When it comes to nurturing relationships with existing clients, and reaching out to new clients, you need a marketing kit.
You could have the greatest product or service in the world, but if people don’t buy into it, it’s pretty much pointless.
You need to tell people about why your business is the best, and most importantly, how you can help them solve a problem. There will be lots of other companies for them to choose from, so why should they choose you?
Whilst you might know the answer to this question (in fact, you definitely should know the answer to this question) people coming into contact with your business for the first time, might not. You need to tell them, and show them why you’re the right choice.
This is where your marketing kit comes in.
Think of it as your portfolio which you can show off to existing and new clients. It’s going to showcase the very best of what you have to offer so people stop and think ‘hey these guys know what they’re talking about!’
With that said, let’s delve deeper into what a marketing kit is and get into the real meat of it – how to build your own.
What is a Marketing Kit?
As we’ve touched on above, a marketing kit is your portfolio which brings different pieces of marketing material together.
Everything you include in your marketing kit should promote your business, and give people a reason to invest in your company. It’s time to put your best foot forward, and collate assets that make people want to invest in your product/ service.
It’s a pretty big deal, and is often something businesses don’t dedicate enough time to.
Whether you’re attracting new customers, educating current customers, forming new business partnerships, or hiring new employees, this kit tells your story and provides a full packet of information.
Think of it as a self-guided tour and each asset you include should build up a picture of what you do and why. There should also be supporting evidence about how you have helped other clients which is where case studies and testimonials come in, but we’ll talk more about what to include in your marketing kit later in the post.
So now you know what a marketing kit is, why is it important for your business?
Why is a Marketing Kit Important?
Regardless of what stage your business is in, whether you’re a startup or an established company, a marketing kit is essential. It should form part of your sales strategy and encourage people to buy your product or service.
It also saves you a lot of time scrambling around to find resources or examples of work when trying to attract new customers.
This leads us nicely onto the first reason why a marketing kit is important …
Saves You Time
How much of your time is spent reinventing the wheel when it comes to following up with potential clients?
Think about it. You’re on a Zoom call with a new customer, it’s all going well, they’re interested in partnering with you, but they’re wondering if you’ve got previous experience working in their industry.
As a matter of fact you do, and you have lots of great case studies to prove it.
But where are they?
Are they buried somewhere on your website?
Or have you put them in a random word document and can’t remember where you saved it?
With a marketing kit, all of this scrambling about is a thing of the past. Everything you need to follow up with a lead or show a potential customer is right there. It’s organised and professional, as you can simply choose the resources you need with no fuss.
Simply cherry pick the materials you need then get back to doing what you do best – making clients happy!
Tells People how you can help
A marketing kit gives prospective clients real evidence about how you can help them.
It’s not about the fluffy stuff or sales jargon, but tells them what you do, how you do it, and why they should choose you. By including client testimonials and previous examples of work, it gives them confidence that you’re the right company for them.
People love to hear real stories, as they can see the results you achieve for themselves.
They will also be able to get a feel for your company culture and approach by looking through your marketing kit. Make sure you use this opportunity to sell yourself and effectively communicate why you are different from the competition. Maybe it’s because of your company values, or the fact you provide 24/7 support.
Whatever the reasons are that make you different, make sure you convey these points effectively.
Flexible to different requirements
A marketing kit comprises different documents and resources, each with the same purpose – to showcase what your company has to offer.
However, these documents aren’t set in stone and can be adapted as your company grows. For example if you add a service to your offering or obtain a new client testimonial. Whilst this is possible with print marketing kits, it’s so much easier with digital versions.
Wondering what the difference is between these two? Keep reading as we’ve got a whole section on print vs digital marketing kits, to help you choose the best option for your business.
Furthermore, you can mix and match the contents of your marketing kit depending on who you’re reaching out to. For example, if you’re sending it to a potential client, you could include free product samples to get them more interested in your product offering.
This allows for a much more tailored approach instead of sending out a generic brochure.
Not only is this very 2005, but also lacks personalisation.
Who is a Marketing Kit for?
Whilst you might think a marketing kit is only for attracting new customers, it’s helpful for a variety of people.
Now of course it is an essential part of your strategy when attracting new customers as it gives them a reason to invest in the first place. It tells them exactly what your company is about and shows them what you’re capable of producing.
It’s a fantastic sales tool and can make the difference between a prospect converting into a customer, or choosing one of your competitors.
