Promotional strategies play a vital role in the marketing mix (product, price, placement, and promotion), and they revolve around:

• Target audience . Who you are selling for, and what are their interests;
• Budget . How much you are willing to invest in promotion;
• Plan of action . What strategy you are adopting to reach your objectives and make sales.

The promotion strategy is part of the bigger picture, which is the marketing strategy.

So What Is a Marketing Strategy?

The marketing strategy definition refers to the strategic planning and long-term actions of any organization with the purpose of achieving defined goals.

These strategies can be inbound (pull marketing) or outbound (push marketing).

What Are the Best Examples of Marketing Strategies?

1. Content marketing

2. Social media marketing

3. Email marketing

4. Referral marketing

5. Event sponsoring

6. Influencer marketing

7. Promotions

8. Offering refunds

9. Customer loyalty programs

What Is The Difference Between Inbound and Outbound Marketing?

Inbound marketing is the strategic process that uses pull marketing—content marketing, blogs, events, SEO, social media—to create brand awareness and attract new customers. 

This process often happens even before the potential customers decide to make a purchase. The first step is to know and connect with the brand to which they will eventually come back to take action.

Being a form of native marketing, inbound marketing relies a lot on organic leads, making your brand appear more human because the methods used in this type of marketing strategy don’t look overly promotional. They are somewhat educational and entertaining. Once your customers discover you through a good, informational piece of content, they will instantly trust you more.

Outbound or push marketing refers to any strategy where a company performs a more traditional form of marketing, such as TV commercials, radio ads, print advertisements, or sales calls (known as cold calls). You could say it’s a more aggressive form of marketing, which may bring sales on the spot, but it has a lower ROI than inbound marketing. 

Being driven by sales, outbound marketing doesn’t really allow a company to build long-term relationships with customers . 

What Roles Do Marketing Promotion Strategies Play?

Marketing promotion strategies play four different roles that look like a funnel that leads to purchasing:

• Build awareness 

Start making your target audience aware of your brand. To build it, you must first identify the profile of the people you want to reach.

• Make people interested  

Once you get your product/service out there, create interest around it, and make people intrigued and interested while differentiating your brand from the competition.

• Create product/service demand

In this step of the funnel, people will start relating emotionally to your product/service by seeing something that may benefit them.

• Make them take action

Create a way for your target audience to engage with your product/service. Place a call-to-action button on your website, emails, ads, social media profiles, or entice them with an irresistible offer. Get inspired by these sales promotion examples that work.

9 Types of Inbound Marketing Promotion Strategies

It’s time to see some of the best and most efficient inbound marketing strategies that will bring leads and turn your audience into loyal customers.

1. Drive More Traffic with Content Marketing

Content marketing is one of the key marketing strategies that can help you bring your brand in front of your audience. 

It’s a form of educating your customers about the products and services you offer and related topics in your industry.

A content marketing strategy is the very definition of a win-win situation. Your audience learns how to solve specific problems while you generate leads and increase sales.

Let’s say you are a company that sells tires, and you start blogging about the importance of choosing the correct tires, when to change them, safety, and so on. This type of content will help you start building trust, making your brand a good candidate for their next tire purchase, which makes content marketing a precious indirect form of promotion strategy. 

You might be surprised how important this matter is, but digital content marketing doesn’t resume at blogging. It’s everywhere. Online paid advertising or sponsored ads, websites, digital flipbooks , social platforms, and so on.

Of course, content marketing is more than just content. The process begins with creation (based on a solid digital content strategy) and is followed by promotion, measurement, and constant optimization. However, there’s a learning curve to it in which the secret ingredient is patience.

Here are a few types of digital content marketing you can explore:

• Blog posts 

A prevalent yet powerful form of inbound marketing, blog posts help you promote internal and external content, include product or service information, or simply educate your audience regarding a topic from your niche.

Articles are the perfect way of increasing website ranking and boost your landing pages for free. You just have to do a bit of research before writing so you can incorporate SEO content marketing as well. 

• Infographics

Infographics are a great form of visualization between images and data. They are engaging and easy to understand, as they are constructed based on short text, numbers, data, and graphics.

You can share them as a single standalone piece of content or include them in the visual anatomy of blog posts and sustain an idea even better.

Some people are really good at multitasking, so they are able to workout while also stimulating the mind. The perfect way to serve them informational content in this scenario is to create a podcast for your business.

A 2020 survey shows that 37% of U.S. adults listened to a podcast in the last month . Moreover, this percent has tripled over the past decade.

It can be a sign your brand should invest in a podcast, which allows you to be extremely creative and open to choices. For example, you can invite influencers to talk about a subject from your niche or explore a more extensive topic that you can break down into more episodes.

Also, you can always repurpose your blog posts into podcasts or vice versa. 

Nowadays, online video marketing drives a lot of engagement. 

People often want to learn something fast and, if possible, in a more passive way. 96% of people watched an explainer video to find out more about a product or service. For these situations, it’s good to have informative videos prepared for your video content marketing.

Moreover, video marketing is a powerful way to boost conversions and improve ROI. The proof is 87% of video marketers who say video has increased traffic to their website.

Again, you can repurpose your written content into videos and save more time in the creative process. You can use video editing apps like Instasize to help you produce high-quality content straight from your smartphone — no professional experience needed. In your product marketing strategy, don’t forget to include video as well.

Like we said earlier, content marketing is everywhere, even in the form of paid ads. You will find them on a wide range of websites, on social media, landing pages, or banners.

Paid search advertising is still inbound marketing because your ads are a part of native marketing, and they only appear when people perform a search related to the products or services you offer. So, they’re not intrusive or aggressive. 

The paid ads will help you reach a broader audience and place your product/services anywhere you wish them to be visible.

Don’t forget that content marketing is more than just creating content. Based on your overall marketing strategy, the process begins with creation, followed by promotion, measurement, and constant optimization. Without good SEO content marketing, your content may never be discovered.

One of the best promotion examples of a great content marketing strategy is H&M’s sales promotion strategy. Inside H&M is their way of offering customers valuable information about their collections and fashion trends from the industry focused on local culture.

Image Source

Related articles:

7 Online Marketing Strategies And Examples Every Entrepreneur Should Learn Today

13 Sales Promotion Techniques To Boost Your Sales + Case Studies

Local Business Advertising: 20 Strategies To Start Thriving Now

2. Explore the Power of Social Media 

This again is content, but because it’s such an essential part of your marketing strategy, it deserves a section of its own.

With over 3.6 billion people using social media worldwide , social media marketing is a great way to share your promotional content.

Luckily, you can use a few social media platforms, depending on the audience you wish to target. Experiment with Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest , Linkedin, Snapchat, or YouTube ads , and see which one suits you best.

Before starting, see where you should invest your social media marketing budget and what type of ads these platforms can host. Snapchat, for example, is associated with youngsters, while LinkedIn is a platform for professionals. 

Also, don’t forget that YouTube is the second most popular search engine after Google, so it’s definitely worth taking a look at it.

Find the right social media platform for your brand and take advantage of everything it has to offer.

Communicate with your audience online. Social media marketing is a great mediator between your potential customers and your brand.

Keep in mind that your approaches should be different on most social media channels. You have to use targeted posts and display ad designs to maximize online conversions with a buyer persona . 

Take a look at Audi’s social media marketing strategy on social media. At first glance, you might call their Instagram page boring. But if you look closer, you’ll see that boring is not the right word. I’d instead call them persistent. 

Their attitude towards social media is “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it.” They simply stick to what they know works for their audience. Their Instagram social media marketing strategy is pretty simple and catchy. 

Luxurious images with expensive cars in impressive and flattering lighting—guaranteed success for an Instagram account with 15.7 million followers.

3. Use Email Marketing to Drive Engagement and Sales

Email marketing can be part of an inbound promotion strategy, as well as an outbound promotion strategy. 

It’s up to you how you want to use it.

But when used correctly, an email marketing campaign proves to be extremely effective in a brand’s marketing strategy.

Here are some email marketing stats to convince you:

• There are 3.9 billion daily email users, a number predicted to climb to 4.3 billion by 2023. ( Statista )
• Marketers who implemented segmented (personalized) email campaigns have witnessed a 760% increase in revenue. ( Campaign Monitor )
• On average, marketers send 3-5 emails per week. ( Not Another State of Marketing )
• Over the last 12 months, 78% of marketers observed an increase in email engagement. ( Not Another State of Marketing )
• 31% of B2B marketers recognized email newsletters as the best way to generate leads. ( Content Marketing Institute )
• 81% of B2B marketers say their most used form of content marketing is email newsletters. ( Content Marketing Institute )
• 87% of B2B marketers say email campaigns are one of their top choices for organic distribution channels. ( Content Marketing Institute )
• 90% of content marketers measure content performance according to email engagement. ( Content Marketing Institute )
• 46% of all emails are opened on mobile devices. ( Litmus.com )

Inbound email marketing campaign focuses on building a relationship with the readers instead of spamming them with overly promotional emails. 

An inbound email marketing strategy should keep count of a few things, such as the message’s value and timing. 

Once you create your lists of email addresses, it means you have the right people who are actually interested in your product or service. Next, the only thing you have to do for your email campaign is to provide your subscribers with quality content, preferably targeted through segmentation. 

Send newsletters, feature launches, event invitations, or news from the industry. You can also use your email campaigns to remind people of your social media presence so that they could follow you.

Here’s an example from Course Hero.

4. Run Referral Marketing to Incentivize Existing Customers

When it comes to referrals, the numbers speak for themselves. 92% of people will rather trust a product or service recommendation from a friend than any other form of marketing.

Word of mouth advertising, also known as WOM, is one of the most valuable examples of pull promotional strategies. While experts consider it one of the strongest methods out there, it is also the most difficult to obtain.

There are two types of WOM advertising, also called word of mouth marketing (WOMM): 

• Organic, which refers to recommendations from one person to another without your interference, but simply because they are satisfied with the product/service; 
• Through referral programs and advertising campaigns designed to encourage or accelerate WOM in existing or new communities .

These two work hand in hand. Once you have a great marketing campaign, you will also bring leads organically.

77% of consumers trust reviews more than advertising, and because today, 4.66 billion people have access to the internet and are digitally connected, imagine what a single recommendation or positive review will do. News travels super fast on the internet.

Yes, it requires a lot of time and effort, especially if your brand is new on the market. However, there are a few techniques that encourage this type of brand promotion strategy. 

Consider creating a referral program in which customers who share their brand experience are rewarded in a certain way. Maybe a discount on their next purchase, a gift card, or anything that will make them feel appreciated. After all, inbound marketing strategy promotion plans have the customer experience as their top priority.

WOMM is an ongoing process, but it will get easier as your brand grows.

You can also create social media groups and start a community around your brand. 

Eventually, happy customers will start to advertise the brand without adding any extra effort to the process. Having impartial people praise your business and become your brand ambassadors on social networks is the most natural form of advertising. 

Keep in mind that before even starting to determine people to create buzz around your brand, you have to make sure you can offer everyone a great customer experience from the moment they enter your website to the checkout point.

If you are still questioning yourself about this marketing tactic, I’ll give you clear referral marketing examples in practice. 

Let’s say you are going on a trip to Barcelona. Before your arrival there, what would be one of the first things you usually do? Bingo! Check for recommendations. You look for blogs, Instagram pictures or profiles, Tripadvisor reviews, and so on. In one way or another, all of those are part of a referral marketing promotion strategy.

Adidas’ sales promotion strategy not only includes referrals but also uses dark social media (sharing content through a third party) to get those much-needed recommendations.

“70% of global brand referrals are from dark social, not Twitter or Facebook.” , says Adidas senior director of global brand communications Florian Alt. Thus, back in 2016, Adidas started their Tango Squads campaign. 

They started operating groups on messaging apps , such as WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, to share exclusive content, pre-launch announcements, etc. This move’s principle is simple: link brand supporters, feed them valuable information and have them spread it with the world.

These are the guys who will push out your stories and content. They give it longevity and authenticity because they are talking in a private messaging environment. If it comes as a referral from your mate, you’re much more likely to pick it up than if it comes from a brand, says Alt .

5. Sponsor Events to Provide Customer Experiences

Sponsorships and inbound marketing go together like peanut butter and jelly. 

But there is a fine line between event sponsorship being outbound or inbound. 

The main difference is that outbound sponsorships usually chase down attendees to make them buy. In contrast, inbound sponsorship focuses on providing attendees with quality information, valuable content, and customer experience, aiming to build a long-lasting relationship.

Of course, the main goal is the same–turning potential customers into loyal customers. What’s different is the approach. 

Think about how you would provide value to attendees through an event and then advertise it. For example, have someone represent your brand to perform an inspiring speech and share it on social media, create a flyer, or make a professional banner with helpful information for future participants.

Also, create an opportunity for your participants to test your products during the event. In this way, you’re offering a customer experience and a chance to see your product’s benefits.

Inbound sponsorship is about building the foundation of a loyal brand-customer relationship. It might not follow through right then and there, but if what you offer is valuable enough for the participant, it will eventually turn them into loyal customers.  

Other benefits of sponsored events:

• Build a reputation
• Increase brand visibility
• New business partnerships
• Building a community

This strategy works great also in local business advertising .

I am pretty sure you all know already about one of the most famous partnership campaigns of all time. So far, PepsiCo has been using this sponsorship marketing promotional strategy to support the NFL, and it’s getting on like smoke.  

6. Work with Influencers to Increase Brand Awareness

Working with influencers is like making the best of traditional word of mouth marketing but in the digital landscape. And this is even better because you can also measure its performance through likes, shares, social media engagement, referrals, clicks, and conversions.

89% of marketers claim the ROI is as good as or even better than other marketing strategies, and 71% say influencer marketing brings them quality leads and better traffic.

Think about this: an influencer has already built a community of loyal social media followers that trust him/her. 

Once you decide to work with influencers, you can reach thousands of potential customers.

Here are some tips for starting your partnership with an influencer:

       1. Choose them carefully

They have to be relevant for your industry and somewhat specialized in a specific topic and category that fits your niche. Try to narrow down the criteria before choosing them to make sure you’ll find the best matches for your campaigns. 

      2. Work with more than one influencer

A famous influencer in your industry may not be that popular among many followers, especially if they’re at the micro-influencer stage. Choose more than one to advertise for your brand and reach more people at once. For instance, if you were trying to start a Boba shop in your area, you may be better off finding two or three smaller foodie influencers in your local area to showcase your shop as opposed to finding one larger influencer who primarily focuses on beauty and fashion.

      3. Set campaign goals

Define your campaign goals to know what to ask and expect from the influencer you’re working with. Do you want to drive conversions, boost your brand’s reach, increase the number of followers on social media, or be more prevalent in new markets? Do a bit of research before choosing an influencer to see if that’s the right way to help you reach your target.

     4. Allow them to be creative and add their own touch

Once you’re decided on your advertising partner, let them do their magic. The influencer knows best how to engage with their followers and the best way to promote a brand without looking fake or pushy.

3 easy ideas to use when working with an influencer:

    1. Give them discount codes

One way to make your product/service more visible and increase sales is to collaborate with influencers, so they announce discount codes for specific products you’re offering.

    2. Run contests and giveaways

This one works like a charm. You choose the influencer that announces the contest’s rules on their social media account. They may include steps like:

• Tag a friend
• Like the post 
• Follow the brand’s page
• Share the post
• Create content related to the brand
• Leave a comment

    3. Send products for review

You can develop a partnership with an influencer and send them products to review. It’s a win-win situation. They get free products, and you get advertising.

Influencer marketing is cost-effective , especially if you choose to work with micro-influencers , which is also an extremely efficient and trustworthy option. 

This partnership benefits the brand in more than one way:

• You will quickly build a trustworthy brand;
• Your products/services will reach your target audience fast;
• Increases brand awareness and turns customers into brand ambassadors.

When it comes to choosing the social media platforms for promoting your brand through influencer marketing campaigns, focus on those where your target audience spends their time.

According to Mediakix , 89% of marketers say Instagram is vital to their influencer marketing strategy , followed by Instagram Stories, with 73% and YouTube with 56%.

Long story short, an influencer marketing promotion strategy can help you speed up your brand awareness. Thus, giving your brand more credibility and power of retention.

One example of a successful influencer marketing campaign is the one from Under Armour. Their campaign focused on 35 athletes taking pictures of them while working out in Under Armour clothes and using the hashtag #FindYourOnePercent.

Here’s one of the athletes in action:

7. Use Free Samples, Sales Coupons, and Promotions to Boost Sales

Alright, let’s face it. Discounts are everywhere, and people love that. Whether they take the form of a free sample, a coupon, or a promotion, sales can actually be a great example of an inbound marketing strategy for products. 

However, inbound sales aim for something more than just a simple purchase. When it comes to inbound/pull marketing, it shouldn’t be just a one time fling but a long-lasting, serious relationship.

So, which promotional strategies count as inbound marketing?

Think about the times in which you decide to buy a monthly subscription for a particular brand, and after you check out their price lists, you realize that the yearly subscription is way cheaper. 

Now that is inbound marketing. Aiming for long runs instead of short ones.

Another common practice is giving free samples. If you want, we can call this “the drug temptation.” Why? Because it works exactly like that. 

The brand is confident that the person who tries the product for free will be willing to pay the full amount to repeat the experience. On the other hand, the customers are more than willing to try something for free without any strings attached. So, it’s again a win-win situation.

The same principle applies to free trials and demos. I’m sure you’re all familiar with the famous “first month for free” line. As harmless as it sounds, it is part of the same marketing plan.

HBO GO knows this sales promotion technique very well and is embracing it with its arms open.

Another fairly typical example of successful sales promotions is coupons, again for the same reasons. What do coupons do? They imply a specific customer behavior: repetitiveness.

Repetitive purchases create a particular type of familiarity with the product that can quickly turn into loyalty.

8. Offer Refunds & Rebates to Keep Customers Happy

Refunds and rebates are some of the classics in product promotion strategies. The concept behind them is pretty similar. However, they are different in essence and practice.

Refunds represent a way of guaranteeing your customers about the quality of your product. Does the “money-back guarantee” sound familiar to you? This promotion marketing tactic works like reverse psychology. Knowing that you can get your money back if you are not satisfied with the product will make you want to try it.

Of course, businesses that adopt this type of brand promotion strategy mostly know customers won’t ask for their money back because they will fall in love with the brand.

So, before you embrace this kind of strategy, make sure you offer a good quality product.

On the other hand, rebates are counting on a different thing–the comeback of the customer. 

How does it work?  

In this particular marketing strategy, the partial discount, aka rebate, is offered only when the purchased quantity reaches a specific limit. 

The targeted public here is not potential customers, but rather existing customers, in the hopes of securing customer loyalty.

Think about an expensive bottle of champagne. Let’s say it costs around $200. Adopting a rebate promotion marketing tactic won’t make people who never tried it before buying two bottles of it. Chances are, customers who are already familiar with your brand will be interested in purchasing a second bottle for that price. 

And that’s how rebates work.

A great example of a rebate is Apple’s sales promotion strategy. Until today, Apple has been taking advantage of rebates to establish long-term customer relationships with certain target groups. Every year, Apple addresses students with approaches such as the one above during back to school promotions.

9. Create Customer Loyalty Programs and Patronage Rewards to Increase Customer Satisfaction

An oldie but goldie.

Brands have been rewarding their loyal customers before this concept even existed. Whether it takes points and client scores or just simple bonuses at their customer anniversaries, loyalty programs and patronage rewards follow the path of pull marketing strategies.

Moreover, it makes customers feel appreciated and important, creating a special personal bond with the brand itself. 

This marketing promotion strategy is usually encountered in brands that have a touch of corporate to it. 

From bank points for credit card purchases to free internet from telecommunication companies, customer rewards are very famous in pull marketing.

Take a look at Lufthansa and its Miles & More program. It’s the most extensive loyalty program in Europe and has over 20 million members worldwide .

