9 Types of Promotions Tools (Plus Benefits and Examples)

Updated March 10, 2023

Promotions tools offer creative ways for businesses to market their goods or services. These tools can be effective in highlighting and increasing awareness of new brands, encouraging customer loyalty, increasing sales of a particular item or a combination of these benefits. There are many of these tools available, and it's helpful to research them to know which ones would be best to market and promote goods and services. In this article, we discuss various promotions tools, including what they are, their benefits and specific tools you can use to market a business successfully.

What are promotions tools?

Promotional tools are strategies, methods or resources that compel consumers to buy a product or service. Many marketing and advertising professionals use them to raise awareness of a new product or increase sales of a particular item or service. Professionals can also use these tools as part of a long-term, comprehensive marketing strategy. A company may choose one promotional tool over another based on different factors, such as the tool's availability, performance and profitability.Related: 11 Ideas for Product Promotion

Types of promotional tools

There are four main strategies that are used to promote goods or services. These include:

Advertising

Advertising is any form of paid correspondence used to market a product or resource. This can include communication tools such as commercials, newspaper ads, digital ads, billboards, radio announcements and more. Some companies also advertise their business by giving free items to customers that include the company's name, logo or tag line. Popular promotional items include pens, t-shirts, water bottles, coffee mugs, tote bags and more.Related: Promotional Advertisements: Definition and Benefits of Using Them

Sales promotion

A sales promotion is a limited-time offer that is used to increase sales of a particular item or service. It typically includes incentives for customers like coupons, discounts, samples or free trials. This strategy is most often used when a company is introducing a new product or would like to increase sales of a product they already have.

Public relations

In public relations, the goal of a company or organization is to build a quality reputation and solid relationship with its customers and clients. Public relations professionals can do this in a variety of ways, such as creating a positive corporate image, sharing newsworthy information with the public, sponsoring a special event or donating to a charity.

Direct marketing

Direct marketing involves promoting a product, resource or business directly to specific individuals. Companies may select these individuals based on the demographics that they're trying to reach. Many companies and sales professionals achieve this through telephone marketing, email marketing, direct mail campaigns and social media marketing.Related: Guide To Understanding Types of Marketing Tools

Benefits of using promotions tools

There are several benefits of using promotions tools, and they include:

Generates sales

The primary advantage of using promotions tools is generating more sales. Having multiple promotions tools to choose from can be valuable, because the same strategy that works for one company may not work for others. When you find a promotional strategy that works well for a particular business or product, you may see an increase in sales.

Helps you stand out

By using a wide variety of tools to promote a company or business, you can reach different demographics of consumers. This can be helpful in boosting the visibility of the specific company or brand to different people. Promoting goods and services to a wide customer base may also help a company stand out from competitors.

Retains customers

Promoting customer loyalty can be a very effective way of retaining customers and ensuring they return often to purchase the service or product. You can promote customer loyalty by making sure customers feel valued when engaging with the company. When consumers are loyal to a brand or company, they may also recommend or refer it to their friends, family members, coworkers and acquaintances.

Maximizes budgets

Promotions tools can be a cost-effective advertising strategy compared to other forms of marketing. There are many types of promotions tools that are free to use and only require time to implement. If the business is new or you need to maximize the use of a marketing budget, consider using a free or low-cost promotional tool.

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9 promotions tools to market a product or service

Below are nine promotions tools to advertise a business:

1. Digital publishing platforms

Digital publishing platforms allow writers, business owners, experts and professionals to post their web articles or blog posts. These platforms act as an alternative to print media, allowing you to reach a target audience faster and more efficiently. Many of these platforms have high volumes of traffic, making these promotional tools an ideal way to maximize marketing efforts.Related: 11 Digital Marketing Tools (With Definitions)

2. Paid online advertising

Paid online advertising can be a cost-effective marketing strategy, especially for small business owners who have a limited advertising budget. There are several types of paid online advertising tools available, such as:

Banner ads: Companies typically display these ads on websites in target locations, like the top of the page or the sidebar. They vary in size and are usually square or rectangular to help fit in naturally with the webpage.
Pay-per-click (PPC): Companies can use PPC ads when they want their company links to be displayed first in search engine results, and the company pays the publisher every time a user clicks the link. This can be an effective marketing method, as it makes it easier for consumers to find a company.
Ad re-targeting: This is a very efficient method of advertising where a company sends ads to people who have visited their website. Companies typically send these ads by email.

2. Open web advertising

Media companies partner with open web advertising platforms to connect digital content with consumers. Using recommendation technology, open web advertising shares digital content with a large network of mainstream publishers and media brands. These platforms allow you to choose specific targeting options that will help you reach the ideal audience. These services typically allow you to track campaigns so you can discover which of your digital content articles are most effective at reaching potential customers.

3. Email marketing campaigns

Email marketing is an effective promotions tool that can target individuals who are already interested in the product or resource. Email marketing campaigns are designed to encourage new website visitors to become consumers, or for current customers to make more purchases. Companies typically accomplish this by sending email newsletters and sales offers on a consistent schedule.

4. Landing pages

These stand-alone web pages are designed to capture the contact information of individuals who are interested in a company's products or resources. These pages are usually the first thing a customer interacts with while visiting a website. Typically, they enter their name and email address, and in exchange, you send them a valuable item like a discount, coupon code or special offer.

5. Social media scheduling tools

You can optimize social media efforts by using social media scheduling tools for promotions. With these tools, you can post digital content to a variety of social media channels at set intervals of time. These tools allow you to create batches of social media content at once, and the scheduler will automatically post them at the specific date and time you request. Some platforms allow you to respond to various mentions of a business on social media.

6. Search engine optimization tools

Search engine optimization, also known as SEO, is a promotions method that helps websites or digital content rank higher on search engines. By strategically placing keywords throughout a website or content articles, search engines might place them towards the top of the search results page. This increases the chances of visitors clicking on and visiting a website.

7. Content creation tools

When you need to create unique digital images for online ads, blog posts or social media headers, a content creation tool can be very beneficial. You can use these to create images, videos, GIFs, charts and more. Most content creation promotions tools include templates, color palettes, font styles, stock images and other features, so you can completely customize the images.

8. Video marketing promotions tools

Video is a valuable resource for promoting and marketing goods and services. They can be embedded on websites, posted on social media platforms and included in emails. Many popular brands use video marketing to find leads, increase sales, engage with followers on social media and more. Video marketing tools work much like content creation tools in that you can create completely unique videos to use as part of a marketing strategy. For example, you might record the testimony of a happy customer or demonstrate how to use products.

9. Print advertising

While digital promotions tools are extremely popular, there are still advantages to using print advertising. Newspapers can still be a beneficial tool in promoting a business, and you can reach a wider audience by choosing local, community or national newspapers to advertise in. Advertising in magazines is also an effective way to increase a brand's visibility. These publications use colorful, vibrant and dramatic ads, and can give you the freedom to use imagination and creativity when marketing with them.For companies who wish to promote their goods or services to a local or community audience, directories are a valuable promotions tool. For example, you might take out an advertisement in the directory of the local Chamber of Commerce. Many residents trust local organizations such as this one. By taking advantage of the authority a local organization like this holds, you may see an increase in leads and potential customers.

Marketing & advertising