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Tag: business promotion

  • Christmas Marketing Ideas to Boost Your Business

    Christmas, the festival celebrating the birth of Jesus is also an occasion for sharing love, gifts, and whatnot. Christmas is one of the most celebrated festivals in the world. As a result, this most anticipated and awaited holiday season brings about a lot of happiness and business opportunities too.

    Pre-planning some marketing strategies and executing them well would grab you loads of business and profits during this season. Christmas marketing strategies are ways to promote your products during the holiday season to attract more customers and increase sales. Here are some of the Christmas marketing and advertising ideas that would elevate your business this festive season.

    15 Business Marketing Ideas for Christmas

    1. Create a Christmas Aura
    2. Launch a Special Christmas Sale
    3. Campaign Through Emails
    4. Utilize Seasonal Keywords for PPC Campaigns
    5. Post Blogs, Videos, or Guidelines related to Christmas
    6. Organize a Christmas Giveaway
    7. Gift Cards or Vouchers
    8. Instigate a Sense of Urgency in Customers
    9. Don’t miss out on the ‘After Christmas Sale’
    10. Throw a Party or Lunch
    11. Create Christmas Packaging
    12. Partner With Influencers
    13. Create an Advent Calendar
    14. Partner With a Charity
    15. Create a Santa Wish List

    Founders’ views on increasing sales in Holiday Season

    15 Business Marketing Ideas for Christmas

    Create a Christmas Aura

    Make your customers feel that Christmas is arriving. Create an ambiance that gives them a sense of the holiday season. Re-design your logo, theme, animations, and fonts with a Christmas touch like Santa Claus, Christmas tree, snow, etc., While the customers are decorating their homes for the festival, you decorate your store or site and celebrate the occasion along with them. This takes you closer to your customers and develops trust for your brand. It will enrich the bond your customers share with you.

    Launch a Special Christmas Sale

    Christmas seasonal sale to boost your business
    Christmas seasonal sale to boost your business

    Introducing a Christmas seasonal sale would boost your business during this holiday season. Besides adding some Christmas themes to your store or site’s outlook, bring some changes to your products and services too. Create packages with discounted prices, bundle your products, customize or redesign the packings for seasonal sales, or terrify the customers with your price drops and it can be one of the best Christmas marketing campaign ideas. Creating some of such surprising elements would pull the customers towards your business and it’s one of the best Christmas business promotion ideas.

    Campaign Through Emails

    Email marketing in recent years has become a significant and powerful medium for showcasing businesses to people. So you can use this technique to send attractive emails to your customers that describe your Christmas sale, offers, price drop alerts, etc. Create an impressive subject line that attracts customers to open your email. Schedule your emails at regular intervals that keep reminding them of the sale. Inject a sense of likeability and longing towards your Seasonal Sale using email campaigns.

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    Utilize Seasonal Keywords for PPC Campaigns

    As Christmas is a festival of gifts, decorations, and celebrations, using relevant keywords to promote your business would be a great strategy. PPC always serves to be an important factor that drives customers. And during this Christmas season (which can also be called the shopping season), PPC stands to be a crucial factor that can’t be ignored. Do extensive keyword research and use the apt one for your ad campaigns. This ensures your ads pop up before the right customers at the right time.

    Post Blogs, Videos, or Guidelines related to Christmas

    Christmas Blogs
    Christmas Blogs

    Mostly, the Christmas celebrations revolve around activities like Decorations, Giftings, and family meals. All of them are creativity-based pursuits where there’s always something new that one can innovate. So you can create blogs or videos that provide various ideas on Christmas decorations and gifts. Also, you can provide step-by-step guidelines or procedures to perform those activities. You can connect these posts to your products or services wherever possible and use them as a platform for your sales promotion.

    Organize a Christmas Giveaway

    Organize Christmas Giveaway
    Organize Christmas Giveaway

    Plan a giveaway contest for your customers by offering astounding gifts. The giveaways can be constructed based on the nature of your business. You can offer seasonal gifts for people who have made the maximum purchase or decide the winner using a lucky draw. You can also use this system to encourage your existing patrons to bring in new customers to your business. Giveaway gifts can be anything from highly hyped mobiles to holiday vacation packages. Such giveaways with popular products or services will prove to be a great marketing idea to boost your business and can be one of the top Christmas marketing ideas.

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    Gift Cards or Vouchers

    Christmas Gift Cards and Vouchers
    Christmas Gift Cards and Vouchers

    Not all people are experts in gifting. Most of them would be excited about it but confused about what to choose. Offering gift cards or gift vouchers in this instance would be a great boon for such customers. This reduces the customer’s stress and also guarantees you a sale worth the same or more than the price you sold the gift cards for. You can also offer discounts on gift vouchers to promote its sale. This can be a promising way to retain your customers and also bring in more of them for your entity.

    Instigate a Sense of Urgency in Customers

    It is the nature of the Christmas season to adorn our places, make our loved ones happy through gifts, and cherish family time together. So, people will be triggered to shop more. You can capitalize on this shopping season by creating a sense of urgency in your customers. Use words like “Limited Period Offer, Only a Few Hours/Stocks Left, Act now, Grab before it’s gone, etc., in your marketing campaigns. Tagging these words along with exciting deals can be the best combo for kick-starting your Christmas sale. They create a dire rush in people not to miss the opportunity.

    Don’t miss out on the ‘After Christmas Sale’

    The ‘After Christmas Sale’ also has a huge market and reception among customers. People who had missed the earlier sales and were busy with Christmas celebrations would love to feast on this opportunity. The days between Christmas and New Year are the best time to initiate this sale. Usually, people would be relaxed during these days after a couple of weeks of busy celebrations. Take advantage of this situation to re-instigate your sales. You can also slash the prices for old wares, offer exciting benefits, and clear your stocks using this sale.

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    Throw a Party or Lunch

    Hosting a party or lunch for your customers along with employees can be the best way of getting to know your community. This brings your customers a step closer to the business and makes them feel more important. A small initiative like a party can deeply root the customers for your growth.

    Create Christmas Packaging

    Starbucks Christmas Packaging
    Starbucks Christmas Packaging

    Holiday-themed packaging can turn any product into a gift, so customers won’t need to pay extra for gift wrapping. It also adds a festive touch, making your products feel special for the season and helping to boost your sales and revenue. This is one of the easiest and best Christmas marketing ideas for small businesses.

    Partner With Influencers

    Influencers are essential for a successful Christmas marketing strategy. They promote your products to their followers on social media, showing off the best qualities of your brand or a specific product. Influencers can inspire their followers to buy and make great brand ambassadors.

    Create an Advent Calendar

    Create Christmas Advent Calendar
    Create Christmas Advent Calendar

    If you have different products, try showing them off with an advent calendar or Christmas bundle. Cosmetic and chocolate brands have done this for years, and it can work well for other brands too. This idea can increase your holiday sales, and if customers like your products, it may lead to more sales in the future.

    Partner With a Charity

    Christmas is the season of giving, so inspire your customers to support a cause your brand cares about. You could create special Christmas products and donate part of the sales, or invite customers to donate to a charity you support.

    Be clear and open with these efforts. Customers want to see proof of their impact, so share the results with a follow-up message.

    Create a Santa Wish List

    A Santa wish list is a great way to show off different products or services with little effort. You can gather all the product photos you’ve collected and share them as a carousel on your feed.

    Adding a fun caption will help explain your idea and give more details about the products. Plus, you can use Instagram’s shop tab to link to your website or show prices in the pictures.

    Founders’ views on increasing sales in Holiday Season

    Kapil Gupta – Founder and CEO of Ruhe Group of Companies

    Mr. Kapil Gupta, Founder and CEO, Ruhe Group of Companies
    Mr. Kapil Gupta, Founder and CEO, Ruhe Group of Companies

    A significant increase in overall sales is seen throughout the holiday season due to expenditure driven by the festivities. Therefore, each business employs unique strategies to increase sales during this critical season. Retailers utilize data to optimize inventories to address the demand without building up a significant backlog of orders or incurring exorbitant holding fees. For example, data-driven predictive sales and inventory intelligence enables retailers to automate demand forecasting and planning. – Mr. Kapil Gupta, Founder and CEO, Ruhe Group of Companies

    Rupesh Jain – Founder of Candere by Kalyan Jewellers

    Mr. Rupesh Jain, MD & CEO, Candere By Kalyan Jewellers
    Mr. Rupesh Jain, MD & CEO, Candere By Kalyan Jewellers 

    Retail & e-commerce/online brands rely heavily on the festive/ wedding season to increase their sales margin through accelerated market & data-driven strategies/approaches. – Mr. Rupesh Jain

    Here are some strategies to drive/maximize sales growth:

    • On-purchase discounts & offers to attract more & more customers.
    • Launching various promotional campaigns specific to occasions for a customer connect, re-channelizing the usual marketing strategies to generate positive business outcomes.
    • Keeping an innovative and efficient marketing approach for increased sales.
    • In a golden era of digitization, technology is important to generate accurate sales data to determine successful business metrics and drive sales.
    • Use statistics and data to study the traffic of the holiday season and capitalize on evolving and emerging trends by announcing new, contemporary launches.
    • Retention of long-associated customers during the holiday season is a must by giving an additional percentage in existing/ seasonal/festive offers as brand goodwill.

