When you compare inbound marketing vs. more traditional “outbound” marketing strategies – like the use promotional products – they might seem like they don’t really go together, as the former is a progressive methodology that is more in-line with how the modern buyer makes purchasing decisions. However, as we’ve shared in the past, there is still a time and a place for outbound, and you can combine your inbound and outbound efforts to support each other.
In fact, inbound paired with a carefully planned promotional product marketing strategy can bring about better results than the use of inbound alone. So read on to learn two simple ways you can boost your next inbound campaign with the support of promotional marketing.
Dimensional Mail
Have you ever launched a “failproof” campaign with little to no digital response or interest? And no matter how many emails were sent or social promotions were posted, your engagement and conversion numbers remained flat? If so, a dimensional mailer campaign may be the answer you’re looking for.
Since the internet is so saturated with emails, social media messages and inbound content, it’s nearly impossible to have a focused, long-term campaign gain traction without a more robust approach. So when you schedule an event, such as a webinar or an in-person lunch and learn, it can be extremely effective to promote it with a dimensional mailer campaign.
Two ways promo products can support your #inboundmarketing strategy.
For example, earlier this year we developed and executed a campaign for a customer centered around March Madness that promoted their upcoming webinar (an inbound offer) with mini basketball hoops and basketballs. Although the campaign was less than effective due to a bad mailing list provided by a partner, it was still thoughtful, creative and held a tremendous amount of promise. And had this campaign gone out to the correct recipients, our client could have created long-term brand awareness with their basketball hoops hung on multiple office walls, in addition to the more immediate, high-rate of response they were looking for.
Gift Giving
Have you ever experienced the excitement of getting a new customer, only to immediately have that followed by angst, thanks to rapid client churn? Or have you ever felt that once a client got through your door, opportunities to delight them were going unnoticed? This is often the symptom of a deeper issue, but it also may be in part because you are not establishing a deep relationship with your customers and prospects from the start.
When in inbound mode, the term “nurturing” is often used and immediately directs your attention to your emails and workflows. But if inbound marketing has taught us anything, it’s that relationships are driving sales. So, if your nose is stuck in the tactical execution of your customers’ needs, whether it’s fulfilling a product order or servicing accounts, you still need to delight and engage with the accounts you’re already managing.
So, how can promotional products help maintain that relationship your clients? Whether you want to target a small portion of your customers, or you just want them all to feel appreciated, you may want to consider gifting.
For instance, if you know your customer is going away on a beach trip, you could send them a vacation pack that includes a tastefully branded beach towel or blanket, a beach ball and a beach bag. Whether it’s branded with your logo or theirs is entirely up to you, but being thoughtful while exposing your brand is a great way to nurture and strengthen the relationships with customers you already have.
If you’re looking to target a larger group, you can tailor your gifts around the holidays or upcoming events. For example, if Quintain were to geotarget our own home of Annapolis, we could tailor our message around the local holiday that is occurring as I write this – Commissioning Week for the Naval Academy – and send our customers binoculars so they can catch the best view of the Blue Angels’ airshow no matter where they are. The versatile appeal of this hypothetical campaign means we could send this gift to our local clients and prospects.
Your Turn
Whether you’re attempting to close a sale, nurture a lead or strengthen a current client relationship, promotional products can work seamlessly with your inbound strategy to facilitate your efforts. Have you tried to combine promotional products with your inbound strategy? Were you successful or did they not mix as you expected? Let me know in the comments!