5 Great Promotional Products Under $1

Think a promotional product campaign is expensive? Check out these 10 great promotional products all for under $1 a piece! These high quality items are what make promo products one of the most cost effective ways to create brand awareness and generate new business.

Drawstring Backpacks:

 

These versatile backpacks can be used for a variety of businesses and appeal to several audiences- From kids to adults. Plus at only $0.92 a piece it's an excellent giveaway.

 

 

Plastic Clipboard:

 

A great promotional giveaway for business people, teachers and other professionals who may need a clipboard. And even at only $.99 you can choose your color and customize each clipboard with an image and text.

 

Nylon Flying Disc

 

These are fun for just about every business. I would especially recommend these for businesses that are near public park, or to give to employees during the company picnic.

Translucent Piggy Bank

 



This translucent piggy bank will keep your money safe. The bottom of the bank opens so you can retrieve your cash. Made of plastic. 

 

 Flashlight with Keychain

 These convenient flashlight keychains are only $0.39 each and come in a variety of colors.



5 Must Have Back to School Promotional Items

Much to the delight of parents (and the chagrin of children) school will be back in session very soon. And it's just the type of event that your businesses marketing plans should capitalize upon with a well timed promotional product campaign. Whether your business focuses on adults or kids, there's a ton of fun ways you can earn new customers through a promotional item campaign. Here's our 7 favorite back to school promo products:

 

 

Even in the age of computers, a kid still needs a box of crayons for school. Hand these out to your customers and they'll remember you as you've helped them out with their children's back to school shopping.

 

Unlike crayons, a customized calculator can be useful to both kids and adults. Each calculator can be customized to feature your business logo and contact info.

 

  

 

Let's not beat around the bush- Kids can be messy. A little bit of hand sanitizer can be a real life saver.

 

 

Sure, crayons are great. But kids today also need a solid USB flash drive. Luckily we've got dozens in a variety of sizes and styles.

 

 

 

And how will you carry all these great promotional items? These high quality backpacks come in a variety of colors and can all feature your business name and info!



10 Reasons Why Promotional Products Offer the best Bang For your Buck

Promotional products have got so much more to offer than the traditional advertisement. Check out our list of ten great reasons why promotional products offer the best bang for your marketing dollar:

1. Repeat Exposure: Unlike a magazine ad that you'll see once, promotional products are used over an over again. Think about those tote bags you own- You use them every time you go to the grocery store, meaning each time you're seeing that company logo. All those impressions leads to brand awareness and can generate new customers.
2. Product Variety: You can put your logo on literally thousands of products. Regardless of your idea or your business, there is most likely a promotional product that can fit your needs.
3. Creates a Good Impression: Did you know that 52% of people surveyed said they had a favorable impression of a company after receiving a branded item from them. Most people are inclined to view a company favorably after recieving a promotional product.
4. Stay in Front of Your Audience: Certain products like a calendar or clock are kept for a long time and are usually in plain view. The more the recipient sees your gift, the more likely they are to turn in to a customer.
5. Low Costs: Since most promotional items are bought in bulk, you'll be able to keep costs low.
6. You Can Be Creative: Because of the large number of promotional products available, as well as the many different design options for the imprinting, you can be as creative as you want with promotional products.
7. Versatility: Promotional products aren't just about generating new customers. They can be used for retaining existing customers or for rewarding your employees.
8. Incorporates All the Senses: The fact that you can touch and feel the promotional products can go a long way. Promotional products are truly unique in how they deliver your message.
9. More Likely to Buy: One study finds that consumers are 20.9% more likely to place an order with a company after receiving a promotional item.
10. Promotional Products Are Timeless: In addition to many people keep promotional products for a long time, branded items are one of the oldest forms of marketing. Even as marketing and advertising advances, promotional products remain popular because they are effective.

How Promotional Products can Turn Employees into Brand Ambassadors

Positive word of mouth is one of the strongest forms of marketing out there. All the print ads in the world are not as powerful as a sincere and thoughtful opinion. And your employees, not just your sales team, should be acting as brand ambassadors for your company. Employees that are engaged and fulfilled by their jobs will perform better, leading to a more successful company overall. You'll need to encourage employees to be excited about work and to set an example for them. Show to them how you're promoting the business through your genuine enthusiasm. The engaged ones will follow suit. Leading by example can mean several different things, depending on your business. It could mean that you and the other executives are acting as brand ambassadors through Twitter (and what your employees to do the same). Or it could simply be in how you interact with clients. The term "brand ambassador" will mean something different to everyone, just as long as you're representing the business in the right way, your employees will get the hint and do the same.