    Conclusion

    These are some of the simple and best ideas that could lift your Christmas seasonal business you can also follow during the 12 days of the Christmas marketing campaign. You can choose any or implement all of the above ideas as each of them would serve as a value addition to your profit. Make the best use of this busiest shopping season and grab as many customers and profits as you can.

    Merry Christmas!

    FAQs

    What are 12 days of Christmas promotion?

    A 12-day Christmas promotion is a marketing event where you disclose a surprising sale item and every day you announce the winner of a set giveaway item.

    What should I give away for Christmas?

    Some of the giveaways for Christmas are:

    • Holiday Packages offer
    • Gift Card and Gift Vouchers
    • Surprising high Discount Deals
    • Food Coupons
    • Travel Products

    What are good Christmas marketing strategies for retailers?

    Good Christmas marketing strategies for retailers include offering holiday-themed products, using influencer promotions, creating gift bundles, supporting a cause, and using festive packaging to attract customers.

    How to promote Christmas sales?

    Some of the best ways to promote Christmas sales are:

    • Launch Buy 1 Get 1 Offer
    • Offer free shipping and returns
    • Run a holiday contest
    • Promote Gift Cards
    • Offers surprisingly High discounts
    • Run a “12 Days of Christmas” promotion

  • How to Boost Sales on Black Friday for Your Business

    India is the second-largest country in the world. The average age in India is about 28 years. We are an immensely big young nation and we do what every other country does but more in volume. With a population of more than 144 crores, India is a hotspot in demand generation. This makes it a prominent place for old businesses and new businesses.

    India is not only big in terms of people, but we also are a huge celebrating nation. Speaking of both regional and national events, India has the most festivals in the world. Needless to say with this young generation driving fast-paced technology, Indians are not normal citizens anymore.

    We are turning more into global citizens. Global citizens are not just confined to their nation but are open to accepting global traditions. They break open the national boundaries of culture and tradition the fastest of all. We love shopping cultures. This explains why millennials are all excited about global festivals like ‘Halloween’, ‘Thanksgiving’, and ‘Black Friday’.

    This article is about one particular festival. A global festival starter to be precise. The Black Friday. How it affects our new businesses and startups in providing them with a boost. A cultural boost read on to discover.

    The Black Friday
    India and Festivals Culture
    Black Friday Sales Wrestle
    Black Friday Business Intrusion
    How Black Friday Can Help You Get Initial Boost for Your Startup?

    The Black Friday

    Black Friday is the Friday that precedes Thanksgiving in the United States. Retailers all around put sales on the occasion to kick-start the festive season. The next month is December and it means Christmas around the world. This is the sweet spot just after Thanksgiving and right before Christmas.

    Black Friday has been the busiest day in the US and continues to be the show starter even now. This festival provides a good boost for retailers and businesses in the US. Since India is open to all cultures, we also flow with this wind.

    India and Festivals Culture

    As mentioned previously we all know that India is a land of festivals and homogenous culture. When globalization and technology hit, we opened our wings to the world. Make no mistake that culture travels faster than goods.

    India has seen increasing celebrations of Western festivals and occasions continuously. From malls covered in themes of Halloween to the lights and blushes of Christmas. Our culture has globalized. So does the behavior of consumers.

    Now we look forward to not only the Diwali sale but also the ‘Black Friday’ sale. Shopping in India is a culture and globalization has boosted it for sure. Now brands and new businesses look forward to launching in the festive season.

    In order to get some revenue out of festive hype, to capitalize on celebration excitement, this is a good thing for them and the economy. Let us dissect and find out the consequences that it offers.

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    Black Friday Sales Wrestle

    Black Friday is synonymous with huge discounts. It is also synonymous with shopping like absolute animals. Shoppers go mad and they raise a ruckus. The news reported that an employee had to climb on a table to avoid a crush of shoppers at a Chattanooga Victoria’s Secret Pink store.

    People wrestle over discounted clothes and fight for plants and pots. This is what a good Black Friday deal can do to consumers.

    As per the reports, Black Friday 2023 online revenue reached over $9.80 billion, a 7.46% increase from last year. It was 188% higher than the average daily online sales and 179% higher than Q4’s daily sales. However, Black Friday’s revenue was 21% lower than Cyber Monday. From 2022 to 2023, online retail spending grew by 7.69%.

    Black Friday Online Sales from 2013 to 2023 with Projection for 2024-2025
    Black Friday Online Sales from 2013 to 2023 with Projection for 2024-2025

    Black Friday Business Intrusion

    If you think that consumers are the only demographic that enjoys Black Friday, you’re probably wrong. Brands all over the world start preparing to fulfill the demand months before this day. They know how to make and generate demand for their goods. So they also wash their hands in celebrations, with campaigns.

    Businesses try to capture people with campaigns. If you’re a startup, winning this day of the year can ramp up your whole game. This is a high tide and if you know how to surf, you are all set. Here we’ll discuss how brands manage to get a large economic pie.

    How Black Friday Can Help You Get Initial Boost for Your Startup?

    Campaigns Plan

    As people celebrate, brands lend a hand with campaigns. They start decoding the market in September itself. So September and October are the planning months.

    Brands and newbies need to be sure about their goals. There can be explicitly two goals – To acquire new customers or to increase current profits. It will be the compass for planning further. Figure out deals, deals that are mouth-watering. This is the month when credit cards get warm.

    Channeling Traffic

    You can’t really imagine your sales without creatives. It is imperative to spread the marketing butter all over social. Make your signs a little squarish for better communication. Spend October spreading the news, discounts, and whatever. Try paid marketing, diversifying your posters, and emailing. The point is to buy traffic earlier than others.

    Buyer Momentum

    If your goal is to maximize profits, then you need to notice and enhance the AOV. Average order value can be enhanced by grouping products. Grouping products with others will lead to more freedom to give discounts. As well as it will also increase your revenues.

    Conversion Rate

    While established brands go for more orders, new businesses or startups go with more conversion rates. Converting more people into consumers will take spending. So before a successful Friday sale, comes spending. Figure out a CAC, and customer acquisition cost and plan your deals and discounts accordingly.

    Create Urgency with Limited-Time Offers

    Urgency is a powerful sales tool. To build excitement and urgency, try offering new deals every hour on Black Friday. Updating deals throughout the day keeps customers interested and encourages quick purchases. Use announcements, app notifications, and clear ads to make sure people see these deals and feel the need to act fast.

    Exceptional Customer Service

    Deals and promotions are important, but great customer service can set your small business apart. In a physical store, focus on helping customers quickly, having friendly and knowledgeable staff, and creating a welcoming atmosphere. Happy customers are more likely to come back or tell others about your store, which helps your business grow.

    For online sales, it’s a bit different. A good website design, smooth navigation, and excellent customer support can make a big impact and keep customers satisfied.

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    Conclusion

    Black Friday is followed by Cyber Monday which means more space for spicy offers. Brands should keep in mind that Black Friday and Cyber Monday aren’t just for eCommerce but can be a big sales day if you apply the right Black Friday tactics, Black Friday promotion ideas, Black Friday promos, Cyber Monday ads, and Cyber Monday marketing techniques. That will be the recipe for your successful sales season. As always, it’s not too late to get started.

    FAQs

    What is Black Friday?

    Black Friday is the day stores began to turn a profit for the year as it is the biggest shopping day in the United States.

    How to boost sales on Black Friday?

    Build anticipation about your product, make exclusive offers, and reward your previous customers.

    Do companies make money on Black Friday?

    Yes, Black Friday is the most profitable week or month for the majority of retailers.

    When is Black Friday sale in 2024?

    The Black Friday sale starts on 29th November followed by Cyber Monday which is on 2nd December 2024.

  • Leveraging WhatsApp Business: Tips and Tools for Success

    ‍With over 2 billion active users worldwide, WhatsApp has emerged as a powerful platform for business communication. Originally designed as a messaging app, WhatsApp has evolved into a versatile tool that enables businesses to engage with customers, provide personalized support, and even conduct marketing campaigns. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the various ways businesses can leverage WhatsApp for their benefit, with a particular focus on WhatsApp Channels.