The bottom line of this rewards program is the more you fly with them, the better the benefits: better comfort, better prices, faster layovers, and many other privileges.

Finding The Right Marketing Promotion Strategy 

The truth is, a promotion strategy isn’t a one size fits all type of plan.

Think about a simple white T-shirt. How would you sell it to a teenager in comparison to a woman in her mid-50s? The same product, same fabric, same material. Two different audiences, two different approaches. When selling to a teenager, it will probably be about being trendy and cool, while in the second case, it may have something to do with staying classy and looking put together.

You can’t just blindly follow some steps and expect success because multiple factors influence this. 

It almost always has to do with positioning (I mentioned this in the promotion definition), quality of the product, the market’s power of purchase, economy, trends, needs, localization, access to the product or service, and product category. And let’s not forget about the most important influencer: the audience.

Here are a few tips before starting a promotion strategy:

• Set your promotional goals  so you have a realistic sense of where you’re headed.
• Set your budget to help you prioritize your actions.
• Define your target audience to know the approach you will use in your campaigns.
• Choose the promotion types that are the most effective and appropriate for your goals and budget.
• Start working on the key message of your campaign.
• Regularly measure your campaign’s results to see if it needs to be tweaked.

When choosing your marketing promotion campaign, think about your product or service’s most valuable feature and start creating a plan from there, focusing on bringing that feature in front of your target audience.

Your brand’s individuality will contour your campaign needs: what strategies to adopt, what social influencers to contact for a partnership, or which type of social media marketing you should try.

131 Comments

Wow, truly liked your blog. It’s so informative and helpful. Thankyou for sharing this amazing post.

Great article. In order to create a successful marketing campaign, it is important to have a clear understanding of the different marketing promotion strategies available and how to use them most effectively. Which strategy do you think is the most effective one to use for a small business?

Hi Claudia , very well written post, very useful. Keep posting

Thank you for sharing these strategies! I think it’s really important to understand the different strategies before you could utilize them. For you, which strategy is the best for small scale businesses?

A very informative article in order to marketing strategies. Keep sharing detailed articles like this. I just love how you cover each and every topic and explained it very well. Keep posting

I just Loved your Article. You have driven good information about perfect marketing strategies. You have covered all the important topics and are very well explained. Keep posting.

Digital promotion is an excellent way of promoting your business. Digital marketing is a cost-effective and efficient way to promote your business and get more traffic. Effective promotional strategy helps you to show your potential customers why your product or service is unique and better than your competitors.

The strategies that you have suggested can help easily to generate end number of conversions. Thanks for sharing this information with us. Subscribed your blog.

Such an useful and well detailed article. This is a good start for Beginners to understand the meaning of marketing promotion strategies and how to implement it. For sure, this post will help many people including me, in getting the results that they are looking for their online businesses and will push theirs brands on top. Thanks for the effort and keep updating.

Hi, Claudia, your content is really amazing Is so satisfying after reading it, Keep Posting thank for this useful information.

Amazing Content. The techniques you mentioned are really useful for aspiring marketers like me. Keep sharing more good content.

Excellent guide. Thank you Claudia for sharing your promotion secrets!

Well, put, Claudia! We definitely don’t want to seem desperate and aggressive to our target audience. Personally, I focus on “inbound marketing.” Content marketing is undoubtedly one of the best strategies. However, with the introduction of short videos in almost every social media, the influencer strategy seems to be working pretty great alongside. Influencing our target audience and generating leads is not that complex now. Social media has become a great tool for business.

Great content and techniques! Thanks for sharing it!

Awesome blog it is I liked the blog, its informative

thanks for sharing these amazing strategies. this is definitely for those who want to learn more good skills on digital marketing. people from varanasi can learn it practically

Very Effective digital marketing strategies. This will really be helpful for my career. thank you so much for sharing this article.

Hi, Marketing is an important tool in the development of business and service industry. The various strategies mentioned by you is very easy to understand as well as in detail covering the core concepts of the meaning, types of marketing strategies etc. Thank you for helping me in having a clearer understanding on the concepts of marketing.

I have been continually learning about digital marketing in order to raise my website’s ranking. And I have to admit that this is the best blog I have ever read. You have done a fantastic job of explaining the topic, and the advice you have provided is simple to implement and will help us get the best outcomes.

Thank you so much for sharing such informative content.

It’s important to focus on the right marketing promotion strategies to ensure the best return on investment. I’m looking forward to seeing how your strategies work out! thanks for sharing.

Thank you for the clearly given key pointers about marketing strategies. I especially like the importance of content creation and how content writing can be so important in promotion and establishing a business marketing strategy. I wish to learn more about content writing practices.

Thank you for sharing this article about choosing the best promotional techniques for your brand’s inbound marketing strategy. I completely agree with the idea of focusing on a product or service’s most valuable feature when planning a marketing campaign. It’s essential to highlight what sets your brand apart from others and how it can benefit your target audience. Overall, this article provides useful insights and tips for developing an effective inbound marketing strategy. I look forward to implementing some of these ideas for my own brand. Thanks again for sharing!

Great info for a new marketer like me. For a beginner, what is the most essential strategy i should implement

Wow, your suggested strategies are a game-changer! They can effortlessly skyrocket the number of conversions. I’m grateful for you sharing this valuable information with us. I just subscribed to your blog, can’t wait to read more!

Hi amazing blog very well written. Got to know a lot. So relevant and useful. Thanks a lot for sharing this information.

Detailed article, absolutely knowledgeable.

A Great chunk of info! excellent, detailed informative blog regarding digital marketing promotions strategies, looking forward for much more. keep posting!

Nice words about top brands practices. Regards from Turkey.

Thanks for providing a comprehensive overview of various promotion strategies, highlighting the importance of inbound marketing for building long-term customer relationships.

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

You may also like

How to Create Animated HTML5 Banners with Zero Coding Skills

The Best Facebook Event Photo Size for 2023 + Best Practices

How to Use AI in Social Media to Save Time and Get Better Results

More in digital marketing.

How To Create High-Converting Animated Banner Ads

The Best AI Marketing Tools for Stellar Business Growth

AI in Marketing: To Do or Not to Do?

Case studies, featured whitepaper.

• Inspiration
• – Display ads
• – Social media ads
• – Video ads
• – Automation
• – Collaboration
• – Animation
• Product updates
• Start free trial

Latest Posts

Master the graphic design process: 3 ways to optimize the way you work.

• advertising
• business plan
• promotion strategy

Promotion Strategy in Business Plan: Example, Best Practices

In today’s competitive business landscape, a well-thought-out promotion strategy can make or break a company.

From eye-catching advertisements to enticing sales promotions, businesses are constantly trying to find innovative ways to capture the attention of their target audience.

But it’s not just about flashy tactics; successful promotion strategies require a deep understanding of customer behavior and media consumption habits.

This is where a carefully crafted business plan comes into play.

By incorporating customer surveys, positive reviews, and leveraging the power of social media, businesses can create a promotion strategy that not only generates demand but also cultivates long-lasting customer loyalty.

So, if you’re ready to dive into the exciting world of promotion strategy, grab a cup of coffee and let’s explore some compelling examples together.

promotion strategy in business plan example

A promotion strategy in a business plan example involves using various tactics to raise awareness, generate interest, and drive demand for a product or service.

It includes strategies like push promotion, sales promotion, retail promotion, and e-commerce promotion.

Famous brands like Apple, Nike, Starbucks, Tesla, Amazon, Coca-Cola, Netflix, and Adidas have used these strategies in their marketing efforts.

To create and optimize a promotion strategy, steps like understanding the marketing mix, researching target audience consumption habits, identifying relevant channels, considering product strategy, pricing, and distribution, conducting a SWOT analysis, and taking inventory of resources are recommended.

Social media is an efficient promotional strategy, and maintaining a presence on multiple platforms is important.

Sales promotion, retail promotion, and the use of branded promotional gifts, public relations activities, customer surveys, and customer reviews are also mentioned as effective promotion strategies.

Incorporating the product life cycle and conducting after-sale customer surveys are important aspects as well.

Overall, having a well-designed and effective promotion strategy is crucial for success in business.

Key Points:

• Promotion strategy in a business plan involves tactics to raise awareness, generate interest, and drive demand for a product or service.
• Strategies like push promotion, sales promotion, retail promotion, and e-commerce promotion are used.
• Famous brands like Apple, Nike, Starbucks, Tesla, Amazon, Coca-Cola, Netflix, and Adidas have used these strategies.
• Steps to create and optimize a promotion strategy include:
• Understanding the marketing mix
• Researching target audience consumption habits
• Identifying relevant channels
• Considering product strategy, pricing, and distribution
• Conducting a SWOT analysis
• Taking inventory of resources
• Social media is an efficient promotional strategy and maintaining a presence on multiple platforms is important.
• Other effective promotion strategies mentioned include:
• Sales promotion
• Retail promotion
• Use of branded promotional gifts
• Public relations activities
• Customer surveys
• Customer reviews
• Incorporating the product life cycle
• Conducting after-sale customer surveys.

Sources 1 2 3 4

Check this out:

💡 Did You Know?

1. The term “guerrilla marketing” was coined by Jay Conrad Levinson in his 1984 book Guerrilla Advertising . It refers to unconventional promotion strategies that rely on creativity, imagination, and low-cost tactics to reach a wide audience.

2. In 1960, the Ford Motor Company introduced the concept of planned obsolescence in the automobile industry by regularly changing the design of their car models. This strategy was implemented to encourage customers to keep buying newer models, thereby boosting sales.

3. One of the most successful promotion strategies in the business world is the “Freemium” model, which offers a basic product or service for free while charging for additional features or premium offerings. Popular examples of this include Spotify (free music streaming with a paid premium option) and MailChimp (free email marketing services with paid upgrades).

4. The use of influential individuals to promote products or services is a longstanding technique called “celebrity endorsement.” However, lesser-known is the practice of “micro-influencer marketing,” where businesses partner with individuals who have smaller social media followings but possess a highly engaged niche audience.

5. The “anticipatory shipping” promotion strategy, patented by Amazon in 2014, involves shipping products to customers based on predictive analytics before they even place an order. This approach aims to decrease delivery time significantly, thereby enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Understanding Promotion Strategy: Importance And Types

Promotion strategy plays a crucial role in a business plan as it helps raise awareness , generate interest , and persuade potential customers to take action towards a product or service. In the marketing mix , promotion is one of the key components that optimizes time and resources while increasing the chances of success . By implementing a well-designed promotion strategy , businesses can effectively reach their target audience and encourage them to make a purchase .

There are various types of promotion strategies that businesses can employ, with two prominent ones being pull promotion and push promotion . Pull promotion involves creating demand by attracting customers towards a product or service. This strategy often relies on creating a brand image , developing strong marketing campaigns , and providing valuable content that resonates with the target audience.

On the other hand, push promotion focuses on tactics that directly put the product or service in front of the customers . This can include activities such as advertising through various channels, cold emailing potential customers, or utilizing influencers to promote the offerings. The aim is to push the product through to the consumers , creating awareness and generating immediate interest .

Promotion Strategies In A Business Plan: Push, Sales, And Retail

When incorporating promotion strategies into a business plan, it is essential to consider the specific approaches that align with your business goals and target audience . Three common types of promotion strategies that can be included in a business plan are push promotion , sales promotion , and retail promotion .

Push promotion involves promotional activities that directly push the product or service to the consumers. This can be achieved through various tactics such as advertising on television, radio, or online platforms . Cold emailing potential customers or engaging in direct outreach can also be part of push promotion. The aim is to attract the attention of potential customers and have them consider the product or service.

Sales promotion focuses on providing incentives to customers to encourage them to make a purchase. This can include discounts, limited-time offers, free shipping deals, or even offering coupons . By providing these incentives, businesses can create a sense of urgency and increase the likelihood of customers buying their products or services.

Retail promotion strategies are specific to businesses operating in the retail sector. These strategies focus on enhancing the customer experience within the physical retail location . Tactics can include in-person loyalty programs, attractive shopfront designs, or offering personalized recommendations based on customer preferences. The goal is to create an inviting and memorable shopping experience that encourages customers to return.

Examples Of Promotion Strategies By Famous Brands

Famous brands often employ innovative and creative promotion strategies to attract and engage their target audiences. These examples provide insights into the effectiveness of different promotional techniques and can serve as inspiration for businesses looking to enhance their own strategies.

Apple , known for its iPhone, utilizes a combination of commercials, print ads, and keynotes to promote its products. The emphasis is placed on highlighting the quality and craftsmanship of the iPhone, creating a sense of desirability among consumers.

Nike , a leading athletic footwear and apparel brand, focuses on promoting the benefits of its products. For example, campaigns showcasing the design components of their Pegasus running shoe aim to engage runners and highlight the performance features of the shoe.

Starbucks , a popular beverage company, utilized mobile ads in various apps to promote its packaged Refreshers beverages. By targeting potential customers on their mobile devices, Starbucks effectively reached a broad audience and generated interest in their products.

Tesla , a renowned electric vehicle manufacturer, relies heavily on word-of-mouth marketing to drive demand for its Model 3. By creating a unique and desirable product, Tesla has successfully incited enthusiasm among its customers, resulting in organic promotion and increased sales.

Amazon , an e-commerce giant, employs video commercials to promote its Alexa technology. These commercials effectively showcase the capabilities and benefits of their voice-controlled assistant, generating interest and driving adoption among potential customers.

Coca-Cola’s promotion strategy for Diet Coke involved a press conference announcement . By creating a buzz around the product launch, Coca-Cola generated excitement and anticipation among consumers, leading to increased interest and sales.

Netflix , a leading streaming platform, utilizes data on users’ watching trends to drive its promotion strategy. By recommending personalized content and curating tailored suggestions, Netflix effectively engages its subscribers and encourages continued usage of its platform.

Adidas , a prominent sportswear brand, collaborates with celebrities and influential figures like Pharrell Williams to develop new shoe models for promotion. This collaboration helps create a sense of exclusivity and desirable style , attracting consumers who resonate with the brand and the celebrity figure.

Steps To Create And Optimize A Promotion Strategy

To create an effective promotion strategy , businesses should follow a series of steps that optimize their efforts and ensure a targeted approach. By considering various factors such as the marketing mix , target audience , and available resources , businesses can develop a comprehensive and successful promotion plan.

Step 1: Understand your marketing mix: Before diving into promotion strategies, it is crucial to have a clear understanding of your overall marketing mix. This includes considering product strategy , pricing , distribution channels , and promotional goals . Establishing a solid foundation allows for a more effective and cohesive promotion plan.

Step 2: Research the content your target audience consumes: Investigate the different types of content your target audience regularly consumes. This can range from blog posts and social media posts to online ads , radio and newspaper ads , and even physical promotional materials such as flyers . Understanding their preferences helps tailor promotional efforts to resonate with the audience.

Step 3: Identify the platforms your audience uses: Determine the platforms and channels your target audience utilizes frequently. This can include social media platforms , email marketing , search engine optimization (SEO) , affiliate marketing programs , or other relevant channels. By focusing on the platforms your audience engages with, you can effectively reach them and maximize the impact of your promotion.

• DSP, DMP, SSP: Unlocking the Power of Programmatic Advertising
• Ad Network vs Ad Exchange: Understanding the Digital Advertising Landscape
• DSP SSP: An Ultimate Guide to Programmatic Advertising

Step 4: Conduct survey and research: It is recommended to survey current customers or people in the target audience to understand their content consumption habits better. This research helps identify preferences, interests, and behaviors that can inform the promotion strategy. Additionally, conducting a deep dive into the specific media outlets that the target audience follows can provide valuable insights for promotional efforts.

Step 5: Create a marketing budget: Establishing a marketing budget is important to determine the resources available for content creation and promotion. The budget should be allocated based on marketing goals, regular costs, competition, and tactics. By having a defined budget, businesses can make strategic decisions on how to allocate their resources effectively.

Step 6: Conduct a SWOT analysis: To develop an effective promotion strategy, it is important to conduct a SWOT analysis. This analysis helps understand the strengths , weaknesses , opportunities , and threats related to promoting the product or service. By identifying these factors, businesses can leverage their strengths, mitigate weaknesses, explore opportunities, and address potential threats.

Step 7: Take inventory of resources: To implement a promotion strategy successfully, it is essential to take inventory of available resources. This can include marketing team members, marketing tools, assets like brand images and graphics, and the budget allocated. Having a clear understanding of available resources helps ensure a realistic and efficient execution of the promotion plan.

By following these steps, businesses can create and optimize their promotion strategy, enabling them to reach their target audience effectively and drive meaningful results for their products or services.

• Understand your marketing mix
• Research the content your target audience consumes
• Identify the platforms your audience uses
• Conduct survey and research
• Create a marketing budget
• Conduct a SWOT analysis
• Take inventory of resources

Surveying Target Audience’s Content Consumption Habits

To develop a successful promotion strategy, it is crucial to understand the content consumption habits of the target audience. This knowledge helps tailor promotional efforts to resonate with their interests and preferences. Here are some steps to consider when surveying the target audience’s content consumption habits.

Conduct surveys or interviews : Engage with your current customers or potential target audience through surveys or interviews. Ask them about the type of content they regularly consume, including blogs, social media posts, online ads, traditional advertisements, podcasts, or any other relevant content formats. This first-hand feedback provides valuable insights into their preferences.

Analyze website analytics : Utilize website analytics tools to gain insights into the content that attracts and engages your audience. Monitor metrics such as page views, time spent on different pages, and bounce rates. This analysis helps identify high-performing content and areas where improvements can be made to better align with the target audience’s interests.

Research competitors’ content : Analyze the content created and promoted by your competitors. Study their marketing efforts, including the channels they utilize, the type of content they produce, and the engagement levels they achieve. This analysis can help identify gaps or opportunities that your business can leverage in its own promotion strategy.

Monitor social media activity : Keep track of the social media activity of your target audience. Identify the platforms they use most frequently and the type of content they engage with. Social media listening tools can assist in capturing relevant conversations and sentiment analysis to understand the audience’s preferences and interests.

Leverage data analytics tools : Use data analytics tools like Google Analytics or social media insights to gain insights into the content that performs well for your business. Identify the key metrics for success, such as click-through rates, conversions, or engagement rates, to evaluate the effectiveness of your current promotional efforts.

By surveying the target audience’s content consumption habits, businesses can gain valuable insights that inform the creation and optimization of their promotion strategy. This research helps tailor content to resonate with the audience, resulting in more effective and engaging promotional efforts.

Deep Dive Into Target Audience’s Preferred Media Outlets

Understanding the preferred media outlets of the target audience is crucial when developing a promotion strategy. By diving deep into these outlets, businesses can effectively reach their audience and maximize the impact of their promotional efforts . Here are some steps to take when conducting a deep dive into the target audience’s preferred media outlets.

Identify target audience demographics : Begin by understanding the demographics of the target audience. Consider factors such as age, gender, location, interests, and education level. This information helps identify the media outlets that are most likely to be frequented by the target audience.

Research industry-specific publications : Investigate industry-specific publications, magazines, or websites that cater to the interests and preferences of the target audience. These outlets often provide valuable content and insights relevant to the industry, making them ideal platforms for reaching and engaging the target audience.

Explore online communities and forums : Online communities and forums focused on relevant topics or industries can provide significant opportunities for reaching the target audience. Research and identify these communities, and actively engage in discussions to establish credibility and promote your business subtly.

Monitor social media trends : Social media platforms are powerful tools for reaching and engaging the target audience. Stay updated on trending topics and hashtags related to the industry or target audience’s interests. This information helps identify the social media platforms and influencers that have a significant impact on the target audience.

Partner with industry influencers : Collaborating with industry influencers can be an effective way to reach a wider audience. Identify influencers who align with your brand and have a strong presence on the preferred media outlets of your target audience. Engage in partnerships or sponsorships that can amplify your promotion efforts.

