This guide outlines why promotional items are an increasingly important marketing and branding tool for businesses.
Success in business is something that we all strive for. If we begin an endeavor it is the goal to create a business that is going to go further, that is going to succeed, and that is going to help you live in comfort and help you become a business person that has made it. Promotional items are a great way to help you get to those customers and help your business reach the next level.
What are promotional items?
For those that are working on building their client base and their company, something as simple as a promotional product can mean the difference between getting that new customer and losing a sale. With industries like transportation or car rental, this can be especially effective. In industries where there are tons of other people and tons of other companies involved, standing out is important.
So, what are promotional products that people might use? This is a rather broad term, promotional items can be nearly anything really. They can be products that you sell that have your logo, they can be things that are used every day like post-it notes, tote bags or even something smaller, pens. These products are meant to convey your contact information, the company you are running, and perhaps a logo of your company. These products are meant to be reminders of your company so that when individuals think about something like a car rental company, they will see the promotional item and think of your company.
Why are promotional items important?
Promotional items are super helpful in a few different ways. While advertisements like commercials or print ads you can certainly get new customers, with promotional products however, you can engage your potential customers and get their attention by appealing to the senses. The right products can help them to see the advertisement, to have it in their hands, and to be able to see it in a more physical way than they would with a print or a commercial.
Promotional items also show your potential customers that your company is willing to be generous, that you want to give them things, and that you want them to have something from your company so that they can remember their company later. It has been found that customers that have promotional products from a company are 88% more likely to remember the company than those that have just seen an ad or commercial. Promotional items are also the advertising that keeps giving.
Instead of being a one time ad like a commercial or a print ad, this is something that is going to hang around and that they can refer back to later. With things like a commercial or a print ad, they are not going to be able to refer back to them unless they go looking and unless they put in effort, with promotional items that they can actually use in everyday life, these are going to be around as constant reminders.
Are they an expensive investment?
Promotional items do not have to be large or pricey. They can be something as simple as a fridge magnet, a tote bag, or an ink pen that people can throw in their bags. The key is to find a promotional item that is going to remain useful, that customers are not going to throw out, and that is going to remain in use over time.
With items that do have things like your logo on them, you want to make sure that they are useful things that are going to be used daily or at the very least, often, so that potential customers can see your logo and keep your company in mind. Taking the time to figure out what products you want is important and can make a big difference in how useful your items are and how likely they are to help you get new customers.
Another thing to keep in mind, however, is that you do need to take the time to make sure you are putting the right information on your items. The company name, contact information like a phone number or website, and even a slogan that tells what your company does can help. You want to make sure your items have enough information on them that you can get customers to come to your business and to your service.
Promotional products have as main objective to strengthen your relationship with your customers. However, with so many different products available, it can be difficult to choose the right products for your business. To help you with the selection process, try the following steps when you start thinking about what kind of promotional gifts you want to offer.
1) What is your target audience?
It’s easy to fall into the trap of choosing generic products without regard to who receives them, but the best solutions are those that are truly personalized. If you want your gift to be memorable, you should choose a product that your customers will find useful and that they will use it often. The more you know about your customers, the easier it will be to choose products that make a good impression. Factors such as age, sex and occupation are important.
Think about the person who will receive the gift, and their lifestyle. Are they consumers, or a company? Mostly men or women? Young adults or older? If, for example, your business is all about fitness, offering Bluetooth headphones makes perfect sense. All of these factors are a great starting point, but what will truly make a difference is your personal relationship with them?
2) What is your best budget strategy?
The right promotional strategy needs to fit your budget. This does not mean that you always have to bet on the most expensive solution, but that different campaigns require different products.
It is of little use to bet on products that will be discarded immediately, especially if you want to convey the image that your brand is Premium and of quality. Consider, for example, investing in cheaper gifts to celebrate small dates (birthdays, anniversaries). When it comes to promotional strategy, the most important thing is to find creative solutions.
3) Bet on long-lasting products
The biggest benefit of promotional products is their ability to become a part of your customers’ routine. When using your product several times a week, your brand is always present. Thus, it is important to choose functional gifts that easily fit into your day-to-day.
Promotional items have the ability to drive new customers your way, to help keep people coming to your business, and to keep people interested in your company and what you have to offer. The right promotional items can be inexpensive and still useful, and can help you get more customers and more people coming to your business for products, services and more.