    Understanding WhatsApp for Business

    Getting Started with WhatsApp for Business

    Leveraging WhatsApp Channels for Marketing

    Integrating WhatsApp with Other Marketing Channels

    The Future of WhatsApp for Business

    Understanding WhatsApp for Business

    The Evolution of WhatsApp

    WhatsApp was initially introduced in 2009 as a simple messaging platform for personal use. However, over the years, it has transformed into a vital channel for business communication. With features like group calling, video calling, read receipts, and status updates, WhatsApp has become essential for building customer connections.

    The Benefits of Using WhatsApp for Business

    There are several reasons why businesses should consider utilizing WhatsApp as part of their communication strategy. Firstly, WhatsApp allows for prompt and direct communication with customers, enabling businesses to respond quickly to queries and provide personalized support. Secondly, WhatsApp provides a platform for businesses to showcase their brand and maintain a consistent brand experience. By creating a business profile and sharing relevant information, businesses can establish credibility and build customer trust. Lastly, WhatsApp offers various automation features that can streamline communication processes, saving time and improving efficiency.

    Countries With the Highest WhatsApp Business App Revenue as of December 2022
    Countries With the Highest WhatsApp Business App Revenue as of December 2022

    Getting Started with WhatsApp for Business

    WhatsApp Business vs. WhatsApp Business API

    When it comes to using WhatsApp for business purposes, there are two main options: WhatsApp Business and WhatsApp Business API.

    WhatsApp Business is a free app designed for small businesses that want to establish a presence on WhatsApp. It offers features such as business profiles, automated away messages, and messaging statistics.

    On the other hand, WhatsApp Business API is a more advanced solution that is suitable for larger businesses or enterprises. It provides greater flexibility and customization options, allowing businesses to integrate WhatsApp into their existing systems and workflows.

    Setting Up Your WhatsApp Business Account

    To get started with WhatsApp for business, you need to set up a WhatsApp Business account. Here are the steps to follow:

    1. Download the WhatsApp Business app from the App Store (for iOS) or Google Play Store (for Android).
    2. Launch the app and verify your phone number.
    3. Set up your business profile by providing relevant information such as your business name, logo, and contact details.
    4. Customize your settings, including automated away messages and quick replies.
    5. Start engaging with your customers!

    How to Build a Business Profile | WhatsApp Business

    Leveraging WhatsApp Channels for Marketing

    What are WhatsApp Channels?

    WhatsApp Channels were recently introduced by WhatsApp to tackle the ongoing popularity of Telegram and the market it has achieved. WhatsApp Channel is a feature that allows businesses to send messages to multiple recipients simultaneously. This feature is particularly useful for marketing campaigns as it enables businesses to reach a large audience with personalized messages. 

    Benefits of Using WhatsApp Channels for Marketing

    Using WhatsApp Channels for marketing offers several advantages. Firstly, it allows businesses to deliver targeted and personalized messages to their customers, increasing the chances of engagement and conversion. Secondly, WhatsApp Channels provide a direct and immediate line of communication with customers, enabling businesses to deliver time-sensitive information or promotions. Lastly, WhatsApp Channels allow businesses to track the effectiveness of their marketing campaigns through analytics and reporting features provided by the platform.

    Best Practices for Using WhatsApp Channels in Marketing

    To make the most of WhatsApp Channels for marketing, it’s essential to follow some best practices. Here are a few tips to consider:

    1. Segment Your Audience: Divide your customers into relevant groups based on demographics, interests, or past interactions. This will allow you to send targeted messages that resonate with each segment.
    2. Personalize Your Messages: Use the recipient’s name or include relevant details to make your messages feel personalized and tailored to their needs. This will help create a stronger connection with your customers.
    3. Provide Valuable Content: Deliver content that is informative, entertaining, or provides value to your customers. Avoid sending spammy or promotional messages that might be perceived as intrusive.
    4. Optimise Message Timing: Consider the timing of your messages to ensure they are delivered at a time when your customers are most likely to engage with them. This might vary depending on your target audience and their habits.
    5. Use multimedia content: Take advantage of WhatsApp’s capabilities to send multimedia content such as images, videos, or audio messages. This can enhance the impact of your marketing messages and make them more engaging.

    How to Create a WhatsApp Channel: A Step-By-Step Guide
    In this step-by-step guide, we’ll walk you through the process of creating and managing WhatsApp Channels, enabling you to harness this powerful feature effectively.
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    Integrating WhatsApp with Other Marketing Channels

    Multichannel Marketing with WhatsApp

    WhatsApp is most effective when integrated with other marketing channels. By combining WhatsApp with channels like email marketing, social media, or SMS, businesses can create a cohesive and comprehensive marketing strategy.

    Benefits of Multichannel Marketing with WhatsApp

    Integrating WhatsApp with other marketing channels provides several benefits. Firstly, it allows businesses to reach customers through their preferred communication channels, increasing the chances of engagement. Secondly, it provides multiple touchpoints for customers, reinforcing brand messaging and increasing brand recall. Lastly, by using multiple channels, businesses can create a seamless customer journey, ensuring a consistent and personalized experience.

    Examples of Multichannel Marketing with WhatsApp

    Here are a few examples of how businesses can integrate WhatsApp with other marketing channels:

    1. Email Marketing: Include a WhatsApp call-to-action in your email campaigns, encouraging subscribers to reach out for more information or to engage in a conversation.
    2. Social Media Marketing: Use social media platforms to promote your WhatsApp channel, encouraging followers to join your WhatsApp group or contact you directly through WhatsApp.
    3. SMS Marketing: Combine SMS and WhatsApp to deliver time-sensitive or urgent messages. For example, send an SMS alert with a link to a WhatsApp message containing exclusive offers or limited-time promotions.

    The Role of WhatsApp in Customer Service

    WhatsApp has become an increasingly popular channel for customer service. Its convenience and ease of use make it a preferred choice for customers who want quick and direct support.

    Benefits of Using WhatsApp for Customer Service

    Using WhatsApp for customer service offers several advantages. Firstly, it provides a real-time and direct line of communication with customers, enabling businesses to address their queries or concerns promptly. Secondly, WhatsApp allows for personalized interactions, creating a more engaging and satisfactory customer experience. Lastly, WhatsApp’s automation features, such as quick replies and chatbots, can streamline customer service processes, improving efficiency and reducing response times.

    Best Practices for Using WhatsApp for Customer Service

    To provide exceptional customer service through WhatsApp, businesses should consider the following best practices:

    1. Respond Promptly: Aim to respond to customer inquiries as quickly as possible. Customers appreciate timely and efficient support.
    2. Use Automation Features: Take advantage of WhatsApp’s automation features to provide instant responses or set up automated messages for commonly asked questions.
    3. Personalise Interactions: Treat each customer as an individual and tailor your responses to their specific needs. Personalization goes a long way in creating a positive customer experience.
    4. Maintain Professionalism: Even though WhatsApp is a more casual communication channel, it’s essential to maintain professionalism in your interactions with customers.
    5. Monitor Customer Feedback: Pay attention to customer feedback and use it to improve your customer service processes. Actively seek feedback and make necessary improvements based on customer suggestions.

    Exploring WhatsApp Business API

    WhatsApp Business API Overview

    WhatsApp Business API is a more advanced solution that allows businesses to integrate WhatsApp into their existing systems and workflows. Here’s an overview of the key features and benefits of WhatsApp Business API:

    1. Flexibility and Customization: WhatsApp Business API provides businesses with greater flexibility and customization options, allowing for a more tailored and seamless integration.
    2. Scalability: With WhatsApp Business API, businesses can handle a higher volume of messages and reach a larger audience.
    3. Rich Media Support: WhatsApp Business API supports the sending of rich media content such as images, videos, and documents, enabling businesses to create more engaging and interactive experiences.
    4. Analytics and Reporting: WhatsApp Business API provides detailed analytics and reporting features, allowing businesses to track the performance of their messaging campaigns and gain valuable insights.

    Getting Started with WhatsApp Business API

    Getting started with WhatsApp Business API involves several steps, including:

    • Partner with a WhatsApp Business Solution Provider (BSP): Choose a BSP that meets your business requirements and can provide the necessary technical support.
    • Obtain access to the WhatsApp Business API: Your BSP will guide you through the process of obtaining access to the WhatsApp Business API and assist with the necessary configurations.
    • Integrate with your Systems: Work with your BSP to integrate the WhatsApp Business API into your existing systems and workflows.
    • Test and Launch: Test your integration thoroughly to ensure everything is functioning correctly before launching your WhatsApp Business API implementation.

    WhatsApp is continually evolving, and there are several emerging trends and innovations that businesses should be aware of. These include:

    • AI-powered Chatbots: The use of AI-powered chatbots on WhatsApp is expected to increase, enabling businesses to provide more personalized and efficient customer service.
    • Integration with CRM Systems: Integration between WhatsApp and CRM systems allows for seamless customer data management and improved communication workflows.
    • Enhanced Security and Privacy Features: WhatsApp is continually enhancing its security and privacy features to provide a safer and more secure environment for businesses and users alike.
    • More Business-oriented Features: WhatsApp is likely to introduce additional features specifically designed for businesses, further expanding its capabilities as a business communication platform.