Utilize guest blogging opportunities : Identify reputable blogs or publications in your industry that accept guest blogs. Submit well-crafted articles that provide value to the audience, promoting your brand subtly within the content. Guest blogging allows you to tap into the readership of established outlets and position your business as a thought leader.

By conducting a deep dive into the target audience’s preferred media outlets, businesses can identify and leverage platforms that have a high concentration of their desired audience. This approach ensures that promotional efforts are focused and reach the right people, maximizing the chances of success.

• Identify target audience demographics
• Research industry-specific publications
• Explore online communities and forums
• Monitor social media trends
• Partner with industry influencers
• Utilize guest blogging opportunities

Using Audience Research Tools For Identifying Trending Media Outlets

Audience research tools are invaluable when identifying trending media outlets among potential customers. These tools provide insights into the habits, preferences, and interests of the target audience, helping businesses refine their promotion strategies . Here are a few audience research tools that can assist in identifying trending media outlets :

BuzzSumo : BuzzSumo is a powerful tool that allows businesses to analyze the most popular content in their industry or niche. By entering keywords or topics relevant to the target audience, BuzzSumo provides a list of the most shared and engaged-with content across various platforms. This information helps identify trending media outlets and the type of content that resonates with the target audience .

SparkToro : SparkToro allows businesses to explore the websites, podcasts, and social media accounts that their target audience follows. By entering specific demographics or interests, SparkToro generates a list of popular outlets and influencers that the target audience engages with. This tool provides valuable insights into trending media outlets and influential figures that can inform promotion strategies.

Google Trends : Google Trends provides businesses with real-time data on the popularity and search volume of specific keywords or topics. By exploring the trending searches in a particular industry or niche, businesses can identify media outlets that cover these topics extensively . Google Trends helps businesses stay up to date with the latest trends and shifts in media consumption patterns.

Social media analytics : Many social media platforms offer in-depth analytics tools that provide insights into audience engagement and preferences. Platforms like Facebook Insights, Instagram Insights, and Twitter Analytics allow businesses to understand which posts, hashtags, or topics resonate the most with their target audience. This information can guide businesses in identifying trending media outlets and tailoring their promotion strategies to maximize reach and impact.

By utilizing audience research tools like BuzzSumo, SparkToro, Google Trends, and social media analytics, businesses can gather valuable data about trending media outlets and audience preferences. This knowledge enables businesses to make informed decisions when selecting media outlets for their promotional efforts, ensuring optimal engagement with the target audience.

Importance Of Creating A Marketing

The Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture

Climate change is having a significant impact on agricultural practices around the world. This phenomenon has resulted in changes in temperature, precipitation patterns, and the occurrence of extreme weather events, all of which greatly affect crop production and overall agricultural productivity.

Increasing temperature: Rising global temperatures have widespread effects on agricultural systems. Higher temperatures can lead to decreased crop yields and reduced quality of harvested crops. Heat stress can negatively impact plant growth and development, affecting the overall productivity of crops.

Altered precipitation patterns: Changes in rainfall patterns due to climate change pose challenges for farmers. Increased frequency and intensity of rainfall events can result in soil erosion and waterlogging, impacting crop growth. Conversely, droughts can lead to water scarcity and hinder crop development.

Changes in pests and diseases: Climate change can alter the geographic distribution and behavior of pests and diseases that affect agricultural crops. Warmer temperatures and altered rainfall patterns can create favorable conditions for the proliferation of pests and the spread of diseases, leading to increased crop damage and reduced yields.

Extreme weather events: Climate change is associated with a higher frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, floods, and droughts. These events can have devastating effects on crop production. Flooding can wash away crops, while droughts can dry out farmland, causing irreversible damage to agricultural systems.

The implications of climate change for agriculture are substantial. Farmers need to adapt to these changing conditions and employ sustainable agricultural practices to minimize the negative impacts. This includes implementing efficient irrigation systems, adopting drought-tolerant crop varieties, and implementing pest and disease management strategies.

In conclusion, climate change poses significant challenges to global agriculture. The effects of rising temperatures, altered precipitation patterns, changes in pests and diseases, and increased frequency of extreme weather events all contribute to decreased agricultural productivity. It is crucial for farmers and policymakers to prioritize climate change mitigation and adaptation measures to ensure the long-term sustainability of agricultural systems.

Key points:

Rising temperatures reduce crop yields and affect crop quality.

• Changes in precipitation patterns lead to soil erosion, waterlogging, and droughts.
• Climate change alters the distribution and behavior of pests and diseases.
• Extreme weather events have devastating effects on crop production.

“The effects of climate change on agriculture are becoming increasingly evident. It is crucial that we take immediate action to address this issue and implement sustainable practices to safeguard our food production.”

How do you write a promotional strategy for a business plan?

To develop an effective promotional strategy for a business plan, several key steps need to be followed. First, it is crucial to understand the basic marketing mix, which includes the product, price, place, and promotion. By examining these elements, you can identify the unique selling points of your business and determine how to promote them effectively.

Next, conducting thorough research on the content your target audience consumes is essential. This includes understanding their preferences, interests, and needs. By knowing the type of content they engage with, you can tailor your promotional strategy to effectively reach and engage with them.

Furthermore, it is important to identify the channels and media outlets your target audience uses. This includes social media platforms, websites, publications, or events they frequently engage with. By selecting the appropriate channels and outlets, you can deliver your promotional messages to the right audience at the right time.

Lastly, determining your marketing budget is crucial to plan and execute your promotional strategy effectively. Allocating resources appropriately allows you to invest in various promotional activities such as advertising, content creation, partnerships, and events.

By following these steps, businesses can develop a comprehensive and tailored promotional strategy that effectively reaches and engages their target audience.

What are promotional strategies examples?

Promotional strategies encompass various methods to create brand awareness and drive customer engagement. Some examples of promotional strategies include television commercials, billboards, social media campaigns, and email marketing. By leveraging traditional and online advertising , businesses can effectively reach a wide audience and convey their message creatively. Additionally, personal selling allows companies to establish trustworthy relationships with customers by providing tailored product information and valuable recommendations. Direct marketing strategies, such as direct mail and telemarketing, enable businesses to directly communicate with their target audience, enhancing customer engagement. Moreover, public relations and sponsorships can build a positive brand image by associating the business with reputable events or organizations. Lastly, sales promotions, such as discounts, coupons, and loyalty programs, encourage immediate purchases and foster customer loyalty.

What is an example of a promotion in a business plan?

In the context of a business plan, an example of a promotion can be the implementation of a referral program. This program encourages existing customers to refer their friends and family to the business in exchange for a reward or incentive. By offering a discount, free product, or exclusive access to certain benefits, this promotion not only drives customer loyalty but also expands the customer base through word-of-mouth marketing. The referral program creates a win-win situation, benefiting both the loyal customers and the business by fostering growth and increasing brand awareness.

What are the 4 types of promotional strategies?

The four types of promotional strategies are direct marketing, sales promotion, digital marketing, and personal selling. Direct marketing involves reaching out to specific companies or individuals to inform them about services, upcoming sales, or new products. Sales promotion includes various promotional techniques such as discounts, coupons, contests, or free samples to encourage and incentivize customers to make a purchase. Digital marketing utilizes online platforms and channels to promote products or services, including social media advertising, email marketing, search engine optimization, and content marketing. Personal selling involves direct interaction with potential customers, either face-to-face or over the phone, to persuade and convince them to buy a product or service.

Recent Posts

The future of advertising: dsp programmatic revolution, dsp, ssp, ad exchange: understanding the backbone of programmatic advertising, unlock the power of data with sitescout api: a comprehensive guide, ad exchange network: maximizing revenue through programmatic advertising, dsp review: exploring the evolution and impact of digital signal processing, programmatic buying 101: unlocking the future of advertising.

Hey there! Free trials are available for Standard and Essentials plans. Start for free today.

How to Create a Successful Promotional Strategy that Maximizes Sales Potential

Looking to boost sales and get more traffic to your website? Try a promotion. When marketed well, promotions are ideal strategies for reaching out to existing and new customers.

A promotion gives your audience an explicit incentive to buy. It creates urgency for casual browsers to convert. It attracts value-seekers and nudges fence-sitters to finally click “buy now.”

A promotion also helps you achieve long-term growth. With the right marketing plan, your promotion can capture a new cohort of shoppers and nurture them into long-term customers. But first, you need a strategy for creating and publicizing your promotion.

8 Tips for creating a strong promotional strategy

Most promotions have 2 primary goals: to increase revenue and maximize market exposure. As you create a strategy geared toward those goals, remember the following tips.

1. Keep promotions simple

You’re likely to get a high response rate if your promotions are easy to understand and redeem. The simplest strategy is to discount the item for everyone. If you strike out the original price on your website and display the new price, perhaps in a bolded font, people can easily see the benefit of the promotion.

Another option is to use promo codes. When you go this route, you need to make sure that the promo code is straightforward to use. Don’t make it so that people have to hunt down the code once they’re on your website.

If you’re sending an email, display the promo code prominently so people can go back and find it if they forget to copy it. Consider publishing the code on your website for easy access, too.

2. Bundle products together

One way companies sell more products is through bundling—offering 2 or more products for a combined cost that’s less than the total cost of the individual items when purchased separately. Merchants often use this strategy to move a product that isn’t selling well by pairing it with a popular product.

Say that you’re a jewelry retailer with earrings priced at $20 a pair and bracelets at $10 a pair. Your earrings are flying off the shelves, but no one’s biting at the bracelets. By offering a bundle of one pair of earrings with one bracelet for $25, you could move your bracelet stock and potentially get more loyal followers in the process.

One famous example comes from Nintendo, which sold 100,000 more consoles and more than a million game cartridges when bundling the 2.

3. Reward customers to boost orders

You can increase the average value of your orders (AOV) by offering a freebie when a customer reaches a certain purchase threshold.

One popular version of this strategy is conditional free shipping—the “Free Shipping over $X” offer. One article explains that free shipping would increase the likelihood of an online purchase for about 80% of US customers . If you have a lot of orders totaling $60, consider offering free shipping at $75.

If you can’t afford to offer free shipping, that’s okay. Choose a small complimentary item to offer when an order reaches a certain threshold.

4. Reward top customers with special offers

Some data analytics indicate that existing customers spend 31% more than new buyers, and they’re 50% more likely to try a new product. You can boost that loyalty by rewarding your highest spenders with customized offers.

To get even more out of this strategy, encourage your rewarded customers to share their good fortune on social media. This is a great opportunity for a referral bonus.

5. Re-merchandise your product and homepage

Many retailers think of merchandising as a brick-and-mortar strategy, but it’s just as important for e-commerce. Your customers get used to seeing your page as it is. When you mix it up and add new visual elements, you draw attention to your promotion.

Consider remarketing your homepage and product pages when you start your promotion. A good way to start is by revamping your homepage, placing promoted products front and center. You can also revitalize any category and individual product pages, highlighting not only the promotion but also any accessories, add-ons, or popular related products.

6. Seed product reviews

Reviews matter to many customers. One study shows that close to 95% of consumers read reviews before making a purchase. On the retailer’s end, showing 5 reviews compared to no reviews for a product can increase conversions by up to 270% .

Before you run your promotion, make sure your products have good reviews. Meanwhile, start collecting original reviews. One particularly effective technique, especially for new product launches, is to send products to customers and ask for reviews. Then, with their permission, you can post them to your product pages.

Buyers can give you reviews as well. Mailchimp makes it easy to collect reviews from current customers through automated product follow-up emails . All you need to do is add language requesting a review of a recently purchased product, perhaps with a link to a review submission page on your website.

You can link to third-party review sites, too. Don’t worry if not all of the reviews there are glowing—research shows that negative reviews help to build trust and can lead to as many as 85% more conversions .

7. Test out different promotions

Different audiences respond to different promotions. Consider conducting A/B testing, an easy and effective way to understand how your audience engages.

A/B testing sends out 2 versions of a campaign—a percent-off promotion versus a dollars-off promotion, for example. Mailchimp offers A/B testing as a feature available in all paid plans, so you can easily refine your strategy and optimize your results.

8. Stay memorable

Consumers have promotions coming into their inboxes and social media feeds every day. It’s important for you to stand out as a brand, preferably with a personal touch. Consider adding a thank-you card or free sample item in the package to delight your customers.

Promote your promotion

Now that you have the insider knowledge to create a strong marketing promotional strategy, you can focus on publicizing the promotion. Build awareness to maximize your revenue potential.

Don’t worry—Mailchimp is here to help you every step of the way.

First, make sure your online store is connected to Mailchimp . With a connected store, you can unlock the e-commerce tools , insights , and data you need to sell more stuff—even with our free plan. Use Mailchimp's powerful tools to promote your promotions , and let their robust analytics show you which tools contribute most to your sales.

Email marketing may have a decades-long history, but it hasn’t lost any of its clout.

Promotions make your emails even more attractive to consumers.

Mailchimp makes it easy to send professional-quality promotional emails with their easy-to-use email builder. No need to spend time creating emails from scratch when Mailchimp's tool functionality and beautiful templates make the process a breeze.

Expert tip: As an added perk, give your most loyal customers early access to the promotion.

Social media

Social media ads and organic posts can publicize your promotion to new and existing customers. Target existing customers and find new customers with similar interests. And best of all Mailchimp makes it easy to build engaging ads . Your customers are on social media, so make sure that you don’t miss a sales opportunity to highlight your offers.

Retargeting

In the age of automation , it’s easy to set up messages to retarget customers who have gone astray. Maybe someone filled up a shopping cart and then decided against the purchase, or maybe they just browsed and then changed their mind. A promotion can get many of these people back on board with your company.

Mailchimp makes it easy to send customized abandoned cart and retargeting emails . Then, those people get special emails inviting them back to complete their purchase.

In today’s digital world, postcards can make a big impression. Mailchimp makes it easy to create and send promotional postcards to your most loyal customers. A postcard won’t get lost in their email inbox, and the sensory engagement factor will make shoppers feel special. Postcards are also a great way to target a select audience with personalized offers.

Turn first-time customers into loyal customers

Promotions are time-tested strategies for acquiring new customers, but you don’t want to stop there. Now that you know how to get people buying, it’s time to turn them into regular customers.

Loyalty is a key driver of repeat purchases. Here are some important tips that can help you turn new buyers into loyal customers.

Tag new customers

The more you know about your new customers, the better you can personalize messaging for them in the future. Make sure you’re tagging all of the new customers who visit your site during your promotion. Tag them based on what they shop for, and consider adding an Engages with Promotions tag.

Expert tip: For better conversions, use your audience tags to personalize future communications. Segmented, targeted, and personalized emails could generate a meaningful amount of revenue , and conversions can go up even more with more personalized pageviews .

Send welcome emails

Welcome emails are a great way to build relationships. If you’re not already doing it, add an option on your checkout page where customers can give you their email address and opt in to future messages. Get a welcome message out to everyone who signs up. Think of what a great first impression you’ll be leaving with your new customers.

Expert tip: If you set up an automation that sends out welcome emails to new customers, you can be sure those messages will go out consistently. Even better, it’ll happen without any ongoing effort on your part.

Keep communication going

Your new customers should keep hearing from you after the promotion is over. Use the tags you set up for those customers to send out personalized product recommendations.

Through your connected store, Mailchimp can help to predict what your customers will like, so you can send emails with product recommendations to encourage them to keep shopping.

Put your newest products and best-sellers front and center to drive interest. This refreshes customer engagement and keeps your brand at the top of buyers’ minds, helping you drive conversions.

Expert tip: Make sure your ecommerce store is connected to Mailchimp so that you can unlock even more tools to better target your customers.

Getting started with your promotion

With these tips in your knowledge toolbox, you’re ready to start designing your promotion and getting the word out about it.

If you’re already a Mailchimp user, you have plenty of tools at your disposal. Start with your audience dashboard . Look at who your customers are and what segments you might want to reach with your promotion.

Next, go to your website and start adding promotional content. If you have a site with Mailchimp , you can create unlimited landing pages for the promotion.

If you want to run a promotion and don’t currently have a website, don't worry—Mailchimp has you covered. Leverage their beautiful templates to quickly create a shoppable landing page so customers can purchase your products.

Mailchimp makes it easy for you to create effective multichannel marketing campaigns. With our reporting functionality, you can take these campaigns to the next level. You learn where you get the most engagement, who’s responding to you, and what your customers have in common. By reviewing this information after your campaign, you can continue to optimize promotional strategies.

Promotions are an impactful way of driving sales. The key is to create an attractive offer, market it smartly, and follow up in a way that earns the loyalty of both old and new buyers.

Your customers are waiting. It's time to start creating the kind of promotion that they can't resist.

Related Topics

• Retail Marketing
• E-Commerce Automations
• Abandoned Cart Emails
• Product Recommendations
• Start an E-Commerce Business

10 Marketing Plan Examples to Inspire Your Campaigns

What do hiking a trail, driving to a friend’s house, and executing marketing campaigns all have in common? Each requires you to closely follow directions.

Directions are a critical part of our daily life. Used correctly, they can guide decision-making processes, make labor more efficient, and get where you want to go as quickly as possible. 

But failing to keep track of directions could cost you — and not just gas money. When it comes to marketing strategies, not having a clear goal tanks web traffic, dissipates brand interest, and costs companies across the United States a whopping $400 billion a year.

Designing a marketing plan is certainly no easy task, but it can be made easier with best practices, strategic tips, and concrete examples from successful businesses all over the world.

Start selling online now with Shopify

What is a marketing plan?

A marketing plan is a strategic document that acts as a guide for marketing campaigns and strategies. These critical road maps detail where you are, where you’re going, and how you plan to get there.

The average marketing plan consists of seven major sections:

• Writing an executive summary
• Discussing the mission statement
• Listing marketing objectives
• Performing a SWOT analysis
• Completing market research
• Designing a market strategy
• Determining a budget

The more detailed a marketing plan is, the more efficient it will be at accomplishing its goals. 

As you might imagine, marketers who bother to write a concrete marketing plan enjoy several benefits :

• Organized marketers have a 674% higher chance of reporting success
• Marketers who set goals are 377% more successful than those who don’t

It’s clear that a successful marketing plan opens pathways to other forms of business success — although the process is underutilized at best. More than three out of four small business owners lack an overarching marketing plan if they don’t have a clear path of growth. Creating a holistic marketing plan is absolutely necessary to scale brands at any level of development.

10 marketing plan examples from every industry

It’s much simpler to design a plan of action when the groundwork already exists. Below are 10 marketing plans sourced from real companies and brands around the world, highlighting unique approaches to researching, crafting and implementing a marketing strategy . 

1. Contently

Popular SaaS Contently developed a visual marketing plan for developing future campaigns. The strategy depicts its plan in a “waterfall” format, with goals blending into methods of application that eventually lead to success metrics. Although far more casual than other examples on this list, the work provides an excellent overview of a marketing plan’s necessary components.

2. Visit Baton Rouge

The Baton Rouge area of Louisiana generates millions of dollars every year from tourism alone. The Visit Baton Rouge marketing plan was born from a need to better position the area and create long-term strategies for generating interest. This 38-page document goes into detail describing different destinations, events, and calendars, including recommended measurements for success.

Created by SaaS company HubSpot , this template includes a business summary, SWOT matrix, market strategy, budget, and other important aspects of a marketing plan. By filling it out, you can make informed decisions about your company’s positioning and your marketing in general.

4. Evernote

Evernote provides a comprehensive marketing plan template for businesses of any size. Create a plan that walks through overviews, timelines, research, personas, and all other elements of an airtight campaign. If desired, you can also implement this template into your Evernote account to start developing a marketing plan almost immediately.

5. University of Illinois

Even educational institutes need marketing plans. The University of Illinois created a very straightforward document that encapsulates its market context, research efforts, and current campaigns. Objectives and success metrics are completed in the third section, with about 40 pages overall. 

