Promoting Yourself and Your Business
Promoting is simply one aspect of marketing. It keeps the products and services you offer in the minds of your customers. The goal of promoting is to increase demand for your services. Promoting is comprised of four parts: advertising, personal sales, sales promotions, and public relations.
Consumer Sales Promotions and Promotional Products
Sales promotions are marketing techniques used for a limited amount of time to increase customer demand. You may use them to promote your business, open a new location, announce a new product or service, or mark an anniversary. Sales promotions include: contests, coupons, loyalty rewards programs, free samples, and free products. They generate attention and excitement from your target market. One of the most popular promotions with health clubs are contests where the member who refers the most new members within a certain time period receives a bike, TV, or other large prize. A promotion does not have to be this big or expensive. You can make it as simple as giving out flyers with coupons for 10 percent off a training session. People love to get things for free or at a discount.
ssential
Think about some of the T-shirts in your drawers. A good portion of them probably bear someone's company name, logo, or slogan. When you wear those shirts, you are a walking, free advertisement for the companies. In the same way, you can have your clients advertising for you. Just like Nike, you are creating name recognition.
A promotional product is any item bearing your company name or logo that you give to clients and potential clients. They are another way to advertise without spending a great deal of money. The use of promotional products is only limited to your imagination. Be sure to give people products they will use, so others will see them. Look around the gym and you'll notice that the majority of people are wearing T-shirts and carrying water bottles, making these two great promotional products for personal-training businesses.
Creating a Press Kit
A press kit contains information pertaining to you and your business. The purpose is to give potential customers and people who may refer customers in-depth knowledge of who you are and what you do. The design and contents of your press kit will say a great deal about you and can help you stand out from the crowd. The folder should look professional and be eye-catching, with your company's name and logo on the front. At a minimum, it should contain one or more business cards, a personal letter from you explaining your mission statement and the services you provide, and any relevant brochures or flyers. You may also include short bios on yourself and your employees. Promotional items are a nice addition as well — people love discounts and coupons.