    End Note

    WhatsApp has emerged as a powerful tool for businesses, offering opportunities for marketing, customer service, and seamless communication. By understanding the various features and best practices, businesses can effectively leverage WhatsApp for their benefit. Whether it’s using WhatsApp Channels for marketing campaigns or providing personalized customer service, WhatsApp has the potential to transform the way businesses engage with their customers. As businesses continue to adapt to the digital landscape, WhatsApp for Business provides an essential channel for building meaningful connections and driving business growth.

    FAQs

    How does WhatsApp for Business work?

    WhatsApp Business, a free app accessible on both Android and iPhone simplifies customer interactions by offering a suite of automation, sorting, and rapid response tools, allowing businesses to engage with their customers seamlessly.

    What are the benefits of using WhatsApp for business?

    WhatsApp allows for prompt and direct communication with customers. It also provides a platform for businesses to showcase their brand and maintain a consistent brand experience and offers various automation features that can streamline communication processes, saving time and improving efficiency.

    What are the examples of multichannel marketing with WhatsApp?

    Email marketing, social media marketing, and SMS marketing are examples of multichannel marketing with WhatsApp.

    What are WhatsApp Channels?

    WhatsApp Channel is a feature that allows businesses to send messages to multiple recipients simultaneously. This feature is particularly useful for marketing campaigns as it enables businesses to reach a large audience with personalized messages.

  • Why Different Companies Use the Word ‘Free’ to Sell their Products?

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    We have all read such advertisements in the newspapers and on social media. But, why are most companies repetitively using the word ‘free’ in their marketing campaigns?

    What psychological impact does this four-letter word ‘free’ create in the minds of the customer? How does the company boost its audience engagement and revenue by giving something for free?

    To find answers to all these questions keep reading this ‘free’ article.

    Is Free Actually Free?
    How Different Companies are Giving Products and Services for Free
    Psychological Impact of the Word Free
    Negative Impact of Overusing the Word Free

    Is Free Actually Free?

    Let’s first define the word free before we dive deep into this topic. When we say something is free we mean to say that we don’t have to pay money in order to buy the product.

    But, when we see this definition from the lens of marketing we get to know that not everything is all black and white. For example, when we buy a premium laptop the company provides us with free earphones.

    Are we getting those earphones for free? The answer is NO. This is because we are actually paying a lot of money for the laptop and the earphones at that point in time, are not absolutely for free.

    A lot of companies provide a free trial for their products. But, is that trial absolutely free? Because in most cases the company takes your email id in exchange. After that, you will receive a lot of marketing emails and maybe even calls to buy the product. Due to online advertising and SEO, the company will show you ads regarding the products on every other website.

    Nowadays, most companies ask you to put your credit card details. So, when your trial period ends if you don’t cancel the subscription on time, the money is automatically deducted from your account.

    In other words, free doesn’t really ensure convenience. Most people won’t consider such products free because the company will irritate them with tons of unnecessary advertising campaigns which ultimately leads to wastage of time of the customers. And we all know the old saying, ‘Time is Money’.

    How Different Companies are Giving Products and Services for Free?

    Before we tell you the psychological impact of the word free let’s understand how different companies use the word ‘free’ in their marketing campaigns and what effect it has on their target audience.

    Fremium

    A lot of the SaaS products provide Fremium services to their users. Here, you can use the basic functions of the products for free. But, in order to gain robust features of the service, you need to pay money.

    A popular example of this kind of service is Grammarly. Both students and business professionals can use Grammarly to make their content grammatically for free. But, to use its premium features we need to pay money.

    Grammarly Premium
    Grammarly Premium

    Now, the reason to give services for free is to make the person understand the qualities of service you are providing and most importantly make him/her habitual to the product. When I am using Grammarly daily I know how to operate the product. It has become very easy for me to use this service.

    So, when I want to buy a paid service I would automatically buy Grammarly because I know what kind of quality the software provides and secondly I have become habitual of using it.

    Buy One Get One Free

    We have also seen this marketing strategy multiple times in our lives. To be very frank this is one of the most overused strategies. But, let me tell you this strategy still works. This is because we humans want to get the most out of the money we spent. So, when we are buying a product and if we get to know that we can get another product without paying any extra money we immediately buy it.

    Papa Johns Buy one Get one Free Example
    Papa Johns Buy one Get one Free Example

    Free Samples

    Many times when we open the newspaper we get a free sachet of shampoo. When we are at malls we see a lot of people giving free samples of their products. But, why are they giving free samples? The reason for this is the principle of reciprocity. Let’s understand this principle and what psychological impact it creates in the minds of the reader.

    Psychological Impact of the Word Free

    The psychological impact of the word free is related to the principle of reciprocity. According to this principle, if someone does something helpful for you, a strong feeling to give the person something back in return arouses in your mind. For example, if your friend helps you in studying or gives you a precious gift you will be obligated to return the favour.

    The same happens when we get free samples or products from any company. After using their product we inherently get a feeling to return the favour by purchasing their product. This is the exact reason why companies give free products and services to their target audience.

    Instead of forcing your prospects to buy the product, you are adding value to your lives by giving the product for free. Due to the principle of reciprocity, the prospects themselves get the idea of buying your product.

    Negative Impact of Overusing the Word Free

    The word free has a huge positive impact on the prospects. But, if you overuse it then it will drastically impact your sales and audience engagement. As so many people use this word repetitively in their marketing campaigns the word ‘free’ has lost its charm. Many email marketing services consider the word free as spam.

    Customers as well have become very smart. When they get to know that the brand is offering products or services for free a lot of questions pop up in their mind. Is the product of high quality? Are there any hidden terms and conditions? What is the intention of the company? Is there something wrong with the product?

    If your brand is new to the market and you give something for free on a regular interval then the audience will feel that the product is of low quality. It will have a negative impact on the goodwill of the company.

    Although the principle of reciprocity works in this scenario the feeling to return the favour might turn into guilt. After a certain point of time customers won’t try your free sample nor buy your products.

    The worst-case scenario would be that you might have habituated your customers to get free products from you. This happens when you give heavy discounts on a daily basis. Your company will then have to provide free samples and discounts in order to sustain in the market. You definitely want to avoid this.

    You need to first understand how the audience perceives your brand. Remember, if you are overusing free in your business strategy you won’t build loyal customers and you will never see a boost in your profits.

    Conclusion

    Free is a very powerful word and if used correctly it will lead to positive emotions in the minds of your prospects. Although if you overuse it will backfire and harm your goodwill and revenue.

    The aim of your brand should always be to help your customers. Instead of providing a mediocre product or service for free try to make your offer exciting and helpful. If you are able to add value to their lives then your sales will definitely increase.

    Always explain why you are giving a product or service for free. Clarify your intentions and the word free will do wonders for your brand.

    FAQs

    Should you use the word free in marketing?

    Yes, Free is a word that will attract an audience and is one of the most effective ways for consumers to try your product.

    Why is free so powerful in advertising?

    Free is a word that stands out and separates your brand from the competition.

  • How to Increase LinkedIn Followers?

    Social Media has truly been a boon for people over the years. One of the best forms of social media platforms is LinkedIn where professionals can build connections for their careers. Growing the followers for your LinkedIn Page is one of the most valuable marketing objectives for anyone professional. Increasing LinkedIn followers can lead to greater organic reach and stronger audience insights. It is essential to step into building the community on LinkedIn. Well, you don’t need to worry anymore because we will give you some secret insights to quickly increase connections for your LinkedIn and followers for other social network profiles.

    Well, many of you have seen several profiles on various social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and others, with followers ranging from 10k to 60k on their profiles. Even you wish to get as many followers as you can and be the popular bird of social media. So, let’s know a few amazing strategies to boost your social media presence and get LinkedIn followers free.

    Follow Groups
    Use SEO Technique
    Account Setting
    Precise Connections
    Customize Your Feed
    Share Interesting Contents
    Post Content Regularly

    Follow Groups

    Following groups in which you are interested to help you to gain more insights and different perceptions with varied ways of getting information that may be useful to you in some way. This not only helps you to gain deep knowledge and develop your skill in whichever field you are interested in but also helps you grow the network.

    Communicating actively in the group showcases your personality and increases your profile search this helps you to get followers for your LinkedIn and social media profiles. Add yourself to some high ranking groups which have a great number of active followers.

    Use SEO Technique

    Use some SEO tricks to make your profile stand out from the other profiles. You can use the Off-Page and the On-Page SEO tactics, or both together to get more hick on your page. Like, use special keywords to get easy visibility and attach your profile with high-rank links to get more audiences. Although, you can even do keyword research and can write articles on the keywords which are popular.

