Whatever you sell, whether it’s a candy, a laptop, or a kindle, your ultimate goal is to get it to the people who want it. Your customers should know about your brand to think of making a purchase. Is it really happening in this pandemic? What if the customers are unaware of your brand amid work-from-home schedules and COVID issues? Your brand will never reach them out. Let us check out a fantastic strategy to make your brand boom among the customers in this challenging business situation. It is all about promotional campaigns, yeah, also called marketing campaigns. I am sure it’s the right time to discuss on this, and the essence of this blog would definitely help you out.

To begin, do you understand what a promotional campaign is? Let me make it effortless for you. Haven’t you come across freebies, coupons, discount offers, feet on the street marketing, buy-one-get-one-free promotions, contests, and similar stuffs? They are all part of the promotional campaigns of that business/brand. A promotional campaign is a series of advertisements that use various marketing techniques to propagate or promote a business or a product.

A successful promotional campaign should have

• A goal
• An offer
• An audience
• A clear message

Promotional campaigns & advertising- They are not the same 

Do you believe that advertising and promotion are synonymous? Let us see how a promotional campaign is different from advertising.

The only comparability between promotional campaigns and advertising is that the why and wherefore of both is to boost a business. Throughout the year, advertisements are made. It’s a never-ending process of getting customers to remember your products or services. On the other hand, a marketing campaign lasts only a few days. It is not essential to focus on all of the products in a campaign, and only a few products or services would be available to choose from. It encourages more clients to purchase by offering them a bonus for choosing the brand.

When it comes to advertising, the results cannot be expected instantly. On the other hand, promo campaigns typically result in an immediate increase in new business. In short, promotional campaigns and advertising for a business may go hand in hand, but not the same. When a promotional campaign focuses on making a quick sale, advertising helps grow the brand.

Let us understand how to use a promotional campaign to drive your business, especially in the pandemic mode.

Promotional campaigns and COVID-19

In India, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a primarily disruptive economic impact. According to the Ministry of Statistics, India’s growth slowed to 3.1 percent in the fourth quarter of the financial year 2020. The pandemic had also transformed how businesses operate and go forward. Businesses are being forced to reconsider their present and future advertising and marketing activities to keep a consistent revenue stream.

To stand out from the herd and make your product or service reach the hands of the customer, you’ll need a solid strategy that considers everything from messaging to target audiences and distribution methods. Successful promotional campaigns can help and navigate a business through this new normal condition.

With sufficient planning and financial management, any business can execute an impressive promotional campaign. A performant promo campaign should focus on the loyal customer database and the new customers. You should aim to raise awareness about your product, or the service, generate revenue, and contribute with a turnaround. Grab the customer sentiment and positively work on it. You will reach them easily.

Traditional media campaigns, ad campaigns, rebranding campaigns, brand awareness campaigns, etc., are the common tactics used in promotional campaigns. As the title indicates, we would be addressing the methods apt in the current crisis. Let us dive into the top three pandemic exclusive promotional campaign strategies that would revamp your brand.

Social media campaigns

According to studies, India’s social network users would number around 1.5 billion by 2040. You should now realize the power of social media campaigns, especially in this case, where we were bursting at the seams with stress while poking about on social networking platforms. Companies have realized the benefits of social media platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram in attracting, engaging, and converting customers.

Fast reach, accurate targeting, and measurability of the results make social media campaigns the best option in these COVID days. Frame a goal, identify the message you want to convey, and reach your customers. Do not forget to use any of the social media marketing apps to know the reach and results of your campaign.

The advantage of any social media is that the users can express and exchange their views. Make use of that in your campaign. Encourage the customers through active discussions, comments, giveaways, prizes, and contests. Your recipe for a social media campaign in this pandemic period should be a strong online presence with the active involvement of your customers. No doubt, you can turn every click and every comment into a purchase.

Email marketing campaigns

Email marketing has always been a powerful promotional tool, and it can also help with the COVID crisis. If you, like your target audience, are experiencing a terrible economic downturn, an email marketing campaign might be a fantastic project to focus on. Despite the hurdles like social distancing or COVID protocols, email campaigns would reach your customers in no time. Well-framed and well-ordered emails can effectively communicate your message while also pleasing the reader’s eye.

Most businesses are nowadays making use of emails as an effective promotional campaign strategy. How are you going to stand out in the crowd? For that, your email must include a well-written subject line, targeted content, and a clear call to action (CTA). If it is a one-off send or a series of messages, all you have to do is be clear and consistent with the concept.

Depending upon your goals, you can craft promotional emails, newsletters, welcome emails, etc. Never forget to nurture your existing customers when you find new ones. Setting a goal and taking your email campaign in that direction would help you achieve good results. Never overlook the importance of background research and lead search for your email campaign. Tools like Google Analytics can help you in formulating a result-driven email campaign.

Discounts and promotions

With the third wave of COVID wreaking havoc on everyone’s lives, we’re all in a financial slump. Discounts and reduction sales would be an amazing idea to attract customers. Price-conscious customers will be on the lookout for freebies and promotion sales. Combo offers, free shipping, buy-one-get-one offers, and charitable sales promotions will be icing on the cake. These sales promotion campaigns can be done either offline or online.

Cash back promos are another popular tactic. Many consumers would agree that spending money isn’t as unpleasant when you get something in return. A flash sale would also be a clever choice as it creates a sense of urgency among your customer base to make a purchase. Pampering your privileged customers with vouchers and coupons via email, website, etc. could also be used. This helps to thank your existing customers and encourage them to stay connected with you. Make sure to let your customers know that the persisting financial crisis need not stop their purchase. Assure with your sales promotion campaigns a strong bond with the new and existing customers.

Though there are several traditional promotional campaign methods like ad campaigns, we have discussed the top three, focusing on the COVID scenario. Depending upon your business goal and the target audience, you can go for any strategies that would help you bond with the customer and increase the sales. Only the nimble and adaptable businesses will have the best chance of surviving in the face of the chaos and uncertainty of COVID-19. The truth is that, as a business, you would have to compete with the best experience your customer had with you before the COVID-19 pandemic. If you can strike the market with a well-planned promotional campaign strategy, you can undoubtedly win your customers.