But beyond setting the example, you need to give your employees the means to promote your business. This is where promotional products come in. Loading each of your employees with a sampler pack of branded items (and for the sales team, make sure they've got branded items to give away before they meet with every client) is a great way to turn them in to brand ambassadors. Promotional products act as a great ice breaker. When you've got free products to give away, it gives your employees an opportunity chat with potential customers and talk about your business.

Promotional items can also be used to get your employees excited and talking about work themselves. Try giving away some of the premium items to your employees (perhaps as a giveaway or a reward) and encourage them to talk about it on social media. Heck, if the gift is good enough, they'll probably be talking about it on their own! Now they're hundreds of followers are seeing this great gift, and in their mind they're seeing that your company treats your employees well. Anyway you can help get the word out about the company is a good thing. And this is just scratching the surface. Don't be afraid to get creative. Talk with your employees and see if they've got ideas. Remember, happy employees are more productive and more likely to be brand ambassadors.

How to Motivate Your Sales Staff with Promotional Products

Selling isn't easy. The job can be tough on the ego and just plain exhausting. But as long as your marketing team is doing it's job, there will always be a fresh batch of leads, and your sales team needs to be ready to close the deal. So how do you motivate your staff? What can you do to keep them hungry and prepared to meet their goals?

Customizable gifts have long been a great reward for keeping your team happy and showing how much you appreciate their hard work. But what kind of promotional gift is best for a sales team? While things like branded t-shirts and mugs are great for generating new customers and creating brand awareness, what type of gifts will keep your team happy? Here's our 5 favorite picks for motivating your sales team:

Watch: An absolute classic motivational gift. A watch is a classy and sophisticated way to show your apprecation. Plus each of our watches can be engraved to commemorate the gift. Shop Customizable watches.

Computer Tablet: Who wouldn't love a brand new tablet? Try setting a lofty goal for your sales team and whoever is closest to reaching it will get the tablet (which, of course, can be custom branded to feature your company name). Shop Customizable Tablets.

Wine Accessories Set: This beautiful wine accessories kit features a wooden box that can be customized to feature your team member's name. Check the custom wine accessories set.

Trophy: Sometimes its better to go simple and reward your top sales person with a trophy. I would recommend keeping it in the office while the contest is going on, as a visual motivator for everyone to see. Browse custom trophies.

Golf Club: The game might not be for everyone, but if you've got a sales team that loves to hit the links, this gift is a no brainer. And if golf isn't there thing, we've got a wide variety of gifts for just about anyone. Shop custom gold clubs.

Promotional Items Sales Increase for 3rd Straight Year

A new report from Promotional Products Association International shows that in 2012 promotional
product sales volume has increased 4.38% over 2011. That's a total of 18 billion in sales volume for 2012. This is now the third year in a row that promo product sales volume has increased, and online sales of promotional gifts has increased by 20%. The biggest selling products are apparel (28.9%), followed by bags (8.7%), writing instruments (8.6%) and finally mugs and glasses (7.1%).

Despite the economic downturn and an increased reliance on digital marketing, promotional products are still going strong. It's funny, as it's one of the oldest marketing tactics around and yet, if sales volume over the past few years is any indication, promo products continue to be an effective way to increase brand awareness and earn new customers. The increasing number of online sales only further indicates that promotional products have been able to adapt to a new digital marketing world.

While just about every other tactic has been declared "dead" at some point (everything from print advertising to SEO and e-mail) promotional products seem to be immune to these claims thanks to the versatility of the products. When you have literally thousands of gifts to choose from and they can be customized in a wide variety of ways, there's always a way to create an effective promotional product campaign (plus, giving away gifts for free also helps!).

The categories of best selling products also delivers some interesting insights as well. Apparel is by far the most popular, which comes as no surprise. Think about your own collection of t-shirts and hats- How many of them are promotional giveaways? Customized t-shirts and hats are unique in that they can be used as both giveaways to create brand awareness or as uniforms for employees or team members. Tote bags comes in second, just barely beating out writing instruments by a fraction. Tote bags, apparel and writing instruments are popular as they all are used frequently, and are often times seen by many different people. That kind of exposure makes promotional products so unique. Of course, as I like to say, these numbers are encouraging but the only way to know if promotional products will work for your business is to try them yourself. Visit Our promo product catalog and see what we can do for you!

The Gift That Keeps Giving

The real value in promotional products isn't just in that first gift giving opportunity. If anything, the value comes in those dozens of impressions your product receives later. The person who receives the gift will usually show it off, or use it in a very public way (like a t-shirt, or using a tote bag at the grocery store). Certainly this doesn't apply to all promotional gifts, as some are only used once, but these gifts can also benefit from word of mouth. If the gift is good enough, the recipient will talk about it, and most of the time they will remember your brand.