6. Monday.com

Monday.com is a project management platform providing in-house templates to all active users. This marketing plan offers various categories and subcategories that track project progress with data visualizations. Detailed objectives and KPIs can be identified in-app, including columns for a projected cost range.

Popular health and hygiene brand Lush released a comprehensive marketing plan walking through some products, positioning, and a marketing calendar for upcoming product releases. One of the highlights includes a detailed SWOT analysis with easy to read graphics. This is particularly helpful for brands in the personal care industry, among others.

8. Coca-Cola

Industry titan Coca-Cola released a strategy video that encompasses all seven elements of a holistic marketing plan. The proposal primarily explains the major content initiatives for the coming year, and focuses on how the brand’s initial ideas can be practically implemented into the existing strategy. 

9. Naperville Park District

Publicly funded recreational parks often have limited access to resources, which is why the Naperville Park District created a strategic marketing plan right at the beginning. This extremely detailed document walks through the company’s mission, situational analysis, strategy, and budget, on a micro-level.

10. Starbucks

Unlike the longform documents we’ve seen already, Starbucks takes a more concise approach. This six-page release details a strategy to elevate CX and brand ambassadors around the world. The marketing plan touches on individual strategies and tactics, as well as the methods used to ensure success. It’s important to note the detailed customer journey profiles that fit into a five-year strategy.

How to approach a marketing plan

Now that you know what a marketing plan looks like, it’s time to explore the initial stages of drafting and publishing your very first plan. Once you establish some basic starting points, a little research is all you need to get started.

Determine your goals

Directions simply don’t matter without an endpoint in mind. Craft some meaningful goals for your marketing campaign that envelop your brand’s values, objectives, and year-end plans. It’s best to use the SMART goal framework:

The more specific your goals are, the more effective your marketing plan will be.

Check your competitors

Staying abreast of your competitors and market share is critical in the early stages of a marketing plan. Using competitive analysis tools or an internal process, take some time to evaluate the approach that others are using — and how you can do better.

You might want to:

• Perform a competitive analysis
• Keep a close eye on industry news
• Browse competitor social media content

Keep in mind that it’s possible to hire freelancers to perform competitive analysis for you, depending on your needs and time constraints.

Identify your audience

Understanding your target market — including their goals, ages, values, and demographics — is the golden rule of marketing. This can be done several ways, either by using data, creating personas, or outlying features in a document.

It’s best to consider everything that may be relevant to your audience in the marketing plan, including how products can be positioned in a way that makes them relevant. For example, a customer with a degree in IT would be more interested in ads that speak to their experience and industry pain points.

If you don’t have a target audience in mind yet, consider using programs like Google Analytics or in-platform insights from Facebook to identify specific segments.

Craft final KPIs

The difference between a good marketing plan and a great marketing plan starts with key performance metrics (KPIs). These will be used to measure the effectiveness of your campaign and provide detailed information about what worked, what didn’t, and what you can change in the future.

Every marketing plan should rely on its own unique set of metrics, all fitted to individual needs. If you’re looking for specific examples, you might want to try:

• Raising the number of followers on a social media account
• Generating a certain amount of website leads 
• Achieving higher email open rates 

Keep in mind that your final metrics should adhere to the SMART method for best results.

Perform your revisions

The marketing plan is a living document and must be updated regularly to remain current. The average plan only has a shelf life of one to five years , on average, and should receive regular revisions in the meantime.

Take a closer look at your past goals, competitors, audience, and KPIs. Are any of these outdated or ill-aligned? What has changed for the company since its initial publication date? Make these adjustments accordingly (and hopefully with members of a team or committee).

Create marketing plans that guide your business well

It’s not enough to just write a marketing plan. In an increasingly competitive world of iron-clad strategies, marketing pros should take their time developing a plan that lasts. The above examples are a great place to start, especially as you craft an approach that is catered to your industry. 

Keep an eye on the growth of your business once your marketing plan hits the shelves. Continue to find new ways to optimize, refine, and otherwise make what you have even better than before. With an airtight marketing plan by your side, the possibilities are virtually limitless.

Want to learn more?

• How to Create a Killer Social Media Marketing Plan
• The Complete Guide to Getting Started With Influencer Marketing
• 7 of the Best Landing Page Examples to Learn From
• Instagram Marketing Tips to Shoot Up Your Sales

The Future of Ecommerce: How Ecommerce Will Change in 2024

Discover the upcoming trends in the world ecommerce, from integrated shoppable videos to conversational website assista…

The Best Instagram Video Format and Specifications in 2024

Instagram users spend, on average 53 minutes per day scrolling through the platform. This includes their news feed, Liv…

Snapchat Emojis: What Do the Emojis on Snapchat Mean? (2024)

Snapchat is one of the most popular social media channels, especially among young adults, and there are plenty of uniqu…

Oberlo uses cookies to provide necessary site functionality and improve your experience. By using our website, you agree to our privacy policy.

• Dopinger Blog
• Digital Marketing

How to Create a Promotion Plan (With Examples)

Promotion planning is optimizing every element of the marketing plan of your services. It requires thinking and making decisions for the utilization of a promotion process. These include consideration of resources, strategies, marketing tools to use, and services that carry your objectives and demands. Let’s take a look at how to create a promotion plan.

An Overview of a Promotion Plan

The promotion plan is the outline and shows significant aspects of the promotion. Thus, creating your promotion outline of the campaign should consist of sequences of components. Each of them has its aims for creating a successful promotion. These aspects also have vital relationships and impacts on each other to lead to achievement or failure of promotion plan.

Your promotional plan will be unique to your business relative to your marketing campaign. Therefore, your promotion plan varies in each element to achieve your goal. As each marketing campaign stands in different aspects and serves a purpose, promotion plans should differ for goals. Even in a single campaign plan, you might need several or more objectives which add more distinctiveness to your business.

In a word, creating a promotion plan shows your aim to get a successful outcome at the end of the promotion, and you believe that you need a roadmap to launch into the market.

How Does a Promotional Plan Benefit?

As it seems, a promotional plan seems more necessary now for any business with different ambitions. The company’s purpose of creating promotions can change. Therefore, it needs to follow structures about trying something new. The promotion plan gives a clear roadmap to your business and investors. Promotion plans are an outline of trying new strategies.  It is straightforward, and almost all aspects of promotion are planned before implementing it. Indeed, a promotion plan illustrates the company’s strategic characteristics of any promotion. It creates ways to achieve and describes how it is possible. 

The end of the promotion plan helps in achieving long-term goals. It can grab attention and make you known to your target and turn them into long-term customers. A promotion plan can function as inform, influence, or persuasive purposes. It is also adjustable and can change to any part of the plan.

Components of a Promotional Plan

Promotional plans don’t have a specific structure in terms of components. While creating a promotion plan, there are some components to set off. However, some things need to have in a promotion plan. Namely, they are elements to take into consideration for every promotion plan. These segments are equally important in creating any promotion. You can find the most probably efficient ones stated in this article.

Create Your Promotional Plan

You may want and have different reasons to start your promotion. For instance, the promotional plan process aims to inform, reach target audiences, persuade and engage with the company in basic terms. A promotion plan requires thinking systematically. Before starting your promotion plan, consider the most convenient elements shown below.

Creating Your Promotional Plan Includes

To create your promotion plan, you can look for the components covered in your promotion. Some of them are listed and explained in this article.

A Promotional Plan

• Define Aims And Problems

Identify Objectives

Know target audience.

• Promotion Type And Strategy

Key Messages

Name promotion plan, promote products and services, plan resources, test your promotion plan, implementation of promotion plan, monitor and evaluate promotion plan.

Define Aims and Problems

Why do you want to promotion plan? Any issues you are concerned about and lead to planning? It is one of the crucial parts to know and get more clear about starting your promotion plan. Define and state your reasons, goals, and problems to create a promotion. Make sure about your motivation and be specific for creating a detailed promotion plan. Defining aims might be the very first step to start your planning.

After you define your reasons to start a promotion plan, the next thing to do is make clear objectives. Objectives are goals to at the end of the promotion plan, outcome to get through the company efforts. Identify your reasons for creating a promotion plan with your objectives. Objectives will guide particular strategies and shows how you will market them. They also should match with your promotion type in the promotion plan. You can decide your objectives by keeping in mind your target audience. Objectives should be specific, achievable, realistic, and measurable. Promotional objectives would be specific to your intents in your campaign, and you can find some examples:

• Your promotional objectives would be to launch a new product or service, inform customers about the product, build loyal customers, expand your market. 
• The objective can be specific to get traffic to your website or registrations.

Think about the target audience before deciding anything about the promotion plan, and try to have their perspectives in marketing. In every marketing, there is always a target audience. You can not think of objectives or strategies without considering audiences. So, try to learn or conduct research about your possible target audiences. Without knowing them, any business could not make it and be successful.

 One of the first things to start in a promotion plan is to know your target audiences. The target audience can be people who probably would be interested in your product. When you know about your target audience, you will save time, deliver the right services and provide knowledge about marketing efforts to take. It would help the company is more likely to meet with the right people and use the right offer to lead solutions to any problem.

 Define the target audience to make a clear vision for the products, like things the audience needs to know. 

In general, know or pick some of them, possibly worth knowing:

• Audience demographics (gender, age, etc.) 
• Behavior patterns most probably benefit the promotion plan.

Design of Promotion

Promotional design is like launching your execution plan. You have to find the type, the strategies and add some of your creativity. Decide on the promotion types and strategies that consist of the target audience and objective of the promotional plan. In addition to that company should analyze the pros and cons to select appropriate promotional tools with their resources.

Promotion Type and Strategy

Promotion type and strategy is about how to apply your objective to marketing. While looking for a promotion strategy, you need to focus on the target audience, objective, product, or service for promotion type. 

Create your promotion type which is suit best to the company and campaign. With the promotion type, you decided that is a way to attract the target audience. It will encourage people to know your business or change the image of your company and pursue. Also, simple promotions are easy to understand and respond high within the market. 

You can choose from the various promotion types:

• Advertising
• Personal selling
• Sales promotion
• Public relations
• Social Media

If you decide what type of promotion you will use, start implementing it into your promotion strategies. You may promote with these strategies:

• Free shipping
• Percentage discount
• Give free items
• Loyalty-coupons
• Special offers at weekends

What is the mission statement of the company in that specific promotion? Find massage, name promotion, and products or services to reflect your promotion. Let the audience know about your promotion product or service with simple and catchy phrases. This phrase needs to infer the company and its promoted service. 

Make promotion more unique by giving a name. Name promotion plan with the campaign, find catchy and related to promotion campaign. Try to title it to grab attention just hearing that. 

You can present promotions with products with their messages. Choose something relevant to the promotion plan. It could be classic as shirts and hats. Products that include the company logo or slogan will say more about the current promotion plan. It allows to high chance of grabbing attention and meeting with audiences to deliver the campaign. 

Plan your resources, should decide the duration of the promotion, strategies, or tools to have in the promotion plan. The budget you have and incentives need to take consideration during the planning.

A/B testing is something you've likely heard about before. Although it always seemed helpful, it was never truly necessary. But as the noises have bec...

In the age of data-driven decision-making, businesses are constantly looking for innovative and effective methods to improve user experiences, optimiz...

Check the resources that you are going to invest in marketing. Set budgets because you will know your expense of promotion, services, and marketing tools you can choose.

Once you have a promotional plan, you should test your plan. It would help to realize potential problems and identify the things you need to change in the promotion plan. To test the promotion plan and try it with selected markets. Similarly, you can test your strategies once you set a goal and objective. A key performance indicator is the simplest way to test your revenue goal at a particular time.

Until this part, you make a plan and decide on an objective, target audience, strategies to use in implementation. It is time for promotion to launch. You are in the market and assess your processes with the outcomes of the promotion plan. It allows you to adjust the promotion plan or change it completely.

A promotional plan is a great way to evaluate your business. In planning processes, you think about your current resources, target audience, objective, strategies. After you launch, you see the performance of the promotion plan with the result in the real market now. 

Promotional Plan Template

Create your promotion plan with components of it.

Yet, a simple promotional template can include of following elements:

• Overview of the current status of the business and products or services you offered (resources, products, and budget)
• Mission statement to start promotion plan
• Long term goals and KPIs
• Target Audience (information about your target audience)
• Promotion strategies

Conclusion About How to Create Promotional Plan (With Examples)

In this article, you can find almost everything about the promotional plan. So, start your promotion plan while sticking with its fundamental aspects. Also, consider your business and services to create your unique promotion plan, know your target, and always keep into your mind the objective and goal in each promotion plan. We hope this article will help all you need to know about the promotion plan.

A promotion plan is a process of optimizing your marketing. You need to know about aspects of a promotion plan to create your own. It means more emphasis on thinking and deciding on implementing it. Think of your promotion plan as an outline with elements that shows your goal to create a plan. It’s a unique roadmap to your business

The company’s purpose of creating promotions can change. So, it needs to follow structures about trying something new. Promotion is easy to get attention,  and people are most likely to purchase. Those build brand loyalty.

There are not certain fundamentals of a promotion plan. But a promotion plan has components to include in every promotion plan to achieve its goal. Each of them is equally important and impacts on results of the promotion. Therefore, to create a successful promotion that should consider and have every plan. Cover these in a plan: mission statements, objectives, audience, strategies, and assessment tools.

A promotion plan is a process, so you don’t need to do anything special but start creating and thinking about your promotion. You can try the promotion plan by asking the following questions as a start, Why do you want to promote a plan? What is your current company doing?

A promotional plan is for various purposes so, there are many different templates that you can find or create your unique template. However, in a basic promotional template, you look for components such as current status, state reasons for promotion plan, define an objective, know the target audience, find promotion strategies and test the process.

I am İrem Beyza Gökcan and I am currently studying management engineering at Bahçeşehir University at the same time I am also studying public relations and advertising at Anadolu University. I am interested in digital marketing and SEO. Also I am pursuing my career in this area.

Oct 25, 2023

Oct 20, 2023

Oct 19, 2023

Oct 18, 2023

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Great Article

5 Steps to Create an Outstanding Marketing Plan [Free Templates]

Published: March 16, 2023

Free Marketing Plan Template

Outline your company's marketing strategy in one simple, coherent plan.

Thank you for downloading the offer.

Do you take a good, hard look at your team's marketing strategy every year?

You should. Without an annual marketing plan, things can get messy — and it's nearly impossible to put a number on the budget you'll need to secure for the projects, hiring, and outsourcing you'll encounter over the course of a year if you don't have a plan.

To make your plan's creation easier, we've put together a list of what to include in your plan and a few different planning templates where you can easily fill in the blanks.

To start, let's dive into how to create a marketing plan and then take a look at what a high-level marketing plan has inside.

In this article, we're going to discuss:

• What a High-Level Marketing Plan Includes

How to Create a Marketing Plan

• Marketing Plan Templates You Can Use
• Simplified Marketing Plan Template
• Plus — Social Media Plan Templates

• Pre-Sectioned Template
• Completely Customizable
• Example Prompts
• Professionally Designed

You're all set!

Click this link to access this resource at any time.

Fill out this form to access a free marketing plan template.

Marketing plan outline.

Download This Marketing Plan Outline for Free

The below marketing plan outline will help you create an effective plan that easily generates buy-in from stakeholders and effectively guides your marketing efforts.

Marketing plans can get quite granular to reflect the industry you're in, whether you're selling to consumers (B2C) or other businesses (B2B), and how big your digital presence is. Nonetheless, here are the elements every effective marketing plan includes:

1. Business Summary

In a marketing plan, your business summary is exactly what it sounds like: a summary of the organization. It’s essential to include this information so that all stakeholders, including your direct reports, learn about your company in detail before delving into the more strategic components of your plan. Even if you’re presenting this plan to people who’ve been in the company for a while, it doesn’t hurt to get everyone on the same page.

Most business summaries include:

The company name

Where it's headquartered

Its mission statement

Our marketing plan outline also includes information on marketing leadership, which is especially helpful for companies with large marketing teams.

2. SWOT Analysis

Your marketing plan's business summary also includes a SWOT analysis , which stands for the business's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. It’s essential to include this information so you can create targeted strategies that help you capitalize on your strengths and improve upon your weaknesses.

However, be patient with your business' SWOT analysis; you'll write most of it as you conduct your market research and create your strategy. Feel free to come back to this section periodically, adjusting it as you discover more information about your own business and your competition.

3. Business Initiatives

The business initiatives element of a marketing plan helps you segment the various goals of your department. Be careful not to include big-picture company initiatives, which you'd normally find in a business plan. This section of your marketing plan should outline the projects that are specific to marketing. You'll also describe the goals of those projects and how those goals will be measured.

Every initiative should follow the SMART method for goal-making . They should be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound.

4. Customer Analysis

In this part of the marketing plan outline, you get plenty of space to share all the data you collected during your market research . If your company has already done a thorough market research study, this section of your marketing plan might be easier to put together. Either way, try to do your research before synthesizing it in a shareable document like this one.

Ultimately, this element of your marketing plan will help you describe the industry you're selling to and your buyer persona . A buyer persona is a semi-fictional description of your ideal customer, focusing on traits like:

Personal challenges

Triggering event

5. Competitor Analysis

Positioning

Market share

Our marketing plan template includes space to list out the specific products you compete with, as well as other facets of the other company’s strategy, such as their blogging efforts or customer service reputation. Keep this part of your plan simple — your full competitive analysis should be done separately. Here are a few competitive analysis templates to get started.

6. Market Strategy

Your market strategy uses the information included in the above sections to describe how your company should approach the market. What will your business offer your buyer

personas that your competitors aren't already offering them?

As you fill out the section, use the insights from your SWOT analysis, your competitive analysis, and your market research to create targeted, effective descriptions that will help you secure buy-in for your later tactics and strategies. For instance, if you found that one of your competitors employs stronger social media marketing strategies , you might add “We’ll post 3 times per week on our social media profiles” under “Promotion.”

In our full-length marketing plan outline, the market strategy section contains the "seven Ps of marketing" (or the “ extended marketing mix ”):

Physical Evidence

(You'll learn more about these seven sub-components inside our free marketing plan template, which you can download below.)

Don't mistake the marketing budget element of your plan with your product's price or other company financials. Your budget describes how much money the business has allotted the marketing team to pursue the initiatives and goals outlined in the elements above.

Depending on how many individual expenses you have, you should consider itemizing this budget by what specifically you'll spend your budget on. Example marketing expenses include:

Outsourcing costs to a marketing agency and/or other providers

Marketing software

Paid promotions

Events (those you'll host and/or attend)

Knowing the budget and doing analysis on the marketing channels you want to invest in, you should be able to come up with a plan for how much budget to invest in which tactics based on expected ROI. From there, you'll be able to come up with financial projections for the year. These won't be 100% accurate but can help with executive planning.

Remember: Your marketing plan only includes a summary of the costs. We recommend keeping a separate document or Excel sheet to help you calculate your budget much more effectively. Here’s a marketing budget template to get started .

8. Marketing Channels

Your marketing plan should also include a list of your marketing channels. While your company might promote the product itself using certain ad space, your marketing channels are where you'll publish the content that educates your buyers, generates leads, and spreads awareness of your brand.

If you publish (or intend to publish) on social media, this is the place to talk about it. Use the Marketing Channels section of your marketing plan to map out which social networks you want to launch a business page on, what you'll use this social network for, and how you'll measure your success on this network. Part of this section's purpose is to prove to your superiors, both inside and outside the marketing department, that these channels will serve to grow the business.

Businesses with extensive social media presences might even consider elaborating on their social strategy in a separate social media plan template.

9. Marketing Technology

Last, but certainly not least, your marketing plan should include an overview of the tools you’ll include in your marketing technology (MarTech) stack . These are the tools that will help you achieve the goals you outlined in the previous sections. Since all types of marketing software usually need a generous investment from your company’s leadership, it’s essential to connect them to a potential ROI for your business.

