Promotional Samples Part 2: How to use your Promo Effectively
August 20, 2009 | By
Now that you have a promo made, you have the more difficult task of figuring out how to get in in the right hands at the right time to score a sale. Since this is a bit more costly form of advertising than the time honored business card, you will want to watch what you do with your promos. This form of marketing is designed to pique enough interest in your product to make the prospective customer actually take the time to sit down at the computer and type in your URL.
Some forms of guerrilla marketing work well with promo samples. Leaving a promo or business card in a restroom is in poor taste. Don’t ever devalue your craft. Place it in a respectable but interesting place appropriate for your shop. Leaving a soap sample on a floor model display of a high dollar sink in a hardware store will generate interest! You have left your soap on the most expensive sink in the place, someone will always think its special when they pick it up, and associate your soap with feeling “rich”. Place a jewelry promo on top of some books about fine wines at your local library. The person finding it will most likely be one who enjoys finer things and would most likely enjoy your jewelry. Similar places can be found to leave any other type of promo; these are just some examples. There is also the element of making the finder feel like they have “discovered” a treasure. Hide your promor just enough to make the person feel like they “found” something. That initial feeling of excitement will make a lasting impression as well.
Sample promos can also be given to brick and mortar shops that you have an interest in doing business with. A perspective wholesale customer will be more likely to remember your sales pitch and call you back if they have a tangible sample of your art. This works great if there is an occasion during which you cannot speak to the owner in person, but want to leave a bit of your business behind for when they return. You will be more likely to get a call from the owner by leaving a sample of your work.
Swapping promos with other crafters is a great way to get your promo out and gain new customers. I have had a lot of success myself in doing this. Always make sure your customer is OK with receiving a promotional “goodie bag”. Don’t overwhelm the customer, only include a few promos from different shops. Each shop will make its own impression and the customer will be more likely to sit down and type in some of the URLS to check them out.
When trading with other crafters, you can send each crafter you want to trade with a small package and it won't cost too much. Finding crafters close to your home state will save you in shipping charges as well. Shipping first class mail is usually as fast as priority but much cheaper, although there is a 13 ounce weight limit. Remember that the closer to your home state the package is going the cheaper it will be. Be sure to watch your shipping costs as it factors into your advertising budget, along with the time spent making the promo and materials used to make it.
Even though this can be a somewhat pricey way to advertise, it has been very successful for me. I have had so much success with promo sample advertising. I have never lost money in sending them out due to the amount of sales they bring back to me. I hope I have inspired some of you to try out promotional samples as a marketing tool. I wish you much success!
Want more information on promotional samples? Check out these articles by our brilliant business and marketing teams:
Promotional Samples, Part 1: Making the Samples
Using Promotional Products to Increase Brand Awareness
Mini Brochures for Your Business
Photos courtesy of PaintAndInk, Kellibeans and HopesPantry
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