But does this influence what promotional products businesses buy? Let's take a look at some statistics and find out:

The top 5 most popular promotional gifts are:

• T-shirts: 31%
• Pens: 10%
• Tote Bags: 7%
• Mugs: 6%
• Keychains: 6%

(statistics from Advertising Speciality Institute Council)

So what do these gifts tell us about how businesses use promotional items? T-shirts, are by far the most popular product, and they're extremely beneficial as the recipient will hopefully wear it many times (and be seen wearing it). Pens and mugs are often shared, or are frequently used at work, again resulting in dozens of impressions. While keychains may not be as popular, the number of impressions is still high (every time you start your car, enter or leave your home etc.), which is how it makes the top five.

So we know what businesses are buying, but how many impressions do these products actually receive? Let's take a look at another chart from the Advertising Speciality Institute Council:

 

Interestingly, tote bags have a significantly higher impressions count than all other form advertising (the chart takes other media such as radio and TV in to account as well), and strangely tote bags only account for 7% of all promotional product sales. Now, this may be because not all business owners feel that tote bags are appropriate for their business, whereas t-shirts are more universal. Both number of impressions and relevance to your brand are factors to be considered while choosing your promotional product.

Some Stats and Some Advice on Promotional Product Marketing

I recently came across and article from NYtimes.com, all about the surprising power of promotional products. Promo products certainly are "suprising" and have a way of sneaking up on people. Often times when a person receives a branded gift, they don't have a need for that company. But eventually when they do, they've been exposed to that product several times and we'll definitely remember them when it comes time to buy. It's almost like subliminal advertising. They're just happy to get a free tote bag, and don't even think twice about how they're looking at your logo everytime they go food shopping. But more than that, the New York Times article offered up some impressive stats about promotional items...

• Business owners are spending about $20 billion a year on promotional products.
• In some cases, when a personalized gift is included as part of a direct mail campaigns the response rate nearly doubled.

So what does this mean for us? Well, knowing that $20 billion (that's billion with a "b") is being spent every year on promotional products alone is certainly some indication about the power of giveaways. But that second is really special. Promotional products are so persuasive because users are more likely to work with you if they feel like they owe you the business. And often times a free gift can do just that.

So it's good to know that custom products can be effective, now what about some advice on launching your campaign....

• Think Long Term: Customized food or plastic water bottles are really great for seasonal promotions or specific campaigns, but you really want to choose a product that will be used for a long time, thus increasing the number of potential impressions for that product.
• Don't Be Afraid to Go Old School: USB drives and stylus pens are very popular, but sometimes the tried and true products are the way to go. Gifts like mugs and calendars are often times used for a long time (how many promotional mugs do you have in your cabinet right now?) and can go a long way in persuading a potential customer.

Want to learn more about how promotional products can help you? Give us a call today: (888) 624-5888 or visit: http://promotionalitems.lorrainegregorycorp.com/http://promotionalitems.lorrainegregorycorp.com/ProductDetails/?productId=4973751&tab=Tile&referrerPage=ProductResults&refPgId=503290308&referrerModule=PRDREB

Promotional Product Dos and Don'ts

Custom promotional products offer a limitless array of possibilities. But just because you can put your logo on almost anything, doesn't mean you should. Nor  does it mean that that patricular promotional item is right for your business, or your audience. Whether you're a promotional product newbie or you're just looking for a refresher course, here's a few dos and don'ts for using promotional products for your business.

• Don't Forgo Quality over Quantity: Just because you can get 100,000 pieces of product X for the same cost as 75,000 pieces of product Y, doesn't mean X is the better investment. Your gift needs to be a quality item that the recipient will hold on to for a long time. The higher the quality the more likely they are to use it. Which can mean years of brand exposure for your business.
• Do Understand Your Audience: Think about your customers (or potential customers) and choose a product based on what they like. Do you cater to families? Are most of your customers women? After you've got a thorough outline of who your audience is, choose a product that is right for this audience. This will mean most of your products will go to those most likely to turn in to customers, and not to the ones just looking for freebies.
• Don't go For Apparel That Isn't One Size Fits All: That's part of the problem of giving away products like t-shirts. Usually all the Larges dissapear almost immediately, then you're stuck with a bunch of extra smalls of XXLs that no one wants.
• Do Consider Child Safe Gifts: Speaking of knowing your audience- If you're catering to families make sure your custom gifts aren't a choking hazard or something where a kid could hurt themselves. First and foremost it's the right thing to do and secondly, it's bad press that no one wants for their business.
• Don't Get Too Specific: You want to cater to your audience, but you also don't want to alienate certain segments of that audience. For instance, If you're giving out promo items in December, don't focus on just 1 holiday. I would recommend trying to avoid things that exclude based on religion, political beliefs or ethnicities (unless your business exclusively targets one of these groups, then by all means).
• Do Stay Within Your Budget: Promotional products are one of the most affordable ways you can create brand awareness, but you want to make sure that you stay within your budget. Start by first setting the budget, then from there create your campaign.
• Don't Forget Your Contact Info: The entire reason why you're creating promotional products is to generate more business! And yet I've actually seen promotional products that forget to include the company's website and/or phone number. Remember to give the recipient every opportunity to contact you.