    Moreover, writing articles through LinkedIn gives you a chance to reach a large audience. Using compelling and call to action headlines boost the clickability of your articles. A golden rule only publishes a quality article so that once a user reads your article do come back to read another article.

    Account Setting

    Make your account look professional or geeky. Use a background which is directly associated with your desired niche. Although, on LinkedIn, you can use different templates and colour schemes to make your profile look stunning and user-friendly.

    Moreover, use lots of innovative images and gigs to intensify the looks of your profile. Comparatively, using a customized URL  for your profile makes you stand out from the crowd. It also gives you a personal identity which leaves a lasting impression on the viewers who will visit your profile.

    Precise Connections

    Connecting with the right people who have the same passion and interest as you have, enhances the chances of getting a good opportunity. Although, it also improves the number of followers who are interested to connect with you. Furthermore, this will help in networking your brand and getting sales leads. Likewise, LinkedIn can be a good source of earning income and an emerging platform for your product promotion.

    Additionally, getting the right amount of followers on LinkedIn could create a strong source of revenue. Joining relevant groups that support your cause and connect you with several other people like you would be beneficial. For example, if you are an emerging writer then follow other writing groups to amplify your knowledge. In addition to that, it also elevates the number of endorsements for your skills added to your LinkedIn profile.

    Customize Your Feed

    Customize your feed and follow the right people who help in link building. Although, replying to the comments left by other members and keeping them engaged in your services makes them feel like you can relate to them. However, publishing relevant content on the regular basis is a great idea as mentioned above.

    It attracts the audience to your profile as you provide them with useful and articulate information for the ecosystem’s growth. We always put great emphasis on publishing content because once your articles start ranking on Google then you will get a lot of traffic from Google.

    Share Interesting Contents

    Leverage others’ content and share it on your LinkedIn profile with your take on it. Likewise, if you find something interesting on the web then don’t hesitate to share it with your followers. However, adding interesting captions to it make it appealing to your followers and compels them to leave their thoughts. It also makes them active users to bring in more inputs and unique insights of their own.

    Moreover, you can create a SlideShare Account to attract more followers. SlideShare accounts leverage the ability to add content in a more engaging way which adds a great initiative in giving out information. Create a LinkedIn company page and promote your business with it. Make a full impressive company profile on LinkedIn to spread the viral news about the niche in which you are particular.

    Post Content Regularly

    After gaining followers, what mistake many make is they don’t post content on a regular basis. This might result in losing your followers. Hence, keeping a steady flow of fresh content on your LinkedIn Page will give it more visibility on member feeds as well as make it more appealing to potential followers. If you are short on ideas, you can also get the help of LinkedIn’s Content Suggestions feature.

    The benefit of posting regularly is that pages that post at least weekly see a double lift in engagement, which in turn leads to greater organic reach. You can’t just post one article in a week or send connection requests once in a blue moon and expect things to happen on their own. You need to develop a proper strategy and you need to be consistent.

    Conclusion

    Well, these are a few easy steps that will surely help you to increase LinkedIn followers and some more new followers for your social media account. However, we would again emphasise creating good and informative content for your page. This would be fruitful if you are looking for long-term followers who would collaborate with you in the near future.

    FAQs

    How to get more followers on LinkedIn?

    Steps to get free LinkedIn followers:

    • Follow Groups
    • SEO Technique
    • Account Setting
    • Precise Connections
    • Feed
    • Share
    • Post Content Regularly

    What do followers mean on LinkedIn?

    “Followers” are LinkedIn members who are following you and your published posts. Click “followers.” LinkedIn could provide a list of your followers and for some that would be helpful, however, LinkedIn goes a bit deeper than just a list of names.

    How often should I post on LinkedIn?

    3 times a week: LinkedIn itself recommends posting every business day on the platform.

  • Top 13 Best Marketing Strategies for Your Product Launch

    While starting a business, a creator’s main focus is to develop a product for the consumers, when the main deed is done, another significant step comes up, which is to launch that product in front of your audience. Every creator has the dream of launching their product with huge pomp and show, in a way that will be able to gain the attention of their audience. For this, the prototype has taken shape; the long time spent in the R&D phase has borne fruit, but the major task is till and that is preparing for the product launch.

    The big day is a make-or-break situation; propagating the right message could do wonders and the opposite can reduce an ingenious invention to shambles. To help with such kinds of scenarios, it’s essential to have a well-crafted, effective product launch marketing plan. In this article, we will talk about the marketing strategies that can be used while launching the new product of your business.  

    SEO Should Be Perfect
    Invite Some Spokespersons
    Build a Database
    Identify the Target Audience
    Share and Let Others Share
    Prepare Your FAQs
    Customer Service Efficiency
    Prepare Creative Video Graphics
    Improve Your Website Speed
    Write a Great Press Release
    Don’t Forget to Add Discounts and Freebies
    Indulge in Email Marketing
    Set Ambitious Goals

    Best Marketing Strategies for Your Product Launch

    A business will only survive when the marketing is done correctly, it becomes more important while launching a product. A product launch has to be done right so that it can attract the attention of the audience. Below are some marketing strategies that one can follow, while a product launch.

    SEO Should Be Perfect

    As it says, ‘what’s best should be at the top’. The relevancy of the quote matters in the launching of your product in the market, as the product should have visibility when it comes to search engines. Aim for the first page when someone types the product’s name.

    After all, it’s a well-known fact that users rarely go through the search results starting from the third page because no one has time to ponder over things. We search, and we click that first option, right away, so use the keywords that can convey the intended information concisely and something for the audience to remember, the website layout counts as well.

    Make sure that the first few lines of the website pack the punch because sites like Google tend to ignore meta-descriptions when listing the website in the search results. For the purpose, you can use a trained SEO specialist.

    Invite Some Spokespersons

    Remember seeing your favourite celebrity talking about a specific product and how it has changed their lives? This is the old yet useful trick up on the sleeves by business professionals, that is hiring a spokesperson for their product who will talk to the audience directly and will promote the brand. This spokesperson has to be famous and influential enough to grab the attention of your potential customers.

    Interacting with the media and industry specialists can tilt the results in the product owner’s favour. And that’s what spokespeople are best at. Hire the right person for the job, those who can relay the necessary information as and when required while maintaining the recommended standard. CEOs are the driving force behind this workforce so no compromise when it comes to choosing executives and industry experts. Also, you can invite some celebrities to your product launch.

    Build a Database

    Setting aside the target audience, the management behind the product launch should have a list of media persons, influencers and reporters, after careful analysis and comparison to ensure the message reaches the target audience and the market. The more it’s promoted and shared, the more it reaches the audience.

    Identify the Target Audience

    Attracting new customers to buy a product is just like an impossible wish coming true. There are two ways of marketing, one is you can launch an ad campaign without identifying your target and hoping for the best. Another is, you have to put time and effort to research your target audience. You can also use social media to engage with different communities where you can get to know about the current market demand.

    So, it’s imperative to identify the product’s target audience to reach them with the right strategy. Also, once you launch the product, not everyone would have the ‘I’m going to buy it, immediately’ mindset. So, there’s a high chance that remarketing may be required, depending on the mental phase that the customer’s undergoing.

    Share and Let Others Share

    Word of mouth publicity has been there for ages and shall continue to be so but the medium has surely become modern. Ensure that the content about the product is shareable, through mediums such as Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms. This brings in a new audience that may not have been a part of your checklist earlier. Use social media as the new hotshot for amazing marketing.

    Prepare Your FAQs

    At the product release conference, not being bombarded by questions from inquisitive souls is a no-brainer. Prepare the FAQs well in advance, covering a range of possible questions that may arise. A few would be genuine while others would be sole to undermine the product. Be equipped to face them boldly and without any fear.

    Customer Service Efficiency

    The term ’24 hours, seven days a week’ exists for a reason: customers are relentless. They would go to any lengths to have their queries and complaints resolved. So, having a customer service cell, adequate in both quality and quantity, is more than a plus point; they are a necessity and the backbone that supports the product’s life-cycle after its launch. Also, make sure that you are not only listening to the problem but also doing your best to solve them, to satisfy your customers.

    Prepare Creative Video Graphics

    Visualizations play a major role in leaving a positive impression on the customer’s mind. Moreover, they help in making a unique identity for the product, just like a brand logo. For example, if one shows you the image of a tick mark, it takes less than a minute to guess the brand’s name. To build such kind of presence, the graphics have to be done using the best resources available to create a stunner.

    A great video describing all the qualities of the product will straight up hit the people in their brain rather than some long slides show. So, do create an innovative, interesting and if possible funny video to engage your customers. You can either hire a freelancer to get this work done or you can also use tools to create it on your own.

    Improve Your Website Speed

    It is not only irritating but also unprofessional if your website takes a lot of time to load. A sharp and good website helps in building a better user experience which in return will create the image of your product as well as your business. Hire experts if you can who will use their coding knowledge to fix and improve your website.