For each tool, describe what exactly you’ll use it for, and be sure that it’s a strategy that you’ve mentioned elsewhere. For instance, we wouldn't recommend listing an advertising management tool if you didn’t list “ PPC Advertising ” under “Marketing Channels.”

• Conduct a situation analysis.
• Define your target audience.
• Write SMART goals.
• Analyze your tactics.
• Set your budget.

1. Conduct a situation analysis.

Before you can get started with your marketing plan, you have to know your current situation.

What are your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats? Conducting a basic SWOT analysis is the first step to creating a marketing plan.

Additionally, you should also have an understanding of the current market. How do you compare to your competitors? Doing a competitor analysis should help you with this step.

Think about how other products are better than yours. Plus, consider the gaps in a competitor's approach. What are they missing? What can you offer that'll give you a competitive advantage? Think about what sets you apart.

Answering questions like this should help you figure out what your customer wants, which brings us to step number two.

2. Define your target audience.

Once you better understand the market and your company's situation, make sure you know who your target audience is.

If your company already has buyer personas , this step might just mean you have to refine your current personas.

If you don't have a buyer persona, you should create one. To do this, you might have to conduct market research.

Your buyer persona should include demographic information such as age, gender, and income. However, it will also include psychographic information such as pain points and goals. What drives your audience? What problems do they have that your product or service can fix?

Once you have this information written out, it'll help you define your goals, which brings us to step number three.

3. Write SMART goals.

My mother always used to tell me, "You can't go somewhere unless you have a road map." Now, for me, someone who's geographically challenged, that was literal advice.

However, it can also be applied metaphorically to marketing. You can't improve your ROI unless you know what your goals are.

After you've figured out your current situation and know your audience, you can begin to define your SMART goals .

SMART goals are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. This means that all your goals should be specific and include a time frame for which you want to complete them.

For example, your goal could be to increase your Instagram followers by 15% in three months. Depending on your overall marketing goals, this should be relevant and attainable. Additionally, this goal is specific, measurable, and time-bound.

Before you start any tactic, you should write out your goals. Then, you can begin to analyze which tactics will help you achieve that goal. That brings us to step number four.

4. Analyze your tactics.

At this point, you've written down your goals based on your target audience and current situation.

Now, you have to figure out what tactics will help you achieve your goals. Plus, what are the right channels and action items to focus on?

For example, if your goal is to increase your Instagram followers by 15% in three months, your tactics might include hosting a giveaway, responding to every comment, and posting three times on Instagram per week.

Once you know your goals, brainstorming several tactics to achieve those goals should be easy.

However, while writing your tactics, you have to keep your budget in mind, which brings us to step number five.

5. Set your budget.

Before you can begin implementing any of the ideas that you've come up with in the steps above, you have to know your budget.

For example, your tactics might include social media advertising. However, if you don't have the budget for that, then you might not be able to achieve your goals.

While you're writing out your tactics, be sure to note an estimated budget. You can include the time it'll take to complete each tactic in addition to the assets you might need to purchase, such as ad space.

Now that you know how to create your marketing plan, let's dive into creating a marketing campaign outline that will help you reach the goals outlined plan.

Marketing Plan Timeline

Rolling out a new marketing plan is a big lift. To make sure things are running smoothly with all of your projects, you’ll want to create a timeline that maps out when each project is happening.

A marketing plan timeline allows your team to view all projects, campaigns, events, and other related tasks in one place — along with their deadlines. This ensures everyone on your team knows what’s due, when it’s due, and what’s up next in the pipeline. Typically these plans cover marketing efforts for the entire year, but some companies may operate on a bi-annual or quarterly basis.

Once you’ve completed your analysis, research, and set goals, it’s time to set deadlines for your assignments. From new blog posts and content initiatives to product launches, everything will need a deadline. Take into account any holidays or events taking place over the course of the year.

While setting deadlines for the entire year may seem daunting, start by estimating how long you think each task will take and set a deadline accordingly. Track the time it actually takes for you to complete similar types of projects. Once you’ve completed a few of them, you’ll have a better idea of how long each takes and will be able to set more accurate deadlines.

For each project, you’ll want to build in time for:

• Brainstorming : This is the first phase where your idea comes to life in a project outline. Decide what you want to achieve and which stakeholders need to be involved to meet your goal. Set a due date and set up any necessary meetings.
• Planning : This can include determining the project’s scope, figuring out how much budget will be allocated for it, finalizing deadlines and who is working on each task. Map out any campaigns needed for each project (social media, PR, sales promotions, landing pages, events, etc.).
• Execution : This third phase is all about your project launch. Decide on a date to launch and monitor the progress of the project. Set up a system for tracking metrics and KPIs.
• Analysis : In this final phase you will analyze all of your performance data to see whether or not your marketing efforts paid off. Did you meet your goals? Did you complete your projects on time and within budget?

All projects and their deadlines should be in a central location where your team can access them whether that’s a calendar like HubSpot's tool , shared document, or project management tool.

One-Page Marketing Plan Template

As demonstrated above, a marketing plan can be a long document. When you want to share information with stakeholders or simply want an overview of your plan for quick reference, having a shorter version on hand can be helpful. A one-page marketing plan can be the solution, and we’ll discuss its elements below.

Include your company name, list the names of individuals responsible for enacting the different stages of your plan, and a brief mission statement.

2. Business Initiatives

3. Target Market

Outline your target audience(s) that your efforts will reach. You can include a brief overview of your industry and buyer personas.

This is an overview of the money you’ll spend to help you meet your marketing goals. Create a good estimate of how much you'll spend on each facet of your marketing program.

5. Marketing Channels

List the channels you’ll use to achieve your marketing goals. Describe why you're using each channel and what you want to accomplish so everyone is on the same page.

Free Marketing Plan Template [Word]

Now that you know what to include in your marketing plan, it's time to grab your marketing plan template and see how best to organize the six elements explained above. The following marketing plan template opens directly in Microsoft Word, so you can edit each section as you see fit:

Download your marketing plan template here .

Marketing campaign template.

Your marketing plan is a high-level view of the different marketing strategies you’ll use to meet your business objectives. A marketing campaign template is a focused plan that will help achieve those marketing goals.

A marketing campaign template should include the following key components:

• Goals and KPIs: Identify the end goal for each of the individual campaigns you’ll run and the metrics you will use to measure the results of your campaign when it ends. For example, conversion rates, sales, sign-ups, etc.
• Channels: Identify the different channels you’ll use to enact your marketing campaign to reach your audience. Maybe you run a social media campaign on Twitter to raise brand awareness or a direct mail campaign to notify your audience of upcoming sales.
• Budget : Identify the budget you’ll need to run your campaign and how it will be distributed, like the amount you’ll spend on creating content or ad placements in different areas. Having these numbers also helps you later on when you quantify the success of your campaign, like ROI.
• Content: Identify the type of content you’ll create and distribute during your campaigns—for example, blog posts, video ads, email newsletters, etc.
• Teams and DRIs: Identify the teams and people that will be part of enacting your marketing plan from start to finish, like those responsible for creating your marketing assets, budgets, or analyzing metrics once campaigns are complete.
• Design: Identify what your marketing campaigns will look like and how you’ll use design elements to attract your audience. It’s important to note that your design should directly relate to the purpose of your campaign.

Digital Marketing Plan Template

A digital marketing plan is similar to a marketing campaign plan, but, as the name suggests, it’s tailored to the campaigns that you run online. Let’s go over the key components of a digital marketing plan template to help you stay on track to meet your goals.

• Objectives: The goals for your digital marketing and what you’re hoping to accomplish, like driving more traffic to your website. Maybe you want to drive more traffic to your website, or
• Budget : Identify how much it will cost to run your digital marketing campaign and how the money will be distributed. For example, ad placement on different social media sites costs money, and so does creating your assets.
• Target audience: Which segments of your audience are you hoping to reach with this campaign? It’s essential to identify the audiences you want to reach with your digital marketing, as different channels house different audience segments.
• Channels: Identifies the channels that are central to your digital marketing campaign.
• Timeline: Explains the length of time your digital campaigns will run, from how long it should take to create your assets to the final day of the campaign.

Many people use social media in their digital campaigns, and below we’ll discuss some ideas you can use for inspiration.

Social Media Marketing Plan Templates

As marketing departments grow, so will their presence on social media. And as their social media presence grows, so will their need to measure, plan, and re-plan what types of content they want to publish across each network.

If you're looking for a way to deepen your social media marketing strategy — even further than the marketing plan template above — the following collection of social media marketing plan templates is perfect for you:

Download 10 social media reporting templates here .

In the above collection of marketing plan templates, you'll get to fill in the following contents (and more) to suit your company:

• Annual social media budget tracking
• Weekly social media themes
• Required social media image dimension key
• Pie chart on social media traffic sorted by platform
• Social media post calendar and publish time

Below, let's review the social media reporting templates, and what you'll find in each one.

1. Social Media Questions

This template lists out questions to help you decide which social media management platform you should use.

Once you know what social media tactics you're going to implement in your marketing plan, it's time to figure out what channels are right for you. This template will help you do that.

2. Facebook Live Schedule

If Facebook Live is one of the marketing tactics in your plan, this template will help you design an editorial calendar. With this template, you can organize what Facebook live's you want to do and when.

Once you've decided on dates, you can color code your FB calendar and coordinate with your editorial calendar so everyone can see what lives are running in relation to other campaigns.

3. Instagram Post Log

Are you going to begin using Instagram regularly? Do you want to increase your following? With this template, you can organize your Instagram posts, so everyone on your team knows what posts are going live and when.

Additionally, you can organize your assets and campaigns on this doc. Use this doc to collaborate with your team on messaging, landing pages linked in your bio, and campaign rollout.

4. Paid Social Media Template

With this template, you can organize your annual and monthly budget for your paid social media calendar.

You'll want to use this in conjunction with your marketing plan budget to make sure you are not overspending and funds are allocated appropriately.

5. Social Media Audit

Conducting a social media audit? You can use this template to help you gather the right analytics. Tracking the results of your marketing efforts is key to determining ROI.

Use this template to track each of your campaigns to determine what worked and what didn't. From there, you can allocate funds for the strategies that deliver the results you want.

6. Social Media Editorial Calendar

With this template, you can organize your social media editorial calendar. For example, you can include social media posts for each platform, so your team knows what's going live on any given day.

7. Social Media Image Sizes

With this template, your team can have the latest social media image sizes handy. This template includes image sizes for all major social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Having a resource like this readily available for your team ensures that everyone is on the same page regarding image sizes and prevents delays.

8. Social Media Marketing Proposal

With this template, you can create an entire social media marketing proposal. This will outline the social media goals, the scope of the work, and the tactics that you plan to implement.

Think of this proposal as more of a deep dive into the marketing channel section of your marketing plan.

9. Social Media Reporting Template

With this template, you'll gain access to a slide deck that includes templates for social media reporting. If you plan to implement social media in your marketing plan, these reporting templates can help you track your progress.

If using the social media audit above, you can add all of your data here once it's been collected.

10. Hashtag Holidays

If you're going to lean into social media in your marketing plan, you can use hashtag holidays to generate ideas.

These holidays are a great way to fill out your social media publishing schedule. With this template, you'll get a list of all the hashtag holidays for the year.

Once you've come up with content ideas, you can add them to your social media calendar.

Simple Marketing Plan Template

Of course, this type of planning takes a lot of time and effort. So if you're strapped for time before the holidays, give our new Marketing Plan Generator a try.

This tool simplifies yearly planning by asking prompted questions to help guide your process. You’ll be asked to input information about:

Try our free Marketing Plan Generator here .

• Your annual marketing mission statement, which is what your marketing is focused on for the year.
• The strategy that you’ll take with your marketing throughout the year to accomplish your marketing goals.
• Three main marketing initiatives that you’ll focus on during the year (i.e., brand awareness or building a high-quality pipeline) metrics you’ll use to measure your success.
• Your target goals for those marketing initiatives like generating 100 leads per week.
• Marketing initiatives that are not aligned with your current strategy to stay focused on your goals and activities that will help you be successful.

Once you input all information, the tool will spit out a table (as shown in the image below) that you can use to guide your processes.

Pro Tip: If the tool doesn't work, clear your browser's cache or access it in incognito mode.

Start the Marketing Planning Process Today

The best way to set up your marketing plan for the year is to start with quick wins first, that way you can ramp up fast and set yourself (and your team) up to hit more challenging goals and take on more sophisticated projects by Q4. So, what do you say? Are you ready to give it a spin?

Editor's note: This post was originally published in December 2016 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

Don't forget to share this post!

Related articles.

The Top Goals of Marketing Leaders in 2023 [New Data + Expert Insights from Uber, Dropbox, and ClickUp]

41 Types of Marketing Your Brand Should Invest In

8 Steps to Create a Complete Marketing Strategy in 2023

Marketing Techniques: What to Try in 2023

Lifecycle Marketing: The Complete Guide

What Are the 4 Ps of Marketing? The Marketing Mix Explained [Example]

The Scarcity Principle: How 7 Brands Created High Demand

How to Use Google Calendar: 21 Features That'll Make You More Productive

The Ultimate Guide to Marketing Strategies & How to Improve Your Digital Presence

Don't bother with copy and paste.

Get this complete sample business plan as a free text document.

Promotional Products Maker Business Plan

Start your own promotional products maker business plan

Elsewares Promotional Products & Packaging

Strategy and implementation summary.

Our marketing strategy is to get our foot in the distributor’s door by offering them drawstring pouches as packaging products to add to the perceived value and profit on the promotional products they have already sold. Once we have established a business relationship and they have had a positive customer service experience with our company, we intend to offer them products in addition to the packaging items.

5.1 Marketing Strategy

We intend to focus on Midwest and West Coast distributors who have had to look to the East Coast as the only source of supply for their bag needs. Along with our on-time shipping commitment, we will focus on the quality and durability of our imprinting process, guaranteeing their quality so that distributors can ensure their clients that their message will be around for a while.

5.1.1 Promotion Strategy

All advertising will be disseminated through ASI publications. This will pinpoint the only market that we are attempting to reach, ASI listed distributors. We must market the product successfully to the distributor so that it is appealing enough for him to turn around and market it to the end user.

5.1.2 Distribution Strategy

Elsewares will sell its products exclusively through ASI listed distributors. Because many specialty advertising distributors are wary of doing business with suppliers whom they believe to be “dealing direct”, all direct inquiries will be directed to a distributor with whom we already have a business relationship. Distributors invest a significant portion of their selling time to finding, screening and qualifying specialty advertising buyers and convincing them that the suppliers products have a place and purpose in their activities, and are consequently predisposed to avoid doing business with suppliers who compete with them.

5.1.3 Service and Support

Offering the highest level of customer service to our distributor network will be crucial to Elsewares’ long-term success. Logo imprints will have to be of the highest quality and product shipping deadlines must be met. Because products will always be bought for a specific event or promotion, it will be important to support the distributors in resolving any legitimate conflicts between them and the end user.

5.1.4 Marketing Programs

Our main marketing program will revolve around the placement of our full line, full color catalog and price list in The Counselor which is the industry’s leading trade magazine of news, new products and market trends. This magazine is mailed to the over 13,0000 advertising specialty distributors listed with ASI. Reprints, with additional information about our company, will be mailed out approximately two weeks later to these same distributors as well as our own sales reps, offering samples of both our products and imprinting capabilities.

Secondly, the same catalog will be placed in the next annual edition of Media File which is a compilation of full page ads of participating suppliers. This catalog is sent to the ASI distributors who in turn give it to their sales people to use when offering various products to the end user. In some cases, distributors also give these catalogs to buyers who do a large volume of business with them.

Thirdly, as Elsewares brings new products into their line before the next annual catalog is printed and distributed, we will introduce these products to the advertising specialty industry through postcards featuring the product on one side and our mailing address on the other. These cards are bundled with other supplier cards for mailing and then bound into The Counselor magazine about six weeks later.

Elsewares will also only hire industry experienced sales reps of the highest caliber. In many cases, they will be the only representatives to call on distributors in person and will subsequently leave a lasting impression of our company. They will not be expected to close sales, but will be expected to represent our products in a competitive atmosphere. Their loyalty will be courted and rewarded through a compensation package combining both a salary and commission.

5.1.5 Pricing Strategy

In the fifty years of business experience that we have accumulated, one message rings true: someone can always beat you on price. Therefore, our pricing strategy is to be competitive within the various product categories, but not to rely on the selling price to overshadow the other advantages of doing business with our company. We will sell ourselves on the basis of a quality-made, unique product line which is reasonably priced and backed by an extraordinary customer service department. The products will be checked prior to shipment and all promised shipping deadlines will be met.

5.2 Sales Strategy

Because Elsewares is a new entity, we understand that we will have to prove our company’s worth to distributors in order to earn their respect and business. Elsewares will promptly honor all dealer requests for product and imprinting samples. We will offer a toll-free 800 number phone line and have a full-time, dedicated customer service person to meet distributors’ needs.

While the network of sales reps is bringing our product line to the attention of the ASI listed distributors, our in-house sales department will be calling on some of the larger West Coast distributors. We have hired a consultant who has had ongoing business relationships with many of these distributors over the last 24 years and we are counting on him to help us meet our sales objectives right from the start.

5.3 Strategic Alliances

The performance of Elsewares will be indelibly linked to the performance of the distributors that purchase our product. It is therefore paramount to the fulfillment of our business objectives that we cultivate customer loyalty with a network of distributors that are both credit worthy and active in selling the types of products we offer. The Advertising Specialty Institute offers suppliers a subscription to a market and credit service that will help us to pinpoint our marketing effort along those lines.

5.4 Milestones

Sample Milestones topic text.

The milestones table and chart show the specific detail about actual program activities that should be taking place during the year. Each one has its manager, starting date, ending date, and budget. During the year we will be keeping track of implementation against plan, with reports on the timely completion of these activities as planned.

Start your own business plan

Your business plan can look as polished and professional as this sample plan. It's fast and easy, with LivePlan.

The quickest way to turn a business idea into a business plan

Fill-in-the-blanks and automatic financials make it easy.

No thanks, I prefer writing 40-page documents.

Our biggest savings of the year

Cyber Monday Save 60%

for life on the #1 rated business plan software

This site has stepped out of a

If you're the site owner , contact your hosting provider., if you are a visitor , please check back soon..