5 Must Have Promotional Products for Summer 2013

Despite the rainy weather we've been getting lately, Summer is just about here! With the season officially kicking off in about 1 week, you need to make sure that your business is prepared. There's a whole slew of great Summer promotional items that will help you bring in new customers all Summer long. Check out our top picks below:

Sunscreen Spray Pump

 

 

Everyone needs sunscreen this Summer. Now just imagine a whole beach of people reaching for a bottle with your name on it!

 

 

 

 

Custom Sunglasses

Our site has a huge collection of styles for just about everybody. The best part is that sunglasses can be used almost year round, which means added exposure for your brand.

 

 

Stand Up Cooler Bag

This handy cooler bag is the perfect tailgating accessory. As a slightly more upscale product, this is great as a reward for loyal customers or as an incentive for your sales team.

 

 

 

Stianless Steel Water Bottle

A high quality stainless water bottle is great for hiking, camping or just a day at the beach.

 

 

 

Handheld Fan

Convenient and fun handheld are a must have Summer accessory and can be custom branded to feature your logo!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



4 Ways Promotional Items can Benefit Small Businesses

Marketing on a budget is never easy. And if there's one thing I know small business owners love to do, it's save money. But with marketing, you need to spend money to make money. So therein lies the problem for small business owners. As long as you need to spend money in order to increase business and bring in more customers, you want to make sure that you're maximizing your dollar and getting the best return on investment possible. With that in mind, I put together a short list of a few of the ways that promotional items can benefit small businesses.

1. An Fun Alternative to a Business Card: A business owner always needs a business card. But sometimes, something unexpected can really do the trick. Promotional items serve the same purpose as a business card, but are generally much more exciting. Besides, most people take a business card and stick it in a drawer. Where as a promotional items will be out and used frequently.
2. Reach Huge Number at a Low Cost: As I said at the top, saving money is very important. And what's important to keep in mind is that promotional items are often times seen by dozens of people. And a large number of promotional items cost as little as $1 or less per piece. Not only will many people see your promotional item, people will often times keep them for years, and they have no trouble recalling your business name!
3. Promo Items are Tactile: There's something about being able to physically hold an item that allows you to connect with that brand. It's an advantage that promotional products have over just about every type of marketing.
4. Increase Brand Recognition: While the utlimate goal of any business is to increase revenue, focusing on brand recognition is a great way to get in to the front of the minds of customers. Perhaps they may not need your product or service at this very moment, but if they do so in the near future, you want to make sure you are the first thing that comes to mind. By giving away promotional products related to your brand, you can do just that.

4 Unexpected Ways to use Promotional Products

The top reason why business owners purchase promotional products? To Generate new customers. It's understandable why this is the default setting for a campaign. New customers are the lifeblood of any business. But there are many, often overlooked uses for promotional items.  The only limit to using promotional items is your imagination. Here's just a  few of the different ways your branded gifts:

• Customer Appreciation Gifts: Everyone knows it's much more expensive to create a new customer than keep an existing one. A customized gift to loyal customers is an excellent way to make sure that they are happy, and remain a customer for years to come. Even if you can only afford to do this for the customers that have been with your company the longest,
• Upsell Customers: Upselling customers on higher quantities, or cross selling with related products is a great way to increase your average value per transaction. Tossing in a promotional product that is in some way related to your product is a cost effective way to increase your revenue.
• Incentives for Your Sales Team: Sometimes a promotional item is a perfect way to help your sales team reach their goals. Premium promotional items such as computer tablets or a gold club are great for energizing your sales team for one big push.
• Contests: Speaking of premium promotional items, something like a branded computer tablet is a great way to motivate your customers to enter a contest. If you've got a big following in social media, try using your followers to help spread the word about your brand, with the one lucky one winning the prize. Plus since it's a branded item, you'll get additional exposure as that fan proudly shows off their prize!

