A wide range of materials can be used to promote your business and its products. Knowing how to create and use them is important for developing a successful promotional campaign.

You can promote your business by Preparing Brochures and flyers and distributing them to potential clients and other interested parties. A method of keeping on-going contact with customers, members or other stakeholders is by Writing a Newsletter. You can promote your business at conferences, trade shows and other events by Creating a Display. News Releases are another good promotional tool. If you are asked to speak to a group, developing a good PowerPoint Presentation is a good way of promoting you business and its products. Creating a Web Site is another promotional tool. Business Cards will help create a business network and develop personal relationships.

For more information on this topic, see the links listed below of articles posted on related Web sites.

Promotional Materials

• Helpful Tips for Improving the Visual Appeal of Marketing Materials – Oklahoma State University Extension -- For companies who outsource the design of their marketing, this fact sheet gives tips to evaluate prospective service providers' portfolios or work examples.
• Marketing Materials – Entrepreneur.com -- Articles on preparing materials to help you market.

Press Releases

• Press Kits – Small Business Notes -- A press kit is a set of materials designed to communicate your message in detail to reporters and media directors.
• Press Releases – Small Business Notes -- Press releases (also called news releases) are used to announce your company's news to journalists in hopes that they will publicize your story.
  
• Press Releases – Entrepreneur.com -- Articles on writing press releases.
  
• Special Events – Entrepreneur.com -- Articles on using special events to your advantage.
  

Newsletters

• Designing Your Newsletter – University of Missouri Extension -- How a newsletter looks is important. A well-designed newsletter will draw readers to it.
• How to Do a Newsletter That Gets Read – University of Missouri Extension -- A newsletter can be a wonderful means of communication. Research consistently shows people like newsletters.
  
• Newsletter Score Sheet – University of Missouri Extension -- How does your newsletter rate? Take a few minutes to score your evaluation of your newsletter.
  
• Newsletters – Small Business Notes -- Newsletters are a common publication tool.
  
• Newsletters, Articles and Books – Small Business Notes -- In contrast to brochures, which generally are marketing material handouts, appearing in publications keeps your name in front of customers and subconsciously builds added credibility.

Brochures and Flyers

• Marketing Brochures and Flyers – Small Business Notes -- Marketing collateral is a term used for printed materials used to present information about your business and its capabilities, products or services. It can include brochures, flyers, fact sheets, direct mail pieces, and other communications pieces that are produced directly by the company.
• Business Clip Art – Small Business Notes.

Signs

• Developing Sign Displays for Conveying Information – University of Florida Extension -- Educational signs can be an effective means of providing information. Especially when observers are engaged in other activities (e.g., walking, golfing, rest area stops), educational signs may be a preferred, non-intrusive method of delivering information.