However aside from this, your marketing kit also helps you retain existing customers. It reaffirms why they should choose you so that they stay loyal and invested in your offering. There’s always going to be new companies on the market telling your customers that they can do the same job for less. Give them a reason to stay invested in your brand so that they aren’t tempted to stray elsewhere.
Putting customers to one side for a minute, your marketing kit is also helpful when recruiting new staff. It gives employees an insight into what you do and encourages them to work for your company. You want to attract the very best talent, so shout about your successes and achievements.
People want to work for a company that is thriving, so give potential employees a reason to come on this journey with you.
Digital vs Print Marketing Kit
As we’ve touched on briefly, there are two types of marketing kits – digital and print.
At one time, companies would gather lots of printed documents, put them in a folder or binder, and that would be their marketing kit sorted.
However, this approach is no longer going to cut the mustard. In a heavily saturated market you need to be more creative. Almost every single business is active online and by not taking advantage of this, you’re missing a huge opportunity.
That’s not to say printed materials are obsolete. Definitely not. They still bring a tangible element to your business and give clients something physical to take away with them.
Mark my words, print is not dead!
Instead it needs to be used in conjunction with digital assets as that way you’re hitting a wide net of people. You’re giving your business the very best chance of reaching new clients and catering for the different ways that people consume content.
Lots of companies prefer digital marketing kits as they are much easier to adapt. As we’ve already discussed, having assets online means you can easily update them as and when needed.
How Do I Build My Own Marketing Kit?
Whilst your marketing kit is a collection of separate assets, not all assets will be useful in every scenario.
For example, if you’re attending an exhibition or trade show, giving out your business card or promotional products makes more sense than handing out a case study. There is no need to give away your entire marketing kit at once, as you can tailor your package for the individual end user.
It’s important to understand your audience at this point and what information they need to know about your company to make them invest. Is there something you can offer them to bring them over the line?
Let’s take a look at what can be included in your own marketing kit.
Presentation folder
This is the foundation of your marketing bit. A presentation folder is geared towards traditional marketing kits and is pretty much what is says on the tin.
This folder brings all of your marketing materials together and keeps everything organised. You can pick these up relatively cheap from stationary shops such as Staples and give your clients something tangible.
However, to really make an impact you want something that is bespoke and tailored to your business. It should have your brand colours, logo, company name, and contact information otherwise how can people differentiate you from your competitors?
If you’ve got the budget, then custom-printed folders are the best option. That way you can truly convey your offering and grab people’s attention from the moment they receive it.
Put yourself in your customers shoes.
If you were handed a blank green folder with no branding on, that’s just stuffed with loads of documents, you’d be pretty disengaged. And that’s without even opening it.
Give your customers a reason to delve into your presentation folder to find out more about what you do.
Business card
Business cards are a great way of giving your customers something physical to put in their purse or wallet.
Whilst these cards might only be small, you can still communicate key pieces of information including your contact details. Exhibitions and networking events can be very busy, and there’s not always time to have those important business conversations.
However, by leaving a potential client your business card, they can get in touch at a more convenient time and you can get the ball rolling. You don’t want customers to leave an event and simply forget about you.
Attention spans are short and you need to stay at the forefront of people’s mind.
In this digital era many people think that business cards have lost their place a little. However at Canny, we’re still rooting for the good old business card and believe they are a key component in your marketing kit.
However, to make an impact and hold people’s attention, they need to be designed right. They’re not just a tick box exercise to say that you’ve done it. Check out our blog post about the best in business card design if you’re in need of some inspo!
If reading content isn’t your thing, then we’ve also made a video with some handy tips and tricks to help you get your business card design right.
Case studies
Social proof is so important when it comes to promoting your business. Whether you’re talking to existing clients, new clients, or potential employees, hearing stories from real people adds credibility and trust.
They’re unbiased and they give people confidence that if you’ve helped other people achieve success, then you can help them too.
Of course, you’re going to say your business is the best across your marketing brochures and your website. We’d be worried if you didn’t. Having confidence in your own offering is vital, but you need other people to believe in it too.
Make way for case studies.
The way you compose case studies is totally up to you, but the main points to get across is the challenge the customer faced, and the solution you provided. Remember it’s all about how you can help a customer do something. Whether that’s helping them with finding a new mortgage, or helping them develop their website (something we do here at Canny), you need to solve that problem.
You need to make yourself useful essentially. By including case studies, you can demonstrate how you have helped other clients and it’s proof of real results. It’s proof that you’re the real deal.