    Write a Great Press Release

    We all know the press can make or break any deal. So, don’t hesitate to write an epic press release. The document should encompass the what, why, when, where and how’s of the product. Start with the most important details, followed by the descriptions and extended details. Share it with journalists, post it on social media and take the assistance of bloggers. Another tip is to get in touch with bloggers, make a repertoire of relevant blogs that can aid in marketing and publicity.

    Don’t Forget to Add Discounts and Freebies

    We all love when there’s something extra that we get as an offer at no additional cost. Offer freebies with the product, create special discounts exclusive to those who attend the launch day. This is much more than a marketing plan, it helps build that niche following that stays with the product’s life through thick and thin.

    Indulge in Email Marketing

    One of the professional ways to market your product is through Email Marketing. Create a proper Email list with the help of Email management tools and create a personalised message and convey to them what your product is all about.

    Set Ambitious Goals

    Moments like this don’t come often; aim big and work hard to achieve it. Be mentally prepared for the launch day, build the required hype and then leave things to unfurl naturally. Too much meddling for the sake of perfection can have undesired consequences. Make sure your presentations are great, you are filled with confidence and everything is on board. Then, you will have the perfect launch of your product, the way you want it to and the way you dream about it.

    Conclusion

    The launch of a new product has to be done carefully, the success of the product depends on it. Once you gain the attention of your potential customers through the launch of your product, it will be a step toward the success of the product.

    FAQs

    What are the 4 Ps of marketing?

    The 4 Ps of marketing are, place, price , product and promotion.

    What is product launch strategy?

    A product launch strategy is a planning that is made to deliver a new product in front of audience

    What makes a product launch successful?

    The product launch can only be successful, if you are able to identify the right market, right way of marketing the product and at right time.

  • How to Get Media’s Attention Towards Your Startup?

    Startups are making headlines now. They are becoming great support for their country slowly but steadily. When you start a new company, you need to be visible so that you can get potential customers and sell them your products and services basically so that your company can survive.

    Media runs the world, therefore they can actually make your startup visible in front of people. They can make someone billionaire, declare someone dead and can make someone a hero. No matter how much you hate or love media, it becomes the same for everyone when it comes to business.

    Media houses can create great opportunities for businesses. Not only for big and established ones but for startups too. In this article, we will talk about how to grab the media’s attention towards your startup, so lets’ get started.

    Benefits of Media for Your Business
    How to Attract Press?

    Benefits of Media for Your Business

    Free Advertisement:

    You will not have to pay for an advertisement to the media houses if they come to you for the story coverage of your startup. No matter how many people read blogs these days, offline media still have more audience than them, so it can make your company more visible.

    Increased Users

    As you are getting free promotion of your startup, you will see a bump in the user base after any media covers about you. As more people will read their news, more people will sign up for your service and will like to try your products.

    Investment

    You might end up getting funding from investors if they read about you and are interested in your startup and thinks that it can be a profit for them. You just have to make sure that the news covered by the media is positive in every way so that the investors can feel a spark and get interested in your business.

    Quality Recruitment

    Being positively featured in the media is a sign of a genuine and decent company. Your company can attract some qualified and skillful professionals who want to work with you because your company has a positive image. Employees are the roots of any company once your company get featured by media, good employees will definitely come around.  

    How to Attract Press?

    Press Release

    You can directly submit a press release to the news company. Most of the companies would appreciate your effort and your business might get featured on their channel or website.

    Be Easy to Reach

    Provide proper contact information on your website or social media accounts. There are times, media channels want to reach you but couldn’t, due to difficulty in contacting you. Respond to their requests and keep checking for these types of requests and be open to them as well.

    Newsjacking

    This could be risky. You should definitely not do this at the early stage of your startup. Newsjacking means to create breaking news or play a role in it. Obviously, you will try your best to keep it as positive as possible but the media writes what they want to write. Many companies get slammed even after doing good work. For this kind of option, experienced professionals and powerful contacts in this field is needed.

    Show your Expertise

    You can show off your expertise in a particular field to grab media attention. News channels often call experts to discuss breaking news. If you are not so free to do it, you can ask any of your employees to do it for the company, this way your company will be able to grab the headlines.

    Reach out to Reporters

    Reporters are the eyes of the public. If you have any contact, then you can directly go to reporters and ask them to cover your story. Reach out to them and they will definitely cover your story if yours is good enough.

    Reach out to Bloggers

    There are many news blogs out there. You can easily ask any blogger to cover your story, they will be glad to do so. You can even ask big news blogs and if not, you can also go for their subsidiaries, as most of the blogs have subsidiary blogs nowadays.

    Guest Blogging

    If you have good writing skills, you can use your talent by becoming a guest blogger and writing for some blogs. People will check out your profile after reading your content.

    Launching Event

    Throw a great party on the launching of your new product. Invite influential people in the party to attract the media. Be creative in giving the party a good theme, to make it look amazing, thus attracting the attention of the media.

    Hire a Celebrity

    You can invite a celebrity to come to your launching event. Most of the news reporters will be there as the celebrity is already a known face. This way, you will get the attention of the general public too.

    Involve in Local Event

    If you don’t have that much budget to throw a grand party just to promote your brand, then get involved in the local events. Get a list of upcoming local events and try to get involved in those events. You can sponsor the event or just host it. Moreover, you can ask your team to wear the companies merchandise and promote the product in the event or outside the event.

    Tell your own story

    Your own story can promote your product. Everyone likes to read successful people’s stories. You might not be so successful, but people will see you as a successful person once you started your business. Take advantage and tell your story to the news reporters.

    Use Social Media Power

    Use social media to create some strong campaigns to stand out from others and use that to attract the press. Modern-day journalism is all about social media and standing out there, so use social media to give you the required attention and buzz from the media. Using Twitter for such a purpose is a smart idea.

    Use News Wires

    There are many news wires where you can easily publish your news and other news networks will cover your story if they are interested in it. It works most of the time. You can also hire any news wire writer who can publish the news about your business for you.

    Conclusion

    Media coverage is not easy to get. But it is worth the hustle. However, you have to take care of the image of your brand. Media coverage is not always right. Not all reporters care for your image. They might write something which can lead to a negative image of your company. Once this happened, you can’t convince all people that you didn’t say so. Therefore, go to some good reporters only. Make some good relations with them, this way you can the deserving recognition for your business.

    FAQs

    How do startups get publicity?

    Use social media, connect with reporters, tell your stories and user-generated content, this way you can get publicity for your startup.

    What are the three types of media?

    The three types of media are print media, broadcast media and the internet.

    How to get your story in the news?

    Connect with the reporters, make a rapport with and tell them your story.

  • How to Promote your Business Online in 2021 (7 Effective Ways)

    For any business to grow, certain marketing strategies are required. These strategies when combined help in the promotion of the business. Among these, the most important strategy for any business is to gather more and more customers and expand their business on a larger scale.

    However, sometimes businesses fail or face major losses during their business hours. And that’s why it’s very important to know what are the right steps and strategies that can help you in the promotion of your business, especially in the year 2021 when there is abundant competition in the market. And that’s what we’ll be discussing in this article!

    When we look at the old data and planning’s, the advertising and promotions of any business were done through a brochure, flyer, advertisements in a local newspaper or postcard. But these required some extra budgets which always hurt the businessmen.

    But with the evolving technology, today, there are numerous ways to advertise and promote any business, whether it’s small, medium or big.

    In this article, we will discuss the top effective ways to promote and market your business in 2021. So, let’s get started!

    Google advertising (PPC)
    Joint Ventures
    Social Media Influencers
    Email Marketing
    Social Media Advertising
    Video Marketing
    Print Media Advertising
    FAQ

    Google advertising (PPC)

    Google Ads
    Google Ads

    One of the most effective ways to promote any business is through Google Ads which is broadly referred to as Pay Per Click. Google is widely known as the advertising platform as around 85% of its total revenue comes from the Google Ads platform. Google is expanding with great numbers and has had an uprising graph for many years.

    Pay Per Click is very beneficial and the most amazing part on advertising on Google is you have to pay only when someone clicks your ads. You can set the cost according to you and can organise many niche campaigns based on the interest of buyers. Pay Per Click is an amazing as well as affordable marketing strategy that attracts a huge audience.

    Media Buying – What is it, Why is it Necessary, Top Media Buying Agencies
    Media buying is a great way to communicate with your consumers. Let’s understand What is it and Why is it necessary for your brand.
    StartupTalkyDamini Bhandary

    Joint Ventures

    In order to promote any business, you need to focus on the right people and getting your offers in front of these. Joint Ventures are the best way to achieve that! Through this, you can easily gather the existing audiences that surely match your standard market.

