Parades have always been one of the best ways to generate excitement. Usually centered on a holiday such as Veteran's Day, July 4th or Thanksgiving, this fun gathering of the masses is a tradition that goes back well over a century. But savvy business owners and organization managers will take note of one fact: A parade equates to a captive audience. And don't we all just love a captive audience?!

3 Important Strategies for Making the Most of Parade Exposure

Can you imagine anything better than for an entire city or town to line the streets just waiting for you to pass by? But your moment in the sun is short lived, so you'll want every second of your time spent strolling down the street to count. Allow me to offer a few tips for making the most of your parade floats and the event as a whole.

#1 - Create Eye-Popping Parade Floats

This is what everyone has come to see, so you don't want to skimp on your presentation. Whether you go for parade floats on wheels or inflatable parade balloons that soar overhead, you'll want to use big sizes, bright colors and eye-popping designs, so you immediately hook each person's attention as you pass by. Company mascots make for excellent parade balloons as do inflatable costumes and product replicas.

#2 - Bring Giveaways

Most parades these days won't allow you to toss candy or other goodies from your parade floats due to safety concerns. However, you can still walk over to the crowd and hand out giveaways. Come prepared and be creative. You'll want something fun that is well branded. This is a parade after all, not a networking dinner. Inflatable product miniatures, balls, key chains and more are very likely to be kept and used which means your organization's name stays in front of the customer longer.

#3 - Drive People to Your Business

The most successful marketing campaigns are circular in nature. This means they bring the customer 360 degrees. Promote your appearance on your website, in your TV and radio spots and in your print marketing. Then, as your parade balloon travels down the route, hand out giveaways. But don't stop there. Attached to your giveaway, include an offer for a discount, a free upgrade, x% off a membership or some other incentive for the parade watcher to come back to your business. Now that's smart marketing!

Start planning now. Holiday parades occur about every three months or so. There are also high school and college homecoming parades, military parades and others. Each will require you to have a parade float or balloon to participate. Choose an event that most closely aligns with your target customer and you're sure to have a blast while drumming up some business.

Stephanie Meacham is Vice President of Landmark Creations that has designed and manufactured custom inflatables since 1986. When you want to promote your organization with parade balloons, visit Landmark at http://www.landmarkcreations.com today.