Promotional products
You want your branding to stick in your customers mind. You want to be the name they think of when a need arises.
So how do I ensure this happens?
With promotional products of course. These items vary depending on what you want to give to clients but typical promo products include:
- Pens
- Folders
- Phone chargers
- Magnets
- Bags
- Coffee cups
- T-shirts
- Notepads/ notebooks
- Caps/ hats
- Confectionary
- Mouse mat
Basically anything that you can put your branding on and give to a customer. However, promo products need to make sense to your businesses and have a sense of logic behind them. For example, if you’re a graphic design agency, handing out a sketch book would be appropriate.
If you work in IT and SaaS, then a branded mouse mat or phone charger would be fitting.
These items work well as it means your prospective customer is exposed to your brand without them even knowing. Your branded pen will be what they use in meetings, your branded calendar will sit on their desk, your branded mug will be used for their morning coffee, you get the picture!
The more a customer is exposed to your branding, the more likely it is that they will remember you when they require a product or service.
Testimonials
Customers want to know they’re in good hands.
They want to know that they can trust you with their time and money, otherwise they might as well have chosen your competitor.
Hearing from real people who have used your products and services in the past makes people trust that what you have to offer is genuine. They’re hearing from the horse’s mouth as the saying goes, and these testimonials are unbiased.
They’re real words from real people, rather than hearing from your sales and marketing team. This adds credibility and authenticity as people can learn first hand how your company has helped others.
Personally, recommendations are the biggest contributing factor to why I purchase a particular product or service. Let’s take skin care for example. If I hear from someone else that they’ve seen results by using a certain skin cream, then I’m more inclined to go and buy it.
Yeah catchy slogans and pretty packaging is all well and good, but I need to know that this product actually works. And that goes for items that are £5 or £50 as I’m still parting with my own money.
The same applies to your business. Regardless of what you’re selling, including client testimonials is a fantastic way of turning potential customers into actual customers.
Client list
This might not be possible for all brands, especially if you’re just starting out, but customers like to work with people who have experience.
It gives them reassurance that you’re good at what you do as you have already built up a portfolio of previous clients.
Whilst this isn’t always the mark of a fantastic company, it can give people that extra piece of confidence that they need to get over the line. Perhaps you’ve worked with some really big names. Make sure you shout about them.
A client list can also give new customers reassurance that you’ve worked in their industry before. They might see a name that they recognise, which gives them confidence that you’re already pretty well versed in their field.
If you haven’t built up a client list yet don’t worry it’ll come! Everyone has to start somewhere and get their feet off the ground. On that note, maybe you need some help getting your brand going? Maybe you’ve got some fantastic ideas but are unsure how to execute them.
You could benefit from partnering with Canny. We’ve worked with lots of businesses both on this side of the pond, and across to the USA. Our team of experts love helping brands make their vision happen. Get in touch with our friendly team for an informal chat!
List of Services/ Products
Whilst you will know exactly what you can offer customers and clients, they might not.
By listing out the services and products available, you can give people an insight into your business. They can choose which services/ products meet their needs and might even be drawn to things that they had not yet considered.
For example, perhaps you work in the healthcare industry but also offer aesthetic treatments. If you don’t list these out in your marketing kit then no one will know that they exist and you could be missing out on a huge proportion of the market.
Make sure you run through each and every part of your business to communicate your full product offering. Although this sounds like a drab and dreary list, it doesn’t need to be. Include images, videos, statistics, and explanations about how a product or service can help.
Remember you want to be the company that springs to mind when they need something. As a result, you need to be clear about how a service works and how it can benefit the end user.
How to Build a Marketing Kit (with Template!)
A marketing kit should make people want to invest in your business. Whether that’s current customers, new customers, potential employees, advertisers, or stakeholders, this is your chance to shout about your company.
Use this opportunity to engage with your audience and tell them exactly what you do. It’s not about bragging or presenting people with sales fluff, your marketing kit is a selection of materials that help build trust with your audience.
A good marketing kit should be powerful and should make people stop. They should be interested from the outset and should fully understand how your product or service can help.
Now this package isn’t set in stone and isn’t a one-size-fits all. That’s the great thing about it.
Tailor your marketing kit to the individual and you will enjoy better results.
Do you need help with some aspect of your marketing? Whether you’re a startup founder or work as part of the marketing department, our team is on hand to help. It can be overwhelming trying to piece all of this together yourself so let us do the hard work for you, whilst you concentrate on building your business.
Get in touch with the Canny team to find out how we can help.