    Joint Venture can be elaborated as partnering with the non-competing companies who have the same target audience as yours. Joint Ventures also helps in creating brand recognition and sales. You just need to find the appropriate service which can add value to your customers more promptly and also, helps them.

    Social Media Influencers

    In today’s time, Influencers have become an important marketing strategy for many businesses. And marketing through people with tons of fan following is always a win. With Influencers, you can build a strong uprising position in the market and enhance brand recognition among the audiences.

    These Influencers are effective and charge per post based on their followers count. But this always brings you benefits on a larger scale. That’s why investing in these Influencers can bring you great results.

    Email Marketing

    Email Marketing
    Email Marketing

    Email Marketing is counted in the section of broader marketing. As it helps you reach the audience in a planned and effective manner. Email marketing should be must in your marketing strategy.

    However, the percentage of opening emails have dropped majorly but still, when a productive mail is sent to the consumer, there are fair chances they will get ahead with it.

    Also, Email Marketing helps in making your product and services of the utmost choice for the audience. Also, Email Marketing helps in making your product and services of the utmost choice for the audience. Zomato and Swiggy are the few brands that effectively employ email marketing to market their brand. You can also use email marketing automation tools to automate your emails.

    Social Media Advertising

    Social media has become an integral part of our day to day life and for businesses, it’s a great place to promote their business. Today, every social media platform provides a service for businesses to advertise their products and services. And because of this, the audience has become habitual of seeing ads on their social media.

    Ever since Facebook launched its “Facebook lead Ads” tool, businesses have become more effective in reaching their target audience. Through Social Media Advertising, you can spread awareness of your brand as well as promote your business, effectively. You can also promote your business using Instagram, Pinterest or LinkedIn ads.

    Video Marketing

    A study has concluded that around 80% of the people between the age group of 18 to 49 years old prefer video content on platforms like YouTube. This clearly states that YouTube is the biggest and most popular video platform to advertise your product.

    With these statistics, it’s likely to say that advertising through video content is one of the best ways to effectively promote your business. This brings out more customer engagement in your business.

    What you can do is create a YouTube channel based on your company and upload engaging video content. Videos hold the power to enlighten, promote and maintain a connection with the existing customers as well as creating new connections with audiences.

    Common Mistakes to avoid while Creating Advertising Campaigns (With Examples)
    An ad campaign is a great way to convey a message to your consumers but it can get your brand to new heights or can defame your brand. Avoid these ad Campaign mistakes.
    StartupTalkyMahenoor Mansuri

    Print Advertising
    Print Advertising

    For a very long time, Print Media Advertising has been nurturing and promoting businesses. And today also, this is counted among one of the effective marketing strategies. However, the number of audiences may have dropped in Print Media Advertising but still, it’s a great way to reach out to the conventional portion of audiences. Print Media Advertising and direct mail, two are counted in the list of most powerful and effective marketing strategies for any business.

    Conclusion

    In order to survive in this competitive marketplace, businesses need to have well-planned marketing or promoting strategies. Business promotion is more of a necessity for any business, as it encourages them to be distinct and charm their customers. And that’s what we attempted to describe in this article.

    Even during the pandemic, businesses made their way through online channels. And now, the audience has become so habitual of these that they always seek more services and products ads on the internet.

    Stay tuned for more such articles!

    FAQ

    How to promote your business in 2021?

    Paid traffic from Facebook, YouTube ads, Google ads, Pinterest ads, Instagram ads are some of the ways to promote your business in 2021.

    How to advertise for free?

    Actively promote your brand on social media, Start a blog, and Press releases are some of the great ways to advertise your brand for free.

    Are Google Ads Free?

    You only have to pay for Google Ads when someone clicks on your ad.

  • Top 10 Low-Cost Marketing Strategies for Startups

    In marketing, you have to spend money to make money. However, the rise of social media and digital marketing has made it easier and quite inexpensive to market a business. Even small business owners can be creative with their marketing ideas and strategies. They can reach targeted customers with effective and low-cost marketing ideas for startups.

    Creative marketing strategy is very essential for any business, be it a large corporate or a local business. Advertising is the core of marketing, so it becomes important for the decision-maker to form such a marketing mix that leads to maximum profits and a large volume of sales. Advertising is often considered to be an expensive approach to reach a wide customer base.

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    In this article, you’ll find the best low-cost marketing ideas for startups that could help to market your business.

    1. Google My Business Account
    2. Content Marketing
    3. Business Cards
    4. Be a Sponsor
    5. Social Media Marketing
    6. Search Engine Optimization
    7. Build Your App
    8. YouTube
    9. Participate in Social Events
    10. Referrals

    Conclusion
    FAQs

    1. Google My Business Account

    Creating a Google My Business account can make your business show up in Google searches and people can easily find you. Your business will also be visible on Google maps which is a plus. Moreover, it will help you to have a market without spending a penny.

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    2. Content Marketing

    Content marketing is one of the least expensive marketing strategies that is focused on creating, publishing, and distributing content for a targeted audience on the internet. And it is often used by businesses to attract and generate leads, expand their customer base and increase their online sales. It does not require a large chunk of investment. There are many approaches you can use, such as setting up a blog for your business where you can add new and interesting content every few days that keeps your readers informed and entertained.

    Infographics, videos, podcasts, ads in newspapers, posters, etc. are such startup marketing ideas that pertain to content marketing when they are uniquely and interestingly used to grab the attention of the customers. For example, Amul uses clever ways to bring up social topics in their promotional posters. The use of social commentary is a very engaging tactic as people have opinions about them. They react more and that leads to increasing engagements which are very beneficial for a business, even if the reaction is controversial.

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    3. Business Cards

    Having a business card for your business shows professionalism to your customers. A creative business card is necessary to make you stand out in comparison with others. A smart businessperson always carries a reasonable amount of business cards with them and hands them out while meeting new clients and potential customers. You can distribute business cards in the hands of anyone who can help you in your search for new leads/clients. This increases the rate of recommendations and thereby resulting in an increase in customer engagements.

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    4. Be a Sponsor

    Depending upon your target market, you can choose the type of event you want to sponsor. It is highly effective and allows your business to shine. For instance, college fests are an appealing measure to promote your venture. You are allowed to set up stalls in a space that guarantees you a young crowd. The stall can be of food, jewellery, clothing, games or even contests that pertain to your business. The departmental fest also uses sponsors where you are featured on its posters, online campaigns and even sample distribution at their campus.

    A cultural event happens often in auditoriums that facilitate a huge audience. You can use that event’s sponsorship to promote your business. It is a considerably low-cost idea of advertising that yields a lot of engagements and promotion.

    5. Social Media Marketing

    When it comes to low-budget marketing ideas, one cannot ignore social media marketing. Social media is a huge platform that provides you with the potential of accessing a customer base that can reach even millions, for free. Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Reddit has allowed you to find out your target audience and build your community.

    The cost of setting up an account/page on these platforms is zero. All you need is to put up content that is relevant, interesting, creative and engages audiences. It is the cheapest form of advertising that exists out there, and if you tap into it with the right advertising strategies then the sky is the limit.

    People spend a lot of time on social media and so when they see an attractive ad about a shoe or trousers, they are instantly captivated and interest is aroused at that very moment. If the deal is offered at a tempting rate/quality/design then there is a high rate of a sale taking place. You can link the ad to your website or your app which we will discuss in the next point.

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    6. Search Engine Optimization

    Search Engine Optimization (SEO), one of the cost-effective digital marketing strategies for startups of getting pages to rank higher in Search Engine Result Page (SERPs).

    In other words, it is a method to grow your business by the efficient and effective use of available resources thereby improving the quality of your website. It is a bit technical but you take a course on it in order to understand the basics and how it works. SEO is the best way to increase the visibility of traffic to your website.

    You have to identify keywords that could attract high traffic to your website. You can avail of online consultancy for the same. The reason, it is smart advertising is that instead of cash investments it requires effort and time. To understand, comprehend and formulate strategies that are unique compared to your competitors. Also, understanding the latest trends and updates regarding the search engine algorithm updates.

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    7. Build Your App

    Having an app for your business results in building a good brand image and trust of the customer.  People will be resistless in making the final purchase. It requires very little expense to set up a mobile application, and today there are tremendous amounts of apps that people use. You can infuse it with your creativity and make it unique. But make sure to optimize it for your audience.

    So, when you have your app in addition to a website, the traffic on your online website can have prior experience and knowledge about your startup and then resorts to downloading your app, which results in many benefits. Like you have now access to some information of your customer, i.e. their email address or contact number, and can notify them about your offers or discounts.

    It also leads to a direct relationship with the customer, and now you can monitor their purchasing patterns, and they can scroll through your attractive offers now and then. It will also build trust with your customer because the online method in an app is safe. Building an app is expensive if you hire a professional for it. But if your friend has app-building knowledge, you can partner with them by offering shares of your startup.

