Promotional items have been used since forever to build brand awareness and attract clientele. But too many people have a totally generic approach to promotional items when they could make so much more of an impact.
Pens and calendars are nice, but they don’t do much for branding when they end up in a cold drawer never to see the light of day. But by being inventive, and using the right tactics, you’ll be able to use promotional items to their full potential. Here’s how to use promotional items to build your business the right way.
Incentivize Usage
You don’t only want people to use your items, but push them to actually use them. One of the easiest ways to do so is to give them something that will actually be useful to them and is closely related to your brand.
For instance, if you’re into the tech field, one idea would be to give out power banks. Most people love them and no one will throw away a power bank. This is an item that they’ll be using for a long time, and give your brand the visibility it needs among the right crowd.
If you run a coffee shop for instance, you could buy coffee mugs by Grey Fox and have them customized. But don’t just give them out to buyers; give them a discount for coming with their own mug. This way, you’ll not only save on disposable cups in the long run, but make sure they keep and actually use the mug alone, around friends, and around coworkers.
Go for Quality
Choosing promotional items is a balancing act between cost and return on investment. You can’t afford to waste money on cheap products. People will end up making the association between your cheap product and your brand. This will actually have the opposite effect you desired and make your brand seem untrustworthy and damage overall brand awareness.
Let Them Choose
Another thing you should do is let your customers choose the products they want instead of pushing them. For instance, you could have an array of promo items like thermos containers and bags, towels, or anything that works with your brand. People will value items they choose more, and will be more likely to use them.
Think Twice About Clothing
Let’s be real, when was the last time you saw someone actually wear something coming from a company that wasn’t related to apparel? Branded clothing is both one of the most common, yet ineffective promo items that you can offer. The only exception is when you can add some sort of funny of catchy slogan to it. Like “Got Milk” for instance, or Wendy’s “Where’s the Beef”. Another option is to offer something that will be useful to them, like gloves or a scarf for instance – but forget caps and t-shirts if you can.
Promotional items can be one of the most powerful and cost-effective ways to build brand awareness. But they can also become a money pit when not used correctly, so be careful.