• Customer Journey Maps
• Visualizing Buyer Personas
• Improving Customer Support Processes
• Guide to Viral Videos
• Marketing Mix
• Ansoff Matrix
• BCG Matrix Template
• Brand Wheel
• Event Planning
• Work Breakdown Structures
• Cross-Functional Flowcharts
• Creating Project Charters
• Guide to Team Communication
• Understanding RACI Model
• Visual Tools for Decision Making
• Procurement Management Plan Template to Boost Project Success
• Project Execution and Change Management
• Project Plan and Schedule Templates
• Resource Planning Templates for Smooth Project Execution
• Risk Management and Quality Management Plan Templates
• Risk Management in Software Engineering
• Stage Gate Process
• Stakeholder Management Planning
• Visualizing Your To-Do List
• 30-60-90 Day Plan
• Work Plan Template
• Weekly Planner Template
• Task Analysis Examples
• Cross-Functional Flowcharts for Planning
• Six Sigma DMAIC Method
• Visual Process Improvement
• Value Stream Mapping
• Creating a Workflow
• Fibonacci Scale Template
• Supply Chain Diagram
• Kaizen Method
• Procurement Process Flow Chart
• UML Activity Diagrams
• Class Diagrams & their Relationships
• Wire-Frame Benefits
• Applications of UML
• Selecting UML Diagrams
• Create Sequence Diagrams Online
• Activity Diagram Tool
• Archimate Tool
• Class Diagram Tool
• Graphic Organizers
• Social Work Assessment Tools
• Using KWL Charts to Boost Learning
• Editable Timeline Templates
• Guides & Best Practices
• Graphic Organizers for Teachers & Students
• Visual Documentation Techniques
• Visual Tool for Visual Documentation
• Visualizing a Dichotomous Key
• 5 W's Chart
• Circular Flow Diagram Maker
• Cladogram Maker
• Comic Strip Maker
• Course Design Template
• Business Process Analysis
• Business Process Modeling
• Capacity Planning Guide
• How to Avoid Bottlenecks in Processes
• Solve Customer Problems
• Streamline Purchase Order Process
• Employee Exit Process
• Iterative Process
• Process Documentation
• Risk Assessment Process
• Workflow Vs. Process
• Process Mapping
• Business Process Reengineering
• Meddic Sales Process
• What is Business Process Management
• Process Mapping Software
• Business Analysis Tool
• Business Capability Map
• Decision Making Tools and Techniques
• Operating Model Canvas
• Mobile App Planning
• Product Development Guide
• Product Roadmap
• Timeline Diagrams
• Visualize User Flow
• Sequence Diagrams
• Flowchart Maker
• Online Class Diagram Tool
• Organizational Chart Maker
• Mind Map Maker
• Retro Software
• Agile Project Charter
• Critical Path Software
• Brainstorming Guide
• Brainstorming Tools
• Visual Tools for Brainstorming
• Brainstorming Content Ideas
• Brainstorming in Business
• Brainstorming Questions
• Brainstorming Rules
• Brainstorming Techniques
• Brainstorming Workshop
• Design Thinking and Brainstorming
• Divergent vs Convergent Thinking
• Group Brainstorming Strategies
• Group Creativity
• How to Make Virtual Brainstorming Fun and Effective
• Ideation Techniques
• Improving Brainstorming
• Marketing Brainstorming
• Rapid Brainstorming
• Reverse Brainstorming Challenges
• Reverse vs. Traditional Brainstorming
• What Comes After Brainstorming
• 5 Whys Template
• Assumption Grid Template
• Brainstorming Templates
• Brainwriting Template
• Innovation Techniques
• 50 Business Diagrams
• Business Model Canvas
• Change Control Process
• Change Management Process
• Developing Action Plans
• Improve Productivity & Efficiency
• Strategy Mapping
• Visualizing Competitive Landscape
• Communication Plan
• Graphic Organizer Creator
• Fault Tree Software
• Bowman's Strategy Clock Template
• Decision Matrix Template
• Meeting Templates
• Meetings Participation
• Retrospective Guide
• Weekly Meetings
• Affinity Diagrams
• Business Plan Presentation
• WBS Templates
• Online Whiteboard Tool
• Communications Plan Template
• Idea Board Online
• Meeting Minutes Template
• Genograms in Social Work Practice
• How to Conduct a Genogram Interview
• How to Make a Genogram
• Genogram Questions
• Genograms in Client Counseling
• Visual Research Data Analysis Methods
• House of Quality Template
• Customer Problem Statement Template
• Competitive Analysis Template
• Creating Operations Manual
• Folder Structure Diagram
• Online Checklist Maker
• Lean Canvas Template
• Instructional Design Examples
• Genogram Maker
• Work From Home Guide
• Strategic Planning
• Employee Engagement Action Plan
• Huddle Board
• One-on-One Meeting Template
• Story Map Graphic Organizers
• Introduction to Your Workspace
• Managing Workspaces and Folders
• Adding Text
• Collaborative Content Management
• Creating and Editing Tables
• Adding Notes
• Introduction to Diagramming
• Using Shapes
• Using Freehand Tool
• Adding Images to the Canvas
• Accessing the Contextual Toolbar
• Using Connectors
• Working with Tables
• Working with Templates
• Working with Frames
• Using Notes
• Access Controls
• Exporting a Workspace
• Real-Time Collaboration
• Notifications
• Meet Creately VIZ
• Unleashing the Power of Collaborative Brainstorming
• Uncovering the potential of Retros for all teams
• Collaborative Apps in Microsoft Teams
• Hiring a Great Fit for Your Team
• Project Management Made Easy
• Cross-Corporate Information Radiators
• Creately 4.0 - Product Walkthrough
• What's New

Easy Step-by-Step Guide to the Marketing Planning Process

An effective marketing planning process ensures your efforts are focused, your objectives are clear, and your campaigns are both creative and results-driven. It acts as a roadmap that keeps your marketing activities on track.

In this guide, we will walk you through the marketing planning process, breaking down its steps, highlighting its benefits with templates for practical use and showing you how to create a well-coordinated, strategic marketing plan.

What is a Marketing Planning Process?

Marketing planning process steps, benefits of a marketing planning process, who are involved in the marketing planning process, when to use the marketing planning process, how to improve your marketing planning process using creately.

The marketing planning process is a systematic series of steps that businesses and marketing teams follow to create a strategic plan for their marketing activities.

This process involves setting clear objectives, analyzing the market and competition, defining target audiences, selecting marketing strategies and tactics, creating a budget, and establishing timelines for execution. It makes sure that marketing efforts are well-organized, goal-oriented, and aligned with the company’s overall business objectives.

Regular assessment and adjustments are also part of the process to maximize the effectiveness of marketing campaigns.

Here’s how to create a marketing plan with 6 effective steps .

Marketing planning toolkit

The marketing planning toolkit is a complete collection of tools, templates, and resources that you can use to streamline and improve your marketing planning processes. It serves as a centralized hub for essential materials that help with the development, execution, and evaluation of marketing strategies. This toolkit is designed to simplify planning, collaboration, and analysis, catering to the diverse needs of marketing teams.

The marketing planning process typically involves several key steps, which are as follows:

Set clear objectives

Start by defining specific and measurable marketing objectives. These objectives should align with the broader business goals and provide a clear direction for your marketing efforts.

Know your Market

Conduct a thorough analysis of the market, including an analysis of your competition , industry trends, and customer behavior. Understanding the market landscape is essential for crafting effective strategies.

Identify your target audience

Define your ideal customers or target audience segments. Understand their demographics, preferences, and pain points to tailor your marketing efforts accordingly.

Learn how to find your idea customer with our guide on target audience analysis .

Develop your strategy

Identify the overarching marketing strategies that will help you achieve your objectives. This may include product positioning, pricing strategies, distribution channels, and promotional tactics.

Create a detailed action plan that outlines the specific marketing activities and campaigns you’ll implement. This step should include timelines, budgets, and responsibilities for each task.

Allocate a budget

Allocate financial resources to various marketing activities in a way that ensures cost-effectiveness and supports the achievement of objectives.

Implement your plan

Execute the planned marketing activities, such as content creation, advertising, social media campaigns, and more. Make sure that these activities are aligned with the strategy and tactics outlined in the plan.

Monitor and measure results

Continuously track and measure the performance of your marketing efforts. Use key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics to evaluate the success of your campaigns.

Adjust and optimize

Based on the data and insights gathered from monitoring, be prepared to make necessary adjustments to your marketing strategies and tactics to improve performance and better achieve your objectives.

An effective marketing planning process offers several key benefits to businesses and marketing professionals, such as:

Clarity and focus : An effective marketing planning process gives a clear purpose and direction for marketing efforts making sure that everyone involved understands what is expected of them.

Alignment with business objectives : Marketing plans are designed to align closely with the broader business goals, making sure that marketing efforts contribute directly to the company’s success.

Efficient resource allocation : It helps in allocating resources, such as time and budget, more efficiently, reducing the risk of wasted efforts or overspending on ineffective strategies.

Risk mitigation : By conducting market research and careful planning, it minimizes the risk of investing in campaigns or strategies that may not resonate with the target audience or market conditions.

Measurable results : Marketing plans include clear objectives and metrics for success, making it easier to measure the impact of marketing activities and make data-driven decisions.

Consistency and coherence : It helps make sure that marketing efforts are consistent across various channels and messages, creating a unified brand image.

Increased collaboration : The planning process involves various team members and stakeholders, fostering collaboration and ensuring that everyone is on the same page.

Competitive advantage : A well-planned marketing strategy can give a business a competitive edge by identifying and capitalizing on unique selling points and market opportunities.

The marketing planning process typically involves various individuals and roles within an organization.

• Marketing team : Responsible for developing and executing marketing strategies.
• Senior management : Provides guidance and approval for the overall marketing strategy.
• Sales team : Collaborates to ensure alignment with sales objectives.
• Product managers : Offer insights into product positioning.
• Market research analysts : Provide data-driven insights.
• Creative teams : Contribute to content and materials.
• Finance department : Manages budget and resource allocation.
• External agencies : Collaborate on strategy and execution.
• Legal and compliance teams : Ensure adherence to regulations.
• IT and technology teams : Implement marketing technology.
• Customer service and support : Offer customer feedback insights.
• Suppliers and partners : Involved in collaborations or partnerships.

The marketing planning process is essential whenever a business wants to introduce a new product, expand its market reach, rebrand, or improve its competitive position. It’s also crucial during times of significant change, such as mergers, market shifts, or when there’s a need to address declining sales.

Moreover, it’s beneficial for startups looking to establish a market presence or for established companies aiming to refresh their strategies. Essentially, whenever there’s a need for a clear, structured approach to achieve marketing goals or when there’s uncertainty in the market, the marketing planning process becomes an invaluable tool for guiding successful marketing initiatives.

Creately serves as a versatile, collaborative space where marketing professionals can visually brainstorm, plan, and execute their marketing strategies efficiently, making the marketing planning process more dynamic and accessible.

Visual workspaces

Start by setting up a virtual workspace on Creately. Create boards that represent different aspects of your marketing plan, such as market analysis, user personas, objectives, strategies, and tactics.

Collaborative brainstorming

Invite your marketing team to the workspace and encourage them to brainstorm ideas visually . Use digital sticky notes, brainstorming templates from the in-app templates library, and text to capture insights, objectives, and strategies. This collaborative approach allows for a diverse range of ideas.

Market research

Embed market research findings, competitor analyses, and relevant data into your workspace. Or attach documents, reports, etc. under the notes section of relevant shapes. This provides a shared resource for the team to reference during planning.

Visual mapping

Use Creately’s visual mapping tools to outline the customer journey, sales funnel, or any visual representation that helps convey your strategies and tactics more effectively. Additionally you can also find templates for these from the in-app template library or the templates community on the site.

Task assignment

Assign tasks and responsibilities with shape data. You can use Kanban boards and task cards to create tasks and assign them to team members and track their progress.

Real-time collaboration

Creately allows real-time collaboration with real-time multi-user editing, comments, Microsoft Teams integration, etc. so team members can work together, even remotely. It’s perfect for cross-functional teams working on marketing planning.

Presentation and sharing

Once your marketing plan is ready, you can export it for presentations or sharing with stakeholders. Creately offers various export options to ensure your marketing plan reaches the right audience effectively.

An effective marketing planning process is your key to successful marketing strategies. By setting goals, understanding your market, and creating a well-structured plan, you’ve laid the groundwork for marketing success. With the right approach, your marketing efforts will not only be creative but also well-aimed at achieving your business goals.

Join over thousands of organizations that use Creately to brainstorm, plan, analyze, and execute their projects successfully.

More Related Articles

Amanda Athuraliya is the communication specialist/content writer at Creately, online diagramming and collaboration tool. She is an avid reader, a budding writer and a passionate researcher who loves to write about all kinds of topics.

• Online Degree Explore Bachelor’s & Master’s degrees
• MasterTrack™ Earn credit towards a Master’s degree
• University Certificates Advance your career with graduate-level learning
• Top Courses
• Join for Free

Marketing Strategy: What It Is and How to Create One

A marketing strategy can set your business up for success. Learn why and how to make one for your business.

A marketing strategy is a long-term vision outlining a business’s value proposition to its customers. Rather than describing the concrete actions required in specific advertising campaigns, marketing strategies are a compass used to guide marketing efforts. 

While it may be tempting to hash out a marketing plan right away, thinking about the marketing strategy first can improve your product's success and give you a competitive advantage. Learn what marketing strategy is, why it matters, different types, and steps to create your own.

What is a marketing strategy? 

A marketing strategy is an overview of how a business or organization will articulate its value proposition to its customers. Generally, a marketing strategy outlines business goals, target market, buyer personas, competitors, and value for customers. It provides a long-term vision for overall marketing efforts, often looking many years ahead. 

Advantages of a marketing strategy

Marketing strategies can have a measurable impact on success. 

In 2022, CoSchedule surveyed 3,599 marketers and bloggers to identify their most successful marketing practices. They found that marketers who documented their marketing strategy were 331 percent more likely to report success than those who didn’t. Furthermore, marketers who were the most organized were found to be a whopping 674 percent more likely to report success [ 1 ].

Taking the time to create a marketing strategy can benefit your company's brand and bottom line. Watch this video to learn more about how to develop a winning marketing strategy:

Marketing strategy vs. marketing plan

People often use the terms “marketing strategy” and “marketing plan” interchangeably, but in reality, they are two different processes.  

A marketing plan describes the concrete actions and marketing tactics undertaken to complete a marketing campaign. Meanwhile, a marketing strategy outlines the big picture of a marketing effort, such as the business's target customers. The strategy describes what the marketing objectives are, while the plan describes how those objectives are going to be achieved.

For example, imagine an e-commerce business that is trying to grow its customer base. They start a referral program to encourage word of mouth but it has little success. If they had created a strategy, they might have realized they needed to tap into new potential customers instead. A digital marketing strategy focused on targeted blog posts and search engine optimization (SEO) would have yielded better results.

Interested in digital marketing? Check out Google Digital Marketing & E-commerce Professional Certificate to gain valuable skills to kickstart a digital marketing career:

Types of marketing strategy 

There are many different approaches to marketing – such as social media marketing or content marketing – but strategies for market growth can be found in Ansoff’s matrix . These four strategies are: 

Market penetration 

Product development 

Market development

Diversification

H. Igor Ansoff is a mathematician and business manager who created the matrix to help businesses define their strategies by varying what product is being sold and who the product is being sold to [ 2 ].

Ansoff’s matrix encourages markets to consider the four Ps , or the “marketing mix":

Product: What is being sold 

Place: Where it is being sold 

Price: What the product costs

Promotion: How the product is marketed to the target audience

The exact way that a marketer defines the four Ps for their marketing efforts will depend on the growth strategy they are using and the political and economic outlook of their market. 

Let’s take a closer look at each strategy from Ansoff’s matrix. 

Market penetration strategy 

Market penetration strategy is a growth strategy that involves selling existing products to existing markets. It is considered the least risky of all the strategies in Ansoff’s matrix. The strategy is typically considered most beneficial if the market is either growing or the marketer alters its promotional efforts through existing marketing channels [ 2 ]. 

McDonald's "I'm Lovin' It" campaign

An example of a market penetration strategy can be found in McDonald’s “I’m Lovin’ It” campaign from 2003. 

In the early 2000s, McDonald's faced flagging sales and plummeting stock prices. Rather than creating a new product (product development strategy), McDonald's instead focused on attracting existing customers in an existing market with a catchy ad campaign. The result was their wildly successful “I’m Lovin’ it” campaign, which featured a catchy new jingle sung by Justin Timberlake [ 3 ]. 

“I’m Lovin It” has since become McDonald’s longest-running marketing campaign since its founding in 1940 [ 4 ]. 

Product development strategy

A product development strategy involves the development of a new product for an already existing market. Typically, it is considered riskier than a market penetration strategy because it requires the creation of a totally new product. In order to be successful, product development strategies typically require innovation and further research into the existing market, including the profiles and needs of the target audience [ 2 ].  

Uni Kuru Toga's mechanical pencil for every day writing

An example of a successful (and surprisingly interesting) product development strategy can be seen in the Uni Kuru Toga mechanical pencil. 

As odd as it may seem, in the mechanical pencil world the Uni  Kuru Toga is something of a star. “[T]he Uni Kuru Toga is the best mechanical pencil for every day writing,” opined the New York Time’s Wirecutter in a 2018 article [ 5 ]. Wired, meanwhile, called it “the ultimate geek tool” [ 6 ]. 

What makes the pencil so unique? A specially designed internal gear mechanism that rotates the lead so it stays sharp as you write and diamond infused lead that doesn’t easily break under pressure. In effect, as a 2009 commercial for the pencil demonstrated, it was meant for people concerned with even handwriting and durable lead [ 7 ]. 

While the market for mechanical pencils was already well-established, the Uni Kuru Toga was able to find success through a product development strategy that offered consumers something new and useful.

Market development strategy

A market development strategy takes an existing product into new markets. Much like a product development strategy, a market development strategy is considered riskier than a market penetration strategy because it involves introducing a familiar product into an unfamiliar marketplace. While the product remains the same, the new place it is sold requires possibly new pricing and promotional efforts [ 2 ].  

Microsoft's Hololens technology

An example of a market development strategy is when Microsoft introduced its Hololens technology to an additional 29 markets in Europe in November of 2017 [ 8 ]. The augmented reality headset provides a unique user experience that allows professionals to work in a “mixed reality” environment. To promote their efforts, Microsoft released a YouTube video showcasing the unique use cases of the product in the workplace, such as through interactive employee training programs in industrial environments [ 9 ]. 

Diversification strategy

A diversification strategy involves the development of a new product for a new market. The novelty required of a diversification strategy means that it is also the riskiest of the Ansoff matrix’s four strategies. Diversification strategies require full attention on all of the four Ps – product, price, place, and promotion—but the biggest risks can also lead to the biggest rewards [ 2 ]. 

Apple's first iPhone

An example of a diversification strategy is when Apple introduced the first iPhone on June 9, 2007 at the MacWorld Expo. At the time, Apple was new to the mobile phone market, but they innovated in the space by adding a music player and web browser to their new touchscreen phone [ 10 ]. 

“Today Apple is going to reinvent the phone,” CEO Steve Jobs declared before an audience of reporters [ 10 ]. Through much of the presentation, Jobs outlined the phone’s unique value proposition to customers.

It worked. As of June 2022, there were an estimated 1.8 billion active iPhone users [ 11 ].

How to create a marketing strategy

A marketing strategy can set you up for marketing success. As you are creating your own marketing strategy, consider the following steps to help guide your process.

1. Define your business and marketing goals.

The first step in creating an effective marketing strategy is to clarify your business objectives and marketing goals. What are you trying to achieve with your market growth strategy?

The answer to this question will inevitably depend on your particular place in the market and your own comfortability with different risk levels. 

Some examples of business and marketing goals include: 

Grow customer base 

Increase sales 

Increase brand awareness 

Whatever your objectives, the purpose is simply to consider what you want to actually accomplish by expanding your marketing efforts. These goals will guide the development of your marketing strategy.

2. Conduct market research. 

Strategic marketing requires a comprehensive understanding of the marketplace, its economic and political context, and your product or service's place within it.

As you are conducting market research, you'll want to consider these factors: 

Competitors, particularly their value proposition and market share

Market size, including the realistic number of customers that would be interested in your products  

Market gaps where you can provide value

Possible economic and political realities that could impact the market in the long-term

 As you gain a better understanding of the market, you will also better understand how you fit into it and where you can grow in it. 

Read more: What Is Competitor Analysis? Definition + Step-by-Step Guide

3. Create a customer profile. 

The purpose of every marketing campaign is to connect with potential customers. Your marketing strategy needs to include a comprehensive profile of your target audience.

Consider your target audience in relation to the four P's. Think through the following: 

Based on what you know about the market, who is your target audience? What are their key demographics? 

What is your product’s value proposition to your customer? (Product)

How much is your target audience willing to pay for your product or service? (Price)

Where does your target audience shop? (Place)

What marketing tactics are most persuasive to your target audience? (Promotion)

As you research and consider these questions, your customer should come more clearly into view, so you can create a strategy with maximum impact. 

4. Synthesize and strategize. 

Finally, take the goals you have outlined, research you have conducted, and profiles you have created to construct a marketing strategy. The critical question you will want to answer is: how will you align with your target market to meet your overall objectives?

Your answer to this question will be your strategy.  

