How to Implement Successful Promotions

Promotions Need to Be Planned Effectively to be Worthwhile

Nov 2, 2009

Promotions are a great way to showcase a business and help small businesses stand out. It's therefore imperative that they are planned effectively.

Promotions are part of most small businesses. They range from % off costs to offering a prize to customers and everything in between. Small businesses have specific challenges and their promotions need to be approached differently than those of larger organisations. One of the biggest challenges in small business promotion is working with small budgets.

Small budgets mean more specific promotions

The most important part of any promotion is to figure out the goal of the promotion and then put processes in place to monitor the success of the promotion. Promotions are useful if they achieve their goal. This means that every promotion should have a goal to begin with. It’s important to figure out what the promotion is trying to achieve specifically.

For example: A cafe introduces a new product; take-home meals. The goal of promotional activity is to increase brand awareness of the new product and the gauge of success is an increase in inquiries online and in store about the new product. Note that the gauge of success is not increased sales as that is not the goal of the promotion. It’s important to be clear on goals and the gauge of success.

Planning a Promotion

A plan for the promotion will assist in ensuring the promotion stays on track. Following is a simplified example of a promotional plan for the aforementioned cafe promotion:

Promotional Plan

Goal/Objective of the promotion: This should be specific eg. To increase awareness of the new product, ‘Take Home Meals’.

How success will be measured: Measures should be put in place in planning stages to ensure the campaign can be monitored. Eg. An increase in inquiries on website and in store

Target market/s: Choose a specific market. It may help to create a sample profile of your customer. Eg: Current customers and busy meal preparers.

Outline of the promotion and how it will achieve the specified goal: This is an outline of the logistics of the promotion. Eg: An email is sent to the current cafe database outlining the new product and the chance to win a week’s worth of family take away dinners by entering online or filling out a competition entry form at the counter.

Marketing Message: Outline the message that will be included in all marketing material. This will ensure continuity of the campaign, eg: The best solution for busy people. Don’t resort to junk food, take the cafe you love home with you.

Marketing Material: This is the specific material used. This should relate to the target market. Eg: Online form and brochure as well as in store competition forms. Posters and print ads.

Where and how the promotion will be communicated: Be specific about the channels used to get information to the target market. Eg: Current cafe database, ads and editorial in local paper, posters in store.

Timelines and Deadlines: It's important all promotions have a timeline and a deadline. Putting this on paper will ensure the promotion manager stays on track. Eg: Promotion to coincide with the launch of the product. The promotion will run for one month with prize drawn the following week.

Budget: Every promotion should have a budget. Ensure everything related to the promotion is included in order to get a true idea of the promotions value and success.

Make the next promotion even better

It’s important to also record the results of the promotion as well as any obstacles or unforeseen circumstances. This will assist in future promotional planning. Promotions are great tools for small business as long as they are well thought out and executed.

The copyright of the article How to Implement Successful Promotions in Small/Home Business is owned by Jennifer Birchall. Permission to republish How to Implement Successful Promotions in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.