For many small businesses, promotional marketing strategies are designed around finding cost-effective means of successfully promoting a brand image. This can often be a challenge when trying to create unique ideas, but business owners can look to other industries to see how promotional products are being used efficiently.
The video game world is one industry for which a good promotional marketing campaign can supply the backbone of profitable sales. Many retailers offer special “in-game” items to customers who show loyalty or purchase a product early – essentially, this is un-lockable promotional content that associates a positive image with store chains looking for the best sales. Many consumers view a limited promotional item as extremely desirable, and the large influx of people looking to snag such content drives up sales in other areas. Even if customers find out they arrived too late to secure a special copy, they will often end up making a purchase.
Small businesses can adapt this strategy easily. Instead of just sending out a bunch of business gifts, a company that offers real estate services can offer a unique promotional pen to the first ten customers that register a showing with an agent. If advertised correctly, the chances are that many more than ten people will show up and may make an offer since they are already in the office. Plus, having these people actually in the office allows a business owner to hand out other applicable promotional products.
However, there is another aspect to the promotional video gaming that is applicable to small businesses. When a gamer purchases a special-edition game, this often unlocks special services and content in other games put out by the developer or its partners. Small businesses can do the same with their promotional products.
For example, the same real-estate promotional pens could offer a discount on the realtor’s fee if they are used to sign the lease, or perhaps unlock special listings that are only shown to dedicated clients. Out-of-the-box ideas like these are how a company image works its way into daily operations, and small business owners should not underestimate how much clients will appreciate even a small discount. Everyone likes to save a few hard-earned dollars, and clever promotional marketing can save both the customer and the entrepreneur money.