Ultimately, your marketing strategy should cover the following: 

Business and marketing objectives

Market overview, including key facts and figures

Competitor research 

Customer profile

General statement of strategy highlighting the product’s value proposition to customers

You might consider whether a social media strategy makes sense for your product or service. If so, your strategy could include user-generated content. Go a step further to consider which social media channels fits best with your target audience.

While you may have collected much information as you were conducting research, your marketing strategy doesn’t need to be too long. In fact, a strong marketing strategy can be as short as one page. Remember, this is meant to act as long-term guide for directing specific marketing tactics, not an action plan of how a marketing campaign will be done. 

Get market ready 

Whether you are seasoned marketing pro or a budding entrepreneur, develop your marketing prowess by building job-ready skills with the Meta Social Media Marketing Professional Certificate .

Article sources

CoSchedule. “ The Marketing Management + Strategy Statistics You Need to Know in 2019 , https://coschedule.com/marketing-statistics.” Accessed February 6, 2023.

Oxford College of Marketing. “ Using the Ansoff Matrix to Develop Marketing Strategy , https://blog.oxfordcollegeofmarketing.com/2016/08/01/using-ansoff-matrix-develop-marketing-strategy/.” Accessed February 6, 2023.

The Take Out. “ TIL McDonald’s ‘I’m Lovin’ It’ jingle was born out of desperation , https://thetakeout.com/history-of-mcdonald-s-i-m-lovin-it-jingle-1846400888.” AccessedFebruary 6, 2023.

Chicago Magazine. “ Five Things You Never Knew About ‘I’m Lovin’ It’ , https://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/November-2014/McDonalds-Im-Lovin-It-Campaign/.” Accessed February 6, 2023.

NYT Wirecutter. “ The Best Mechanical Pencils , https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-mechanical-pencils/.” Accessed February 6, 2023.

Wired. “ Kura Toga: The Ultimate Geek Tool , https://www.wired.com/2011/11/kuru-toga-the-ultimate-geek-tool/.” Accessed February 6, 2023.

YouTube (Uni Ball UK). “ Uni Kuru Togat from Mutsibishi Pencil Company , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80k7Jl1o8Lc&t=22s.” Accessed February 6, 2023.

Tech Crunch. “ Microsoft expands HoloLens headsets to 29 new markets, now up to 39 , https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/01/microsoft-expands-hololens-headsets-to-29-new-european-markets/.” Accessed February 6, 2023.

YouTube (Microsoft HoloLens). “ Microsoft HoloLens: Mixed Reality in the Modern Workspace , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIJM9xNg9xs.” Accessed February 6, 2023.

Computer World. “ Update: Jobs touts iPhone, Apple TV , https://www.computerworld.com/article/2549128/update--jobs-touts-iphone---appletv-.html.” Accessed February 6, 2023.

Earthweb. “ How many people use iPhones in 2022? , https://earthweb.com/how-many-people-use-iphones/.” Accessed February 6, 2023.

Keep reading

This content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.

Take $100 off your annual subscription

• For a limited time, you can get a new Coursera Plus annual subscription for $100 off for your first year!
• Get unlimited access to 7,000+ learning programs from world-class universities and companies like Google, Microsoft, and Yale.
• Build the skills you need to succeed, anytime you need them—whether you're starting your first job, switching to a new career, or advancing in your current role.

Close more deals with the latest sales trends and tips from Salesblazers.

What Is a Go-to-Market Strategy? (And Why You Need It to Beat Your Competition)

Learn how to create a go-to-market framework to turn your product ideas into growth opportunities for your company.

Richard Harris

Share article.

• Link Copied

Imagine a world where you create a new product that everyone wants. It’s a snap to make and it sells itself – a mega hit. Congratulations, you’ve smashed your goals! In this world, there is no overnight success. If you sell a product without attracting the right buyers and demonstrating how it meets their needs, it may just sit on the shelf. Meanwhile, a competitor does their research, knows what buyers want, and delivers it. Not only have you lost revenue, you’ve lost potential customers to the competition. Ouch.

How do you avoid this and capture customer interest? Build a comprehensive go-to-market (GTM) strategy that combines careful research with tailored messaging that hits on the right buyer pain points.

What you’ll learn:

What is a go-to-market strategy? Why is a go-to-market strategy important? How to build a go-to-market strategy framework Go-to-market strategy example

What is a go-to-market strategy?  

A go-to-market strategy is a step-by-step plan for introducing a new product to buyers. This includes market, customer, and competitive research that uncovers problems your product can solve. Creating a buyer persona lets you target prospects with key messaging that emphasizes your product’s unique problem-solving value.

Find ready-to-buy prospects faster

Learn how Sales Cloud can help you score your best leads and prioritize them by how likely they are to close.

Why is a go-to-market strategy important?

A well-crafted GTM strategy ensures target buyers see your product, understand and appreciate its value, and are compelled to buy. As Howard Brown, CEO of Revenue.io put it , “Meeting expectations early and often builds trust and is the foundation of any successful partnership.”

You can launch a product without a go-to-market strategy, but buyers who really need your product might not see or appreciate its value. They might turn to competitors who are already established in the marketplace and are percieved to be stable. In the early stage, it’s normal for someone to see your solution and say, “Oh, you’re just like [competitor],” even if they don’t offer what you offer. Research bears this out, especially for smaller companies. Of startups that fail, more than a third do so because there was no identified market need. 

How to build a go-to-market strategy framework

A successful go-to-market strategy requires understanding your market, prioritizing buyers’ pains, and identifying your competitive advantage. Building a framework around these four elements can help deliver your product in a way that makes it “ready to buy.” Let’s run through how to do that in six steps.

1. Create your buyer persona

Selling is about delivering value to your target buyer, and that often takes the form of a solution to a unique problem. To make sure you’re targeting the right problem, build out a buyer persona that connects their pain points to your solution.

To surface this detail, you’ll start with your existing customers. Dig into customer data in your CRM , conduct interviews with buyers whose problems you’ve solved, and lead market research efforts to see where else these needs surface in your industry. (Check out our comprehensive guide on buyer personas for more guidance.)

If you sell B2B, your team will likely be coordinating a purchase with multiple people at each prospective company. The buying group might include end users, the CFO , an operations lead, and so on. Make sure you include problems and needs for these roles in your buyer persona.

2. Conduct competitive research

Going to market with a new product isn’t just about making sure you solve prospects’ problems. It’s also about separating yourself from the crowd of products already in market. To make sure you’re delivering unique value, conduct research on competitors with similar products to see how they’re positioned. Use these questions to guide you:

• What similar products are already in market?
• What do you offer (features, price, functionality) that your competitors don’t?
• If a competitor’s product is popular, why is it resonating with customers? How can you use that information to frame your own messaging?

If you have an AI-powered CRM, you can likely offload some of this research. Use AI tools to scan sales call transcripts for competitor mentions and pricing information. Pair this with automated online research based on industry, competitor, and product keywords. (Here’s how Sales Cloud does this.) 

Get articles selected just for you, in your inbox

3. map customer problems to your product solutions.

You know your target buyer’s problems. You know what competitors are doing to solve those problems. And, you know what your product offers. It’s time to connect all three and deliver a high-value solution that’s unique in your market. Build out a simple matrix so you can see all three and how they connect. Here’s what this might look like:

Product: Long-lasting, high-performance running shoes with extra arch support priced 20% below similar products Example buyer: Casual runner, mid-40s, median income

To keep the focus on the buyer during this value mapping, review your matrix and ask: “How would my target buyer see or understand this?” That’s a good gut check before you frame your messaging.

4. Develop key messaging for marketing and sales efforts

Using your matrix from the previous step, draft messaging for each prospect problem that shows why your product is uniquely qualified to serve as a solution with proof points to back it up. 

Let’s continue with the example of our shoe buyer. You know from your research that they are between the ages of 40 and 50, like to run as a hobby, and want to stay active despite minor injuries. But, they’re also price-conscious. Here’s what key messaging might look like for this target buyer:

• Problem: Their feet hurt when they run, likely due to prior injuries, muscle strain, or bad shoes. 
• Product value: A pair of running shoes designed with input from an orthopedic surgeon, with research that finds 60% of wearers felt less foot pain after a month.
• What competitors offer: Some shoe brands advertise “extra support” but don’t have medical experts contributing to design or research showing this support works.
• Key message: Running doesn’t have to end when you hit middle age. Buy orthopedist-designed running shoes that keep you on the trail, whatever your age. Don’t believe us? Just ask our runners: 60% of customers in their 40s say they felt less foot pain after a month of running in our shoes.

Complete this messaging for every problem you’ve identified, making sure to demonstrate clear and measurable ROI. You can also emphasize the potential downsides to sticking with the status quo or going with the competition.

5. Identify your sales channels

Now you need to reach your prospective customers. But how do you take your key messaging and combine it with the right buying channel ? Start by identifying the channels your buyers typically use to make a purchase, then select the right strategy to match. Here are the most common strategies:

• Direct sales: This involves a rep talking directly to a customer, building a personal relationship over time before closing a deal. This is perfect for longer sales cycles that require ongoing negotiation, typical for complex products at high price points. These deals are often high-touch, requiring a nurture-heavy strategy with lots of explanation and sharing of valuable resources to build trust.  
• Self-service sales: This strategy is much more hands off, letting customers make a purchase on their own without speaking to a sales rep. Consider this option when you want to make it fast and easy for your customers to buy, and/or when you don’t have a large team to handle individual sales. It works best for simple products that don’t require a lot of explanation and are offered at a low price point. I typically see this strategy with B2C business models, where customers can buy products on a website, but I also see it with SaaS companies that offer subscriptions. For example, Salesforce lets small-business owners buy software through the Salesforce Starter page. 
• Partner sales : Consider this strategy, also known as channel sales, if you want to get your product to market quickly without adding headcount. It’s ideal for smaller, resource-strapped companies launching a simple product that’s relatively low-cost, but best sold directly through reps because it requires some assistance with delivery, onboarding, or setup. The big benefit here is broader market reach via preferred vendors like online marketplaces, resellers, and third-party distributors. 

Trending Articles

3 Ways Generative AI Will Help Marketers Connect With Customers

Skill Up on AI with Trailhead

6. go to market and measure results.

With the core elements of your go-to-market strategy in place, it’s time to get your product to the right buyers. As you ramp up marketing and sales on your channel(s) of choice, start tracking total units sold, prospect engagement and objections, and sales cycle length. You can do this easily with an AI-powered sales analytics tool that delivers insights in real-time. 

If you lag behind expectations, consider adjusting elements of your go-to-market strategy to compensate. Go through the steps above again periodically (at least once a quarter) to make sure your research and persona are up-to-date. By surfacing any new needs or problems of your target buyers, you can adjust messaging to keep customers interested.

Go-to-market strategy example

Mary, a software as a service (SaaS) company founder, is working on launching her new product to the market. Mary has created an innovative solution that automates data entry for companies with high volumes of customer information to manage. Her soft launch was a success, and she’s ready to sell.

To make sure she’s bringing in the right prospects, Mary develops a buyer persona based on conversations with her current customers, and conducting market research. After a few weeks, she lands on the target buyer: mid-sized retailers that take a lot of customer orders online and by phone. The problem: the only other software providers on the market are too expensive for mid-sized companies, and their solutions take too long to get up and running.

With this as a guide, Mary decides on key messaging:

• Spending your weekend entering customer orders (only to ship them too late)?
• Automate your data entry to save your weekends and keep customers happy.

Mary also knows from customer conversations that she needs a sales team to engage with prospects – it’s a long-term investment for her customers, so they need to see demos before they commit. So, she hires 10 sales reps to start conducting outreach and connecting with prospective customers.

Within a few weeks, the team has scheduled demos and is having in-person meetings. She even lands some initial clients, who find the software easy to set up out of the box and affordable for their budgets. Most of them are impressed with how it works, but there’s a problem: people say they need more app integrations to make data management easier. That’s excellent feedback, so Mary takes it to her team. After some investigation, they land on the top 10 most requested apps to start. As customers start using Mary’s software with the app integrations, they see real time savings for their teams. Because they don’t have to spend extra time entering customer data manually, they can also save on headcount and ensure customer orders are shipped promptly. Within a few months, Mary saw a 40% increase in sales, with many customers saying they’ll write positive product reviews and refer their friends.

Build your customer base with a strong go-to-market strategy

A go-to-market strategy may seem like more fuss than it’s worth, but it helps you accomplish the most important task in sales: solving customer problems. Just keep in mind that it’s not a “one and done” effort. Continually monitor your sales and customer engagement to see how you can adapt your strategy to meet evolving buyer needs. 

Enable your sales team within their flow of work

Use Enablement from Sales Cloud to help reps identify target prospect’s key problems, then deliver solutions that make it easy to buy.

Just For You

How to Get the Most Out of a Sales Call

What Is Revenue Intelligence? A Complete Guide 

Explore related content by topic

• Salesblazer
• Sales Strategy

Richard has more than 20 years of SaaS experience and teaches revenue teams how to earn the right to ask questions, which questions to ask, and when to do it. Richard’s clients include Zoom, Salesforce, Google Cloud, PagerDuty, DoorDash, Salesloft, and Gainsight. He’s also the co-founder of Surf & Sales.

Get the latest articles in your inbox.

What Is Sales Management?

What Is Sales Enablement? A Complete Guide

The Complete Guide to Enterprise Sales

The Complete Guide to Building a Sales Forecast

Make Your Sales Kickoff the Party of the Year

What Is Cross-Selling? A Guide to Boosting Sales Through Add-Ons

Why You Should Stop Networking to Grow Your Sales Career

What Is Value Selling? The Art of Delivering Solutions with Economic Impact

New to Salesforce?

• What is Salesforce?
• Best CRM software
• Explore all products
• What is cloud computing
• Customer success
• Product pricing

About Salesforce

• Salesforce.org
• Sustainability

Popular Links

• Salesforce Mobile
• AppExchange
• CRM software
• Salesforce LIVE
• Salesforce for startups
• América Latina (Español)
• Brasil (Português)
• Canada (English)
• Canada (Français)
• United States (English)

Europe, Middle East, and Africa

• España (Español)
• Deutschland (Deutsch)
• France (Français)
• Italia (Italiano)
• Nederland (Nederlands)
• Sverige (Svenska)
• United Kingdom (English)
• All other countries (English)

Asia Pacific

• Australia (English)
• India (English)
• Malaysia (English)
• ประเทศไทย (ไทย)

© Copyright 2022 Salesforce, Inc.  All rights reserved.  Various trademarks held by their respective owners. Salesforce, Inc. Salesforce Tower, 415 Mission Street, 3rd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105, United States

Original text

Access our collection of user-friendly templates for business planning, finance, sales, marketing, and management, designed to assist you in developing strategies for either launching a new business venture or expanding an existing one.

You can use the templates below as a starting point to create your startup business plan or map out how you will expand your existing business. Then meet with a  SCORE mentor to get expert business planning advice and feedback on your business plan.

If writing a full business plan seems overwhelming, start with a one-page Business Model Canvas. Developed by Founder and CEO of Strategyzer, Alexander Osterwalder, it can be used to easily document your business concept.

Download this template to fill out the nine squares focusing on the different building blocks of any business:

• Value Proposition
• Customer Segments
• Customer Relationships
• Key Activities
• Key Resources
• Key Partners
• Cost Structure
• Revenue Streams

For help completing the Business Model Canvas Template, contact a SCORE business mentor for guidance

From creating a startup budget to managing cash flow for a growing business, keeping tabs on your business’s finances is essential to success. The templates below will help you monitor and manage your business’s financial situation, create financial projections and seek financing to start or grow your business.

This interactive calculator allows you to provide inputs and see a full estimated repayment schedule to plan your capital needs and cash flow.

Marketing helps your business build brand awareness, attract customers and create customer loyalty. Use these templates to forecast sales, develop your marketing strategy and map out your marketing budget and plan.

How healthy is your business? Are you missing out on potential growth opportunities or ignoring areas of weakness? Do you need to hire employees to reach your goals? The following templates will help you assess the state of your business and accomplish important management tasks.

Whether you are starting your business or established and looking to grow, our Business Healthcheck Tool will provide practical information and guidance.

Learn how having a SCORE mentor can be a valuable asset for your business. A SCORE mentor can provide guidance and support in various areas of business, including finance, marketing, and strategy. They can help you navigate challenges and make important decisions based on their expertise and experience. By seeking out a SCORE mentor, you can gain the guidance and support you need to help grow your business and achieve success.

SCORE offers free business mentoring to anyone that wants to start, currently owns, or is planning to close or sell a small business. To initiate the process, input your zip code in the designated area below. Then, complete the mentoring request form on the following page, including as much information as possible about your business. This information is used to match you with a mentor in your area. After submitting the request, you will receive an email from your mentor to arrange your first mentoring session.

Copyright © 2023 SCORE Association, SCORE.org

Funded, in part, through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. All opinions, and/or recommendations expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA.

Business Education

21 impactful sales strategies + how to create your own [free template].

Behind every successful sale is a winning strategy that made it happen. From cold calls to social selling and everything in between, the strategies and selling tactics you use are imperative to reaching your sales goals. 

In this guide, we’ll uncover what a sales strategy is, 21 different sales strategies your team can utilize to turn those leads into loyal customers, and tips for building a clear sales strategy plan. Once you understand the concepts involved in creating a winning strategy, download our free sales plan template to get started in building your own plan.  

What is a sales strategy? 

A sales strategy outlines the tactics your team needs to implement to reach their sales goals and close deals. It includes key information on your ideal customers, your unique selling propositions, how you plan to vet and qualify leads, and all the necessary steps in your sales pipeline. 

Ultimately, a clear sales strategy outlines who you plan to target, what you hope to accomplish, and how you’re going to get there. 

A proper strategy is important because it can: 

• Motivate your team: When your sales strategies are clearly outlined and sales goals are established, it makes it easier for sales reps to know exactly what steps they need to take to close deals. This can increase your team's productivity and motivation, decreasing sales burnout . 
• Establish consistent messaging: A major part of creating a sales strategy is clearly articulating your brand’s value propositions and unique selling points. This ensures your team is aligned and can deliver the same messaging across all touchpoints. 
• Inform strategy decisions: KPIs and other tracking metrics are clearly defined within a successful sales strategy. This makes it easier to monitor performance and make adjustments to your approach as needed. Consistently reviewing your plan can help you understand what’s working, what’s not, and when it’s time to pivot to reach your sales goals.   
• Foster long-term growth: At the end of the day, your sales strategy directly impacts your long-term business growth. A good sales plan aligns with your company objectives and helps you set future goals that can increase your revenue.  

Inbound vs. outbound sales 

When it comes to determining your selling strategies, there are two different approaches to consider: inbound sales vs. outbound sales . 

• Inbound sales strategy: This strategy organically attracts potential leads to your company. For example, you may see organic leads come from customer referrals, forms on your website, or free trials. 
• Outbound sales strategy: This is a strategy in which your sales team reaches out to companies and potential customers. For example, your sales team might capture leads by cold calling or social selling. 

The key difference between inbound vs. outbound sales is the initial customer interaction — they either come to you (inbound) or you go to them (outbound). 

21 successful sales strategies to convert qualified leads

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to closing deals. Combining multiple approaches into your overarching strategy can provide your team with endless opportunities to close deals — so don’t think you have to stick to just one. 

Below, we’ve outlined 21 different types of sales strategies you can implement to convert leads into loyal customers. 

1. Target your ICPs  

An ideal customer profile (ICP) is a representation of your brand’s ideal customer, featuring their unique buying behaviors, characteristics, and challenges. 

When creating your sales strategy, your ideal customer profiles will help you pinpoint what customers you want to target during outreach. This strategy requires significant research upfront but can lead to more qualified leads in your pipeline. 

To execute a successful ICP sales strategy, start by gathering data on your target customers — including firmographic, psychographic, and demographic data. 

