Appendix 20: Business Promotion Idea List
from: http://www.cbsc.org/osbw/promo.html
- Advertise in the classified advertising section of your community
newspaper.
- Advertise in the Yellow Pages.
- Advertise on a grocery buggy.
- Approach your prospective customers over the phone.
- Approach your prospective customers in person.
- Approach your prospective customers through the mail.
- Be a guest speaker at seminars and present on your area of
expertise.
- Be a guest speaker on radio talk shows.
- Build and maintain a customer mailing and contact list on
database software.
- Build your image with well-designed letterhead and business
cards.
- Design a brochure that best explains the benefits of your
services.
- Design a mail order campaign.
- Design a point of purchase display for your product.
- Design a telemarketing campaign.
- Design an image building logo for your company.
- Design and distribute a quarterly newsletter or an industry
update announcement.
- Design and distribute company calendars, mugs, pens, note
pads, or other advertising specialties displaying your company
name and logo.
- Design and distribute a free "how to do it" hand-out
related to your industry
(e.g. Tips for conserving energy in your home).
- Design buttons, decals and bumper stickers or balloons with
your company name, logo or slogan.
- Design T-shirts displaying your company name and logo.
- Explore cross promotion with a non-competing company selling
to your target market.
- Explore the costs of advertising in newspapers, magazines,
on radio, television, billboards, and benches. Refer to the publication
Canadian.
- Advertising Rates and Data (CARD) for some of this information.
- Explore ways to share your advertising costs using cooperative
advertising.
- Follow up customer purchases with a thank you letter.
- Follow up customer purchases with Christmas or birthday cards.
- Have your company profiled in a magazine or newspaper that
is read by prospective customers.
- Hire an advertising agency or public relations firm.
- Hold a promotional contest.
- Hold a seminar on your service, product or industry.
- Include promotional material with your invoices.
- Look for prospective customers at trade shows related to
your industry.
- Look for prospective customers in associations related to
your industry.
- Look for prospective customers at seminars related to your
industry.
- Look for prospective customers in magazines/newspapers related
to your industry.
- Package your brochure, price lists and letter in a folder
for your customers.
- Place a sidewalk sign outside your store or office.
- Place flyers on bulletin boards and car windshields.
- Place promotional notes on your envelopes, mailing labels.
- Place signs or paint logos on your company vehicle(s).
- Prepare a corporate video.
- Prepare a list of product features and benefits to help you
plan your advertising and promotional campaigns.
- Prepare proposals offering solutions to your customer's needs
- Provide free samples of your product or service.
- Provide public tours of your operation.
- Sponsor a charity event.
- Sponsor an amateur sports team.
- Sponsor a cultural event through a community arts organization.