Part of building your business into a brand is having some promotional products. The sheer number of items to choose from can be overwhelming for any entrepreneur to pin down. The products you pick should be unique and useful to consumers, and should be something they’ll remember long after their business with you is finished. So how exactly do you go about picking these items? Should they be related directly to your business, like lighters for a lamp company, or something creative and unique, like iPhone cases for a plumbing business? Here are some promotional product strategies and tips on choosing the right item(s).
Items that reflect your company
The first thing to think about when choosing a promotional item is to think about what you think would best reflect your business and target your audience. For example: if you are a gym, you may want to give away earphones printed with your logo, that can be used either with your gym equipment or with their own personal music device when they workout. Either way, this item will always be in view when used, and your logo will stand out. Another thing to think about when choosing a promotional item is time. How long will this item be used? If it something that will be used multiple times, then your advertising money is better spent than something that is used once and then thrown away.
Find something useful and trendy
If the product you are giving away is something the person will use, it’s likely to leave a positive lasting impression and be more visible. Think of what’s trending right now. Something like a stylus pen for tablets may be more useful and last longer than an actual pen. A cloth to clean tablets or computer screens could prove to be valuable too. Instead of thinking about yourself, think about what other people want or need.
Intimate, authentic and unexpected
Intimate, authentic and unexpected trump random bits with logos upon them. Your items should, and can be, a reflection of your own story. Your passion, your authentic swing, your reason for existing. Rarely is that ever achieved via a cheap plastic pen, kazoo, stress ball, or generic key chain. Every element should help you build out a shrine to your company, not necessarily expensive, but intentional. And how each element interacts with the other element is crucial. Think in terms of campaigns. Wave after wave of items that will further your connection with your ideal clients, prospects, and employees.
Look at your audience before choosing
Selecting the right promotional product can be more important than selecting other forms of advertising. Start with your target audience for the promotion or thank you or incentive products you are selecting. If they are young – look for something trendy like the new reusable red solo cups. If they are more health conscious you might want to look at some of the water bottles, and so on. It is a good idea to contact a promotional product company to help you in your selection. Find one that will be interested in who your market is and show you items in your price range, for your particular situation.
Serve your intended goal and catch the user’s eye
Like any marketing or advertising effort, promotional products must do two things: they must serve your intended business goal and they must catch the user’s attention. When choosing a promotional product, start with this goal: is it to generate awareness and name recognition for my company? Or is it to keep my company top-of-mind with my best clients? This will help dictate desired budget and quantity of items to order.
With over 750,000 promotional products available, consumer choice has never been better. Using these promotional product strategies to select the right item for your marketing campaign will help you maximize your exposure and grow your business.