    8. YouTube

    Now that we are exploring our way through e-commerce, let’s discuss this appealing option as well i.e. YouTube, the second-largest search engine after Google and one of the low-cost marketing ideas in India.

    Many businesses engage in advertising on YouTube. They get in contact with other YouTubers and enter into a contract where the influencer will talk about its product/service and the number of viewers is the potential customers. Usually, the investment is high, but not always. For a comparatively smaller startup, you can reach out to regional YouTubers that have a considerable amount of subscribers, not necessarily in millions, and make them promote your business.

    YouTubers upload creative content on the platform, and there are creative ways to sneak in product placement in a very interesting manner. Even a small influencer can lead to a lot of benefits to your business. It is an unarguably cheaper way of advertising than paying high profile actors to do an ad campaign that airs on TVs. You can even create your own YouTube channel where you talk about your product/services, its benefits and usage, etc. and make the audience aware of your business.

    9. Participate in Social Events

    Actively volunteering for social events can make your brand look better and people can get to know you better. It’s almost like marketing with no budget. If you have a big warehouse or office, giving it out for these social events once in a while can make you popular in no time.

    10. Referrals

    A good “word of mouth” is possibly the best form of promoting your business. A satisfied customer is bound to think well about your brand and will often be glad to refer it to his friends, family and other acquaintances. You can invest in referrals by doing follow-ups of your existing customer base. Ask them for feedback and if they liked it then suggest it to others as well. It increases the good reputation of the business and the customer feels important. It is a long term advertising strategy as a satisfied customer will most probably make another purchase in future also.

    Conclusion

    Now that you know various low-cost marketing strategies to grow your business, you can apply these ideas to increase your customer base and can generate more profit. But before proceeding, it is important to understand your audience, their behaviour, and the nature of your business and accordingly apply the one that suits best.

    FAQs

    What is the cheapest form of marketing?

    Digital marketing or social media marketing is the cheapest form of marketing. You can reach a larger target audience in a cost-effective and measurable way.

    What are the low-cost marketing strategies for startups in India?

    The low-cost marketing strategies for startups are:

    • Google My Business Account.
    • Content Marketing.
    • Business Cards.
    • Be a Sponsor.
    • Social Media Marketing.
    • Search Engine Optimization.
    • Build Your App.
    • YouTube.
    • Participate in Social Events.
    • Referrals.

    Why is marketing strategy important for startups?

    Marketing strategy helps the startups for the following reasons:

    • To amplify the visibility of their business.
    • To be able to hook their target audience.
    • To establish a digital presence.
    • To increase sales.
    • To generate profits.

  • How To Get Your Business Ready For A Seasonal Sale?

    In the world of business, earning money by selling your products can be called an ultimate goal. Every mall, electronics store, supermarket, automobile store has this thing called seasonal sales.

    So the thing which exactly happens in these sales is, it comes at a particular time. During these, which usually happen on special days Or during the clearance phase, the products are of low prices. Less pricing is a strategy that would attract more customers.

    Seasonal sales also include sales at a particular season, where products specific to that season are available. Some discounts are also available. The offering of discounts is in such a way that the store doesn’t get any losses. The profit margin is marginal on individual products during these sales. But the perk is, it attracts more customers because everyone loves reduced prices.

    There are some specific and well-crafted strategies everyone must be aware of before starting seasonal sales. These tips would help the stores and shops make more profit by attracting more customers. Let’s discuss these tips one by one.

    How to Prepare your Business for Seasonal Sale

    Start planning before the season hits
    Planning the budget for seasonal Sales
    Promoting the seasonal sales
    Season focussed marketing strategy
    Inventory Management according to demands
    Setting minimum order quantity
    Quick shipping and good delivery speed
    Clear return and exchange policy
    Creativity in orders
    Watch your competitors

    Conclusion
    FAQs

    Tips for seasonal Business

    Start planning before the season hits

    It is the most important thing we should keep in mind before starting our sales. Procrastination shouldn’t be an option. A beforehand planning would help just as a hurried plan might ruin the wholesales. The plans regarding the budget, the profit margin, consumer choices, the advertising of new brands, percent of discounts are also the key points to focus on. It is to increase the human workforce are all planned.

    The business plan should be in such a way that everything would be ready during the sales. It reduces pressure as well as doesn’t let mistakes happen. It ensures that enough time is there to jot down a perfect strategy that would lead to more fame and extract a good amount of profit.

    Planning the budget for seasonal Sales

    Plan the budget for seasonal sales
    Plan the budget for seasonal sales

    It is important because the sale should in a way that the store or shop doesn’t go into a loss. Also as more customers would come during the sales, more workforce is required. Seasonal sales might need to employ more salespeople. Especially in malls and apparel stores, where people often flock during sales, more salespeople would help them choose according to their whims.

    The budget should also include the expenses for the banners, advertising, and the salaries of the extras during sales. The budget should be such that everyone is satisfied and still a good amount of profit is made.

    Promoting the seasonal sales

    Seasonal Sales
    Seasonal Sales

    Promotion is the key that brings more customers. The promotion of the sales includes using certain advertisements be on the television or newspaper, passing out flyers, making posters, banners outside the shop, etc. The most strategic part is to put a little information regarding the discounts and the list of new products in the advertisement that lets more people know that there is a sale going on.

    People should also have a good experience when they come to the store. Customer is also a crucial agent of advertisements. A happy customer would bring in more customers or visit the next time. It improves the trust of people in the store or brand.

    Season focussed marketing strategy

    Technology helps in chalking out strategies. The making of diagrams of the profits and losses forms to know about customer experiences. It also provides knowledge about customers having an online transaction option. The usage of net banking is essential to enhance performance. The budget should also be a part of the marketing strategy. It is the overall strategy.

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    Inventory Management according to demands

    Knowing the demands of the customers at a specific period or season is the key to attract them. For example, if it’s a winter sale, more winter clothes are the key. A wide range of choices is also crucial. It leads to a customer liking many products and buying them at once.

    In the case of the automobile industry, this is also important. If customers start preferring a specific type of vehicle, that model should be available in plenty. Also, different color choices of the model should be available. It is because everyone does have a specific liking. Good quality products without any defects should be present in the inventory.

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    Setting minimum order quantity

    The possession of a particular number of products brought together helps to make a good profit and sell off more items. Also, it manipulates the mind of the customers into thinking that they have been offered low prices. It can be explained with an example – a handkerchief that costs $10 can be sold for $25 for 3 . This will be beneficial for both the store and the customers.

    Also, this helps small businesses in online stores. They provide reliable prices and have a minimum order quantity that lets them sell their products well.

    Quick shipping and good delivery speed

    It is applicable in online businesses. A quick delivery speed keeps the customers happy. During seasonal sales, the number of customers increases. Good shipping speed avoids cancellation and makes people but more. The delivery men should be polite. Also, the company should work to set up sound networks of delivery. The experience of the customers is what matters the most.

    Clear return and exchange policy

    It is something that provides confidence to the customers. They can rest assured that if a product purchased doesn’t meet their needs, they can return it within a stipulated period. However, this might be confused and damaged products would be returned. So these policies should be clear.

    A stipulated period of 7-14 days is mandatory for return and exchange. The product shouldn’t be damaged while returning. Also, the bill must be present to prove that the customer bought the product from that specific shop. Items such as inner garments and hygiene products shouldn’t come under return policy until it’s proven that they are unused.

    Creativity in orders

    Being creative is something that draws attention. Providing trinkets and gifts is an example of this kind. Some stores also provide flowers and drinks to their customers. It ensures satisfaction among them. They would like to visit the store more often. Also, creative advertising catches the eye of the audience. They come in large numbers.

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    Watch your competitors

    It will prevent entirely making a plan similar to the competitors in the market. Also, one should utilize the strong points. Thus, having a favourable plan is mandatory. It enhances competition and further improves the quality of seasonal sales.

    Conclusion

    Business is just like a game of capturing more and more customers. The brand that is the most creative with its sales gets more profit. These strategies mentioned above can help a brand grow and strive. Knowing about the needs of customers and keeping them happy should be the key objective. After that, good planning, advertising, and recruiting are crucial for a good business.

    At present, when there are many brands, only some can capture the hearts of people. A well-thought strategy is the main thing that is necessary for doing. So, one follows it and executes it properly even a smaller brand would be able to compete with the great brands. Also, a good watch should be kept on the competitors and try to learn from their good points. It will help in a rise in fame and profit.

    FAQs

    What is seasonal promotion?

    Seasonal promotions are special offers, discounts or limited edition products that are occasion specific or season specific.

    What are examples of seasonal businesses?

    Some of the seasonal business examples are:

    • Rakhi Business
    • Kite Business
    • Fire crackers Business
    • Woollen Clothes business
    • Raincoat business

    What are seasonal products?

    Seasonal products are the products that are available in the market during a particular seasons or periods of the year only and are not available during another period.