14 Sales Promotion Ideas to Entice Customers To Buy From You

Are you looking for ways to boost your sales and encourage prospects to try your products for a limited time? Sales promotions are an excellent method to drive sales and free trials.

This blog post will discuss 14 sales promotion ideas you can emulate for your business. We’ve divided them according to the different types of sales promotions:

• Sales promotion examples that increase new sales
• Sales promotion ideas to encourage repeat purchases
• Sales promotion programs that foster loyalty
• Sales promotion ideas that create a sense of urgency

Read through each section or jump into the types of sales promotion suited for your business. You can also sign up for our free newsletter, Revenue Weekly, to get the latest sales and marketing tips straight to your inbox, like 200,000 other professionals.

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Sales promotion examples that increase new sales

If you’re looking to increase demand for your product or services, here are five sales promotion ideas that help boost demand:

1. Discounts

As a common, enticing incentive for prospects, discounts provide a percentage or exact amount off a product’s price. Discounts are popular and effective among prospects because your customers already like your product, and the price is the only hurdle getting in the way of the final purchase.

2. Free trial or free sample

Have you ever sampled the newest potato chips at the grocery and decided to add a bag to your cart after a free taste? Whether you’re launching your newest potato chip line or the latest home repair services, a free trial is an excellent way to introduce them to prospects.

This sales promotion idea introduces prospects to your products or services they never thought they needed, and most industries can offer this deal.

Free samples work well for fast-moving consumer goods, while a free trial is excellent for services. Even car dealerships let buyers test-drive cars to let prospects experience the product they’re eyeing.

3. Bundles

If you offer products that provide more value when purchased together, consider bundling them. Bundles are enticing for your prospects who love getting an additional deal. After all, they get discounts for all items in the bundle!

Take this example from Apple’s AirTags. Buyers are most likely using an AirTag for their valuables — wallets, keys, bags, and pets. So, a four-piece bundle makes sense for some buyers.

4. Buy one, get one

Another popular sales promotion tactic is to buy one get one (BOGO). When customers buy a product or service, they get another related offering for free or a discount.

BOGO is an excellent way to upsell or cross-sell your products. Let’s say you sell freshly baked muffins per box of six. When it’s almost closing, you can offer a BOGO to sell all your muffins for the day.

Do you have a slow-moving offering that customers of your other product might find helpful? Consider cross-selling it through a BOGO technique. How about offering a box of six muffins with a pie that costs 30% less?

With BOGO, it might appear that you’re selling more and earning less. However, as more people buy products, your profits can still increase. Consider the number of sales that you closed with your BOGO. All your muffins and pies are sold out for the day!

5. Free shipping and return

Fun facts — 79% of US consumers said free shipping would make them more likely to shop. In addition, 74% of buyers said they wouldn’t purchase if they had to pay for return shipping.

Take advantage of free shipping and return to draw people to check out your products and buy from you. In addition, free returns show your confidence in your products that you’re willing to let them ship back for free.

Letting your customers experience a seamless shopping experience with free shipping and return can encourage them to purchase from you again.

6. Affiliate program

An affiliate program lets influencers and other brands earn a commission every time they refer a paying customer to you. By forging partnerships, you’re reaching more prospects and driving sales. This sales promotion tactic brings businesses $5.20 for every $1.00 they spend on influencer marketing.

Sales promotion ideas to encourage repeat purchases

Do you want to encourage your customers to purchase from you again? Here are four sales promotion ideas to promote repeat purchases:

7. Vouchers and coupons

An excellent way to thank your existing customers, vouchers and coupons can encourage them to purchase from you again. Think of it as a promotional incentive that makes them choose your business over a competitor because of your special offer.

Coupons make your customers feel important and appreciated. As a result, they can turn your repeat customers into loyal ones.

8. Rebates and cashback

Rebates and cashback are sales promotion examples that entice customers to repurchase. They give your buyers credit each time they make a purchase. They can use this credit or “cash” when they buy from you again.

Rebates and cashback encourage repeat purchases and make your customers loyal to you because you provide more value than your competitors.

Here’s a cashback example from the online travel agency Agoda. After a customer’s most recent booking qualifies them for a cashback, Agoda sends an email about the reward.

Sales promotion programs that foster loyalty

Repeat purchases are good for your business. What’s even better? Loyal customers who leave glowing reviews online about your brand and recommend you to their family and friends. After all, referrals from friends make a consumer four times more likely to buy.

Here are sales promotion examples that foster loyalty:

9. Referral discount program

One way to have a steady list of new customers is by encouraging current ones to refer their family and friends. How? Referral discounts can motivate satisfied customers to promote your brand to others. They refer a friend and then get a discount.

You can incentivize the referrer when the new customer they referred makes a purchase. You can also opt to give the incentive after a number of referrals, regardless of if anybody made a purchase.

In the referral program example below, Busuu encourages its customer to refer a friend and incentivizes both!

10. Loyalty program

Do you want to increase your business’s customer retention rate? A loyalty program is a good idea as it convinces over 84% of consumers to stick with a brand.

Reward your customers for their loyalty and encourage them to purchase from you again. Below is an example from Starbucks. Customers can sign up for their loyalty program, earn stars for their purchases, and use them for rewards.

Loyalty programs work well in the long run, and on some days, you may experience some lull. You can offer to double or triple points for a limited time, so your customers will be encouraged to purchase.

Sales promotion ideas that create a sense of urgency

Looking for sales promotion examples that propel your prospects to act? Here are sales promotion ideas that tell your prospects that they should urgently add to cart and check out:

11. Flash discounts

Offering a limited-time discount or until supplies last moves your customers to purchase quickly. Otherwise, they’ll miss the special offer.

Here’s an example from Grammarly. It encourages users to sign up and get 50% off before a specific date. Make sure you communicate the urgency through images and copy!

12. Seasonal sale

A seasonal sale is an excellent way to encourage prospects to purchase products or services related to an upcoming season or occasion. Do you want to give your customers a special discount on their birthday? How about a special spring sale?

13. Cart abandonment promotions

Did a prospect leave an item in their cart but didn’t proceed to check out? Enter cart abandonment promotion. This sales promotion idea can help you remarket sales from prospects who need a little nudge to proceed with their purchase.

14. Sign-up promotions

An exclusive sales promotion for new users, sign-up promotions help businesses acquire new customers. If you offer a service, you can entice prospects to sign up by offering a discount on their first month.

Do you sell products? Free shipping on their first order might convince them to proceed with their purchase.

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Need help with creating new sales promotion programs? You can turn to WebFX to help you with new sales promotion ideas and execution.

We’re a full-service digital marketing agency experienced in over 200+ industries, having generated $10 billion revenue for our clients. We’re excited to deliver the same results to your business.

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