To do this, you can run surveys with existing customers to gain insight into their preferences or utilize tools like HubSpot or Google Analytics to uncover patterns and trends in behavior. Analyzing the data you collect can help uncover consistencies in customer pain points and needs, as well as your target market’s geographical location. 

From there, you can map the customer journey to understand each step of the purchase process. This ensures you’re meeting prospects’ needs as they progress through each stage of the sales funnel. 

By honing in on your ICPs, you can approach your outreach efforts with confidence that your prospects can benefit from your product or service. 

2. Consider consultative selling  

Consultative selling is a sales strategy that takes a personalized approach — essentially, you act as a consultant to your prospective customer. This is different from traditional sales techniques because it focuses on nurturing relationships with prospects and understanding their needs, challenges, and goals.

This strategy involves careful listening and understanding while asking the right open-ended questions. Once you understand your customers' pain points, you can present them with uniquely tailored solutions that can help solve their problems. 

For example, a software company may offer a personalized demo of its product to show a potential customer how the software can be tailored to fit their unique needs. 

Because this strategy can be very time-consuming, it’s ideal for a B2B setting instead of lower-stakes B2C transactions. 

3. Implement audience segmentation

Niching down and splitting your target market into smaller groups, also known as audience segmentation , allows you to create a more personalized and effective outreach campaign. 

Segment your market based on shared interests, pain points, demographics, or buying behaviors, and create a sales pitch based on those common needs. Once you’ve nailed down your segments, test different communication channels and outreach strategies to determine which are the most effective for each segment. 

For example, a Gen Z audience might be more influenced by social selling on TikTok, whereas a Gen X audience might be more swayed by Facebook or face-to-face sales tactics.

This targeted approach allows you to tailor your strategy to deliver the most value to potential customers and reach sales goals.  

4. Apply a lead scoring system  

Lead scoring is an effective way to rate your leads and streamline your lead qualification process. It helps you determine which leads are worth pursuing and which ones aren’t worth the effort — ultimately leading to an increase in conversions and positive ROI. 

Lead scoring models work on a point system. With each action a prospect takes in the sales funnel, they receive a certain number of points or deductions. You can then evaluate those points to help you prioritize which leads to target. Once a prospect reaches a certain number of points, they’re considered qualified. 

Every business’s lead scoring system may look different — it all depends on what criteria align best with your sales goals. 

5. Master the PAS formula 

The PAS formula — problem, agitate, solution — is a framework that evokes an emotional response (agitate phase) by identifying a prospect’s problem and its effects. From there, you offer a solution (your product) to help solve those problems and alleviate the associated stressors.    

Let’s look a bit closer at the three phases of the PAS framework: 

• Problem: Identify the prospect’s problem or pain point. 
• Agitate: Show your understanding of the prospect’s problem and emphasize the frustrations and challenges they’ll face if they don't find a solution. 
• Solution: Present your product or service as the solution and show how it can help alleviate those frustrations.

When outlining your sales strategy, this simple framework can help you create a convincing dialogue to turn leads into customers.  

6. Apply gap selling 

Another framework similar to the PAS formula is gap selling , which focuses on finding the gap between a customer’s current state and where they want to be in the future. Your goal is to bridge that gap and offer a solution for how they can get to their goal state. 

Before selling your product, you need to ask intentional questions to identify your prospect’s problems and where they want to be once those problems are solved. You can then pitch your offering as a way to help them get to their desired state. 

7. Don’t be afraid of cold calling  

When an average person thinks of selling strategies, cold calling is probably the first to come to mind. Though it comes with many challenges — and may be perceived as annoying — it’s still a beneficial strategy you can utilize to gain qualified leads. 

Cold-calling scripts can help your team know what points to hit during initial calls and follow-ups. It typically takes 18 cold calls before you reach a buyer, so stay consistent and don’t give up after the first ring. 

8. Double down on cold emailing 

Similar to cold calling, cold emailing involves contacting potential customers via email outreach. Focus on these areas to boost click rates on cold emails and entice an open:

• Engaging subject line: This is the first thing a prospect will see, so grab their attention and give them a reason to open your email. Look at analytics from past outreach campaigns to see the subject lines that resulted in an open or reply. 
• Simple structure: Nobody wants to read a super lengthy email from a stranger. Craft a clear, easy-to-digest email showcasing your expertise and introducing how your product or service can help your prospect.   
• Personalization: When possible, reel your prospect in with personalization. For example, use their first name and consider doing a little sleuthing on LinkedIn to compliment a past accomplishment. This can grab their attention because it shows you put effort into the connection and aren’t just using the same email template over and over. 
• Low-effort CTA: You don’t want to come on too strong this early in the sales funnel. Make it easy for your prospect to move onto the next phase of the journey by asking them for a quick phone call or providing them with a link to schedule a meeting .  

9. Practice SPIN selling  

Much like gap selling, SPIN selling is a question-based technique that focuses on asking specific questions to help uncover customers’ problems, the implications of those problems, and how your product or service can provide a solution. 

SPIN selling questions focus on these four categories: 

• Situation: These are questions that help you understand your customer's current situation, like, “How are your current processes structured?”
• Problem: These questions help identify the problems your customer faces, like, “What day-to-day challenges do you currently face?” 
• Implication: These questions help uncover why the problems your customer is experiencing need to be solved, like, “How does this impact your ability to achieve your goals?”
• Need payoff: Finally, these questions help your customer understand the impact of the solution, like, “What goals would you be able to accomplish by finding a solution?”

The questions are the core of this strategy and help create a tailored and productive sales conversation. 

10. Launch automated drip campaigns  

A drip campaign, also known as an automated email campaign, sends personalized emails to potential customers based on user actions — delivering information at the perfect time. 

For example, let’s say a customer downloads a free guide from your website or signs up for your newsletter. That information will trigger a series of automated emails you customize ahead of time, providing users with the information they need at that moment. This helps nudge potential leads and opens the door for more communication as you gradually introduce them to your offerings. 

Automated drip campaigns allow you to monitor user behavior and provide a large pool of interested prospects — saving you the time you would’ve spent on manual outreach. 

11. Lead with urgency  

Urgency in sales gives potential customers a nudge to act quickly to make a purchase. Here are a couple of ways you can create urgency and push leads further down the buyer’s funnel: 

• Offer time-sensitive deals: Discounts or special offers to new customers can entice them to act quickly and make a purchase.  
• Simplify the purchase process: The easier the purchase process, the faster the transaction can happen. For example, accepting multiple forms of payment can make the transaction easier. 
• Be quick to respond: If prospects have questions, be sure to respond quickly so you don’t risk losing the sale. The more time you let pass between touchpoints, the faster the prospect can lose interest. 

12. Build a consistent follow-up framework 

Don’t underestimate the power of a good follow-up — data shows that 80% of sales require an average of five follow-ups. 

Whether you’re sending an email follow-up after a phone call or sending a message on LinkedIn, every interaction after the first point of contact can make or break the sale. 

Building a proper sales cadence (which we’ll cover below) helps create a set schedule for follow-ups so you know the best times and communication channels to reach leads. 

Utilize sales outreach services like Smith.ai to help you maintain a consistent sales cadence through automated outreach with SMS and email follow-ups . Personalize follow-up messages for any scenario and let our agents send the follow-up for you. This ensures you never miss an opportunity to help move a lead down the sales funnel. 

13. Harness the power of networking 

Networking in sales is a great way to meet qualified leads that match your ideal customer profile. To build your sales network, you can: 

• Attend industry events 
• Build your social media presence
• Ask existing customers for introductions 

Once you build up your network, you can start fostering trust with your connections. A prospect will be more inclined to buy when that trust is established ahead of time. 

Focus on connecting with important stakeholders — usually someone in the C-suite — who have purchasing power and can help push a sale forward. If you’ve connected with someone without much purchasing power, ask them questions to help guide you to the right person. For example, you can ask who is involved in the buying process and what the approval process looks like. 

To get ahead of the game, you can also connect with decision-makers from the jump. Utilize LinkedIn to research the company and look for important stakeholders based on their job titles. From there, try to find a common interest to make the connection natural. 

14. Leverage social selling 

Social media is a powerful tool, even in sales. Social selling is all about building relationships with prospects via social media platforms. It’s a great outbound sales strategy that can help you find qualified prospects and gather information about your target customers. 

Data shows that social sellers are 51% more likely to reach their sales quotas than those who aren’t implementing this strategy. 

Instead of the traditional cold emailing or calling strategies, social selling focuses on nurturing relationships with connections on social media and building your brand presence to find and attract qualified leads. 

15. Participate in trade shows  

Trade shows are an excellent opportunity to make connections with potential customers and raise brand awareness on a larger scale. When attending these types of industry events, it’s important to go in with a strategy.

Here are a few tips to make a lasting impression on trade show attendees: 

• Make your booth hard to pass up: With many companies participating in these events, you want to make your booth stand out and give attendees a reason to stop by. For example, interactive activities like a game may lure more people in. 
• Offer some company swag: Who doesn’t love free stuff? Provide some “swag” people will actually use, like a T-shirt or a fan if you live in a hot climate. That way, when they use the product, they’ll be reminded of your brand. 
• Be inviting and personal: Connection is important when it comes to attracting customers, and your professional demeanor can make or break a sales opportunity.
• Be friendly and engage with everyone you come in contact with: Their first impression of you may be their first impression of your company, so make it count. 

16. Become an industry thought leader 

By establishing trust and authority in your industry, you can attract a following of potential customers while increasing brand awareness. Ultimately, that trust can increase their likelihood of purchasing your product or service. 

To establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry, you can create valuable content on social media, write blog posts, host a podcast, or speak at industry events. All of these avenues widen your reach and can bring on highly qualified leads. 

17. Ask for referrals 

Though not every prospect turns into a devoted customer, you can still make a potential sale by asking uninterested prospects for a referral. They might not benefit from your product or service right now, but chances are they know somebody who will. 

Gather the referral's contact information and be confident knowing that even though one sale didn’t work out, you may still have another opportunity. 

18. Schedule sales demos 

Sales demos are your opportunity to showcase your product or service to prospective customers, highlighting its features, benefits, and how it can provide a solution to their problems.    

You can host an in-person or virtual demo. Consider using sales demo software to enhance your presentation and create a memorable experience for potential customers. 

19. Offer free trials 

Another common sales strategy — especially among SaaS companies — is free trials. This “try before you buy” method allows potential customers to test your product or service before committing. 

Data shows that 32% of sales professionals offer free trials to prospects, and a whopping 90% of them say it usually turns them into paying customers. 

Free trials are a great way for prospects to determine whether or not they can benefit from your offerings. It’s also a great way to establish trust and nurture those relationships with leads. 

20. Nurture existing customer relationships 

Once you convert a lead into a customer, the deal doesn’t stop there. There is power in maintaining valuable relationships with your existing customers. Not only does it increase customer loyalty and reduce customer churn, but it can lead to future selling opportunities. 

Research shows that more than half of a company's business comes from existing customers. Here are a few ways you can leverage your existing customer relationships: 

• Cross-selling : This process involves offering additional products or services to customers that complement their original purchase. 
• Upselling: This method encourages customers to make a more expensive purchase — like an upgrade or add-on — that will enhance and add value to their original purchase. 
• Referrals: Finally, referrals are an easy way to gain leads from existing customers through word of mouth. 

21. Streamline the sales process with the help of AI 

Artificial intelligence is taking the world by storm, and sales teams are using it to their advantage. While there is still the need for human connection, AI helps streamline processes and saves sales reps time so they can focus on converting leads.

Here are a few AI capabilities that can help sales teams: 

• Tailored conversations: Generative AI can create naturally-sounding responses to potential customers. These tools, like Smith.ai’s Live Website Chat , can scrape information from your website to provide leads with the most accurate and reliable answers to their questions. 
• Lead screening: AI can work hand-in-hand with your team to qualify leads based on your custom criteria and target audience. This significantly reduces time and ensures your team only speaks to qualified leads. 
• Translation capabilities: AI can easily translate conversations to a lead’s primary language so you never miss an opportunity to speak to and qualify incoming leads.  

How to create a clear sales strategy: 8 key steps 

Converting leads into customers isn’t always easy, but you can make it happen with a proper sales strategy. 

Aside from sales tactics, a clear sales strategy plan should outline your goals, unique selling propositions, buyer personas, sales pipeline steps, and any additional information your team may need to carry out the strategy from start to finish. 

Below, we’ll dive into eight important steps to create a clear and effective sales plan. 

1. Set clear sales goals 

While your strategy includes the steps needed to convert leads, your team needs to be aware of what they’re trying to accomplish — in other words, what goals are they trying to achieve? Without clear goals, it can be hard to properly measure and analyze performance. 

The S.M.A.R.T. goal model is especially effective when defining your sales strategies because it gives your team clear and specific direction. When your goals are too broad or if they just seem flat-out unattainable, it can be hard for teams to stay motivated.  

When using the S.M.A.R.T. model, follow the following criteria: 

• Specific: Your goals should be clear and precise so they’re easy for all team members to understand. 
• Measurable: Quantifying your goals sets criteria and makes it easier to monitor your progress.  
• Achievable: Your goals should be realistic and within reach — meaning your team should be able to easily accomplish the goal within the timeframe and criteria you outline. 
• Relevant: Your goal should be worthwhile and align with your other sales efforts. 
• Time-bound: Set a clear timeline for your goals, including the start and end date. This will help your team stay motivated and work with a sense of urgency.  

Let’s say your goal is to increase monthly revenue. This goal isn’t specific, measurable, or timely.

Now, let’s make that goal S.M.A.R.T. by shifting it to: “By the end of the fiscal year, we will increase monthly recurring revenue by 22% by acquiring 100 new customers. We’ll do this by meeting the needs of our customers and prioritizing inbound marketing campaigns.” 

2. Create ICPs and buyer personas 

Developing ICPs and buyer personas is crucial so you can target the right people during outreach. ICPs and buyer personas may seem similar, but they have different functions. Ultimately, they work together harmoniously and are needed when executing your sales plan.  

ICPs give a high-level overview of your ideal customer — usually B2C or B2B companies — and highlight the characteristics, pain points, and buying behaviors of those companies. This makes it easier for your sales team to pinpoint customers who can benefit from your offerings. 

On the other hand, buyer personas are fictitious examples of your ideal customers. These personas pinpoint the different types of people you might encounter within your ICPs. Buyer personas include information like a fictitious name, title, age, pain points, and goals. 

In short, ICPs represent the ideal companies you want to target, while buyer personas get more granular and provide specific details on target customers to make qualifying leads easier.   

Once you have your ICPs and buyer personas nailed down, your sales team can execute an outreach strategy that caters to these markets.   

3. Define your USP

A unique selling proposition (USP) will make you stand out from your competitors. It details why your product or service is better, how it can help solve customers' problems, and what differentiates your product from what’s already out there — hence why it’s called a unique selling proposition.  

Here are a few tips to follow when constructing a memorable USP:  

• Put yourself in your ideal customer's shoes: Your USP should align with your customer's values and what they care about. A USP is only unique if there’s some sort of connection attached to it. Ask yourself why they would choose your company over others, what motivates their purchase decisions, and how you can help solve their problems. 
• Analyze the competition: A good place to start is looking at your competitor's USPs. Find gaps in their offerings that you’re confident your company can help solve. This can help you pinpoint exactly what differentiates you from what’s out there. 
• Align with industry trends: Customer needs are ever-changing, so you must stay on top of industry trends to properly cater to your target market. Keeping up with these trends allows your team to pivot your strategy to ensure your USP aligns with what’s current. 

4. Create a plan of action to follow  

Once you’ve nailed down your goals and established who you want to target, it’s time to make a plan of action and determine what unique selling tactics your sales team can use to generate and convert leads. 

Evaluate the different tactics we outlined above and determine which selling strategies will be most effective for your team to focus on. From there, you can establish and perfect your sales cadence. 

A sales cadence is a communication sequence that outlines the outreach methods your team should follow to push potential customers through the sales funnel — including all touchpoints and channels. 

A sales cadence might look something like this: 

• Day 1: Initial email
• Day 3: Follow-up call
• Day 5: Connect via LinkedIn
• Day 9: Send a valuable resource via email 
• Day 14: Second email 
• Day 21: Second follow-up call 
• Day 28: Send a message via LinkedIn
• Day 35: Final phone call 

Remember, your approach may look different depending on whether your lead is inbound or outbound, so keep that in mind when creating your sales cadence. 

5. Develop a sales pipeline 

From there, you’ll want to plan the steps for your sales pipeline — a framework to track how potential customers move through the different stages of the buyer’s journey. This makes it easier for the sales team to manage tasks during each stage of the pipeline.  

Your sales pipeline should include the following stages:

• Prospecting: Detail your ICPs, buyer personas, outreach tactics, and sales scripts for your team to follow. 
• Qualifying: Include the process for qualifying leads, like your lead scoring model or qualification questions. 
• Connecting: Highlight the steps for making initial contact with prospects, including communication channels and touchpoints. 
• Meeting: Get clear on your USP and messaging to present in initial meetings and sales demos.  
• Proposal: Reiterate how your company can meet customer needs and how your pricing structure will provide a positive return on investment. 
• Negotiation: Provide steps on how to handle the negotiation process so team members are equipped with the tools needed to seal the deal (or walk away).   
• Closing: Wrap up with the steps needed to close the deal, including the payment and next steps after they become a customer.  

Make sure to also include any additional team members involved in each stage of the sales pipeline. For example, you may need to pull in a sales director to assist with the negotiation process. 

6. Create proper documentation 

Sales documentation is a collection of materials and information for your sales team to reference and use during their sales efforts. This ensures your team is aligned on messaging and provides consistent communication, both internally and externally. 

Your sales documentation should include materials like: 

• Sales scripts
• Sales playbooks 
• ICPs and buyer personas
• Marketing materials 
• Proposal templates
• Legal documents 
• Sales forecasting 
• Customer feedback records 

7. Implement sales tools 

Executing your sales strategy with the right tools can streamline your strategy and accelerate the time to close. These tools can automate processes to improve productivity and provide impactful insights into performance so you can make informed business decisions. 

Some sales tools you may consider adding to your tech stack include: 

• CRM software 
• Sales Intelligence 
• Automation tools 
• Analytics software 
• Productivity and workflow management 
• Document and signature software 
• Lead generation tools 

8. Monitor and analyze your performance 

Tracking sales KPIs allows you to accurately measure the performance of your sales efforts. For example, you may consider tracking monthly sales growth to measure revenue growth or loss during a given month, or customer acquisition cost to measure the average cost of acquiring new customers. 

These metrics allow you to analyze the effectiveness of your strategy, identify what can be improved, and help you make informed future strategy and business decisions. 

Sales plan template 

Execute your sales strategy with the help of Smith.ai 

With over 20 different sales strategies, you’re bound to find the perfect mix no matter what your sales pipeline looks like. Implementing a proper strategy can help your team establish consistent messaging to close deals and make important business decisions that will increase your ROI. 

At Smith.ai, we can help you execute your sales outreach strategy by providing a quick and streamlined process. Our team of agents and virtual receptionists can help you screen leads, send follow-ups, book appointments, and improve speed to lead to create more sales opportunities for your team. 

Book a free consultation to learn more about how Smith.ai can help streamline your sales strategy.

RECENT posts

Why virtual receptionist phone handling can improve client relations, how to find and convert legal leads, how 24/7 outreach agents can help increase webinar and event sign-ups, business solutions, client spotlight, company news, integrations, outreach campaigns, partnerships, product updates, promotions & offers, virtual receptionists, voice assistant, sign up for our newsletter, related posts.

VIDEO: Smith.ai & LeanLaw Webinar: Law Firm Profitability Through Strategic Outsourcing

3 Ways to Approach Lead Scoring in Salesforce

Master Class: Achieve a 3-Day Workweek Through Delegation

Take the faster path to growth. get smith.ai today..

Learn more about Smith.ai

Got it, thank you.