The 7 Deadly Sins of Promotional Marketing

Can you name the seven deadly sins? You know…sloth, envy….

Well, promotional marketing has its own list. Here goes:

The 7 Deadly Sins of Promotional Marketing

Equality

Being frugal is great, but thinking a $.05 key chain is going to convert into a big sale is naive. Match your promotional item with the sales funnel and what you’re expecting in return. There’s a reason car dealerships give away TVs and vacations. The amount of money they’re getting in the sale requires a large incentive.

Disconnect

Give something your potential customers want not just a tchotchke. Spend the time understanding your audience so you can give them something that will resonate with them.

Idle Wandering

Your promotional item should be tightly integrated into a promotional strategy.

Predictability

You never want to be known as the company that always gives away the ____. There are a number of cool promo items out there. There’s no reason to use the same old same old for every event. If the events are different, the promotional marketing should be too.

Spreading It Around

While it’s tempting to give something to everyone — it draws a crowd, right? — scarcity powers demand. If people have to play a game, watch a demo, or do something else in order to get your giveaway more people will want it. If you want to give something to everyone, try a tasty treat instead.

Sloth

Okay, so we borrowed this one from the original list but if you fail to ask your audience to do something as part of your promotional strategy you’re missing an opportunity. The Hari Krishnas learned that giving someone something as simple as a flower, caused them to reciprocate with a donation more often than people who did not receive a flower. This is the law of reciprocity. If you give them something at a trade show, don’t miss the opportunity to ask for something.