There are literally hundreds of types of marketing collateral. A lot of business owners seek marketing collateral to support the brand messaging of their company, but are often unclear as to the type that is used, or its overall purpose.
I have taken the liberty of outlining below three of the most common types of marketing collateral that are often misunderstood, as well as how they can add value to your business and clients.
Newsletters
I’ve seen the digital newsletter become a game changer for many small businesses, as it is an ideal format for updating your clients on the happenings of your company. Functioning as a communication tool between your business and your clients, newsletters can go above and beyond with value-based, strategic content that is catered specifically to your clients.
With longer prose, I’d suggest that they be used on a monthly basis. Due to the number of online analytics, newsletters are fabulous, measurable marketing tools that allow you to discover insight as to what your clients want to know about your business. The designs are also highly customizable, reflecting your unique brand while keeping your clients up to date with the latest and greatest company news.
They’re ideal tools for building your influence and strengthening the relationship between you and your client. If you do it right, you’ll have your clients asking for your next issue!
Promotional Email Blasts
Conversely, email blasts (or e-blasts) are a shorter, catchier method of promoting your brand message. It’s a singular message blasted to a targeted audience. However, with hundreds of email blasts hitting inboxes each day, the message itself has to be short and sweet, while still piquing the client’s interest.
The goal is to have the client open the e-blast and become engaged with the campaign, which in turn will demonstrate the value of your business. Specific products or services, promotions, special event invitations, and webinars are all types of e-blasts that are designed to get your message out in a timely matter. They will also provide measurable statistics to track the success of your campaigns.
Case Studies
This form of marketing collateral offers a pretty innovative approach to demonstrating your business’ unique value proposition. A case study outlines the specific challenges a client was presented with and your business’ method of providing the solution. This works to demonstrate how your company can deal with these challenges, and how they can provide solutions that produce results.
A case study brings the client’s story to life with a definitive answer to some of their greatest concerns. They can be supplied as downloads, or as portfolios on your website that can be tracked using Google Analytics. As a versatile form of marketing collateral, you can even use case studies in conjunction with other marketing collateral to provide the ultimate bridge between your business and your client. (e.g. sending out an e-blast to introduce a new case study).
By becoming familiar with the different forms of marketing collateral available to you, you’ll know which one to use to connect with your clients. No matter which one you choose, they present an opportunity to get your brand in front of your client and allow them to discover the value you provide, ensuring that they will always know where to go for their specific needs.