Launching a new product or service can seem like the hardest part. After all, what you’re selling must be unique, profitable, and attractive to consumers. However, not only does your product have to stand out on the shelves, but your advertising strategy needs to be watertight, too.
Without any promotion efforts, your business could fall victim to losing out on opportunities. You may even wrongly believe the product itself is at fault. Indeed, your new service isn’t going to sell itself, but with the right acquisition channels and promotion efforts, customers will come to you.
In this short guide, we’ll examine the top seven things you can think about when it comes to promoting a new service for your business.
1) Create an animation video explaining the service
Video has revolutionized the advertising and marketing industries from the day television was born. Now, the technological boom has brought with it the internet and a vast array of social media platforms and therefore larger scope to place your video than ever before. And an animated video doesn’t need to be expensive to make or a hassle to create.
Animation explainer videos are one of the most preferred forms of promotion by businesses in the UK since it is inexpensive and can generate a huge impact. As high as 51% of marketing professionals identify video as a tool that generates the best ROI, meanwhile, other studies find video content to increase customer conversion rate by 80%.
The good news about your animated video is that it can feature anywhere and everywhere, across multiple platforms and directly into the timelines, and therefore palms, of your target audience. Find out more about animated explainer videos.
2) Provide an introductory discount offer
Discounts have and will always remain a popular method to drive customers to your product. Everyone loves a bargain and simply can’t resist the temptation of a discounted item.
If your service is new, you can generate positive chatter about it with this simple trick. After all, customers may still be wary of your brand if you’re new on the scene and have not yet built up a solid reputation.
An introductory offer is one way to bridge this divide. You can introduce your service with a special first-time buy at a discounted cost or as part of a bundle, package deal, or voucher. The only important thing to note here is that you put a time limit on the discount to create a sense of urgency.
3) Offer loyal existing customers a discount
Retaining customers is just as important as bringing them in, and retention remains just as much a battle as drawing in new leads.
But you mustn’t forget your loyal existing customer base in your new campaign. In fact, your devoted customers are exactly who you must appeal directly to in the launch of your new service because not only will they buy it, but will serve to promote it and spread the word. They can vouch for your company and sincerity, and thus encourage others to buy from you, too.
A loyalty rewards scheme is one simple way to keep your customers hooked on your brand. A point or stamp system is easy to set up and effective to use. How you design it is up to you, but the principle should be that the customer can benefit from a discount after reaching a milestone, for example after the third or fifth purchase.
4) Run social media campaigns to amplify the promotion of the new service
There is a reason why social media is regarded as the best way to reach your audience and expand your clientele.
Social media as an advertising platform is an incredible tool. And the best news? It’s right at our very fingertips and is accessible to most of the British population and, indeed, the entire world.
With many different social networking channels to choose from, you can refine your campaign to target exactly who you want. For instance, you might use TikTok to appeal to a younger audience, Twitter for a student or graduate pool, Facebook for an older or more general audience, and so on. Each platform is home to a set demographic, which you can tap into directly with your marketing campaigns.
5) Run email marketing campaigns
Email marketing is a traditional yet successful tried and tested method of customer acquisition. Despite popular belief, customers who sign up for newsletters or subscribe in some way or other continue to open the hundreds of branded emails that they receive. In fact, branded emails boast a high open rate with 82% of consumers reading emails sent from businesses and 76% of subscribers making a direct purchase as a result of a marketing message.
With a subscription-type model on your website, you can gradually build your very own contact list of loyal customers to email with your campaigns.
6) Create a variety of blog content to complement the new service
Regular and informative content on your business’s website is another inexpensive way to promote your new service. Couple this with a sterling SEO strategy with optimized posts, and you’ll be sure to see floods of traffic coming your way.
With just one blog post that goes into depth to explain your new product, you can use this page in your email campaigns and social media marketing.
7) Consider PR Marketing
PR marketing might not come cheap if you’re outsourcing your media relations, but it certainly is effective when it comes to shouting out about your service far and wide.
PR marketing ensures your product is featured in inappropriate online publications, helping you to get coverage, boost your page rankings, and drive traffic (customers) to your website.
Take for instance if you were selling furniture, your PR team should ensure that your products and services appear in like-minded publications to do with DIY, home improvement, or interior design. And fortunately, the internet brings billions of blogs for you to choose from.
So there you have it. Any single one of these approaches is sure to promote your service – just make sure that you do your homework to ensure your advertising model compliments your brand.