Remember- When it comes to promotional items- Don't limit yourself. Handing out gifts to prospective clients is just one of the ways they can benefit your business!

How Should I use My Promotional Items?

We've all seen plenty of promotional product campaigns (heck, you've probably got a few promo items in your office right now!). And if you're here, you've probably seen some of the data suggesting that promotional items have a better ROI than most forms of digital and traditional marketing. But even with all this info, I find that many people are still hestiant to pull the trigger on their campaign. One of the top reasons? They're unsure how to use their promotional products. This is why I always advocate setting a goal before launching any type of marketing campaign. Your goal for the campaign will help dictate every detail, and will make launching and measuring your campaign much easier. But most importantly, don't put the horse before the cart. Decide what you expect to get out of the campaign before you launch it. So I've compiled a few different reasons why businesses launch promotional gift campaigns, but remember, these are just jumping off points. When conceptualizing your campaign, make sure it is tailored to your business needs.

• Brand Awareness: According to Schreber & Associates, 39% of people who received a promotional product can remember the name of the business 6 months later. The first step in bringing in new customers is making them aware of your business. And since promotional products are meant for repeat use, potential customers are being frequently exposed to your product. Over time this will result in new customers.
• Attract New Customers: I know, obviously the reason we do any of this stuff is to attract new customers. But what I'm talking about here is a direct response marketing approach. Rather than simply looking for brand awareness that will pay off over time, in this scenario you would use a timely offer inconjunction with your promotional product that would encourage recipients to act immediately (something along the lines of a discount that expires soon).
• Promote A Positive Image: A variation on brand awareness, many businesses and companies will sponsor a local event by providing custom t-shirts, or a personalized gift. Some great ways to do this include sponsoring little league teams, to offering gifts to volunteers at a local non profit. This is a great way to build good will in your community, and besides the benefits to your business, it's something you can feel good about doing!
• Incentivize Employees: Promotional products aren't just for giveaways to potential customers. Gifts can be used to motivate your team to meet their goals. Great gifts like personalized tablet computers or a watch can really motivate your sales teams.
• Improve Other Marketing Campaigns: Many businesses use promotional items as a way to enhance and improve their other campaigns. For instance, try offering a free promotional gift to any one who fills out a form on your website. This can increase your email list, and you still get the benefit of sharing a promotional product with a customer.

These are just a few of the ways you can use promotional products, but remember, these aren't the only ways. Feel free to get creative with your promotional item goals. As long as you start with a strong concept that will help you reach these goals, there's no wrong way to use promotional products.

The Cheapest, Most Effective Promotional Items Campaigns for Your Business

In previous blog posts, we've talked about the ROI of promotional items campaigns, but with such a wide variety of customizable products available, how do you which one will be best for your business, and most appealing to potential customers? Well, I wanted to shed some light on what specific products can get you the best response for the least amount of money. Now, keep in mind that every industry is different, so use these as more general guidelines for when you're looking to launch your campaign.

But first, let's set up the criteria for what makes an effective promotional items campaign:

• The product should be long lasting: You'll want the product to be something that can be used repeatedly by the recipient. The more they use it, the more often they'll see your branding.
• The product should be highly visible: Not only do you want the recipient to see your product, you want them to use it in a way that it will frequently be seen by others. The recipient should be like a living advertisement for your business.
• The product should be special and eye-catching: Boring products aren't going to bring new customers in the door. If it's not interesting or useful, no one is going to want it.
• The product should be inexpensive: Any good business owner is looking to keep costs low. The promotional product should fit in to your budget.

So now we know what makes a promotional product effective, let's look at some products that fit the above criteria:

• Tech Products: Things like USB drives and cell phone cases are great because everyone needs them, but people rarely go out of there way to buy them for themselves. Plus they'll be used frequently (and in the case of USB drives, they might even be used by multiple people).
• Umbrellas: Another great items that just about everyone needs. And umbrellas usually last a long time. Many people keep them in the car or in the office just in case it starts raining. Just remember to keep things interesting by choosing a unique design (such as this vintage bubble umbrella pictured above).
• Hats or Shirts: Hats or shirts can be worn for years! Much of our apparel comes from the popular manufacturer American Apparel, so you know there quality products. But with apparel, it really comes down to how creative you can get with it. Simply sticking your logo on a t-shirt isn't going to cut it. Be bold when designing your custom shirts.
• Tote Bags: People love reusable tote bags, but similar to umbrellas or tech products, people rarely ever buy them. And while perhaps the standard tote bag can be a bit boring, there's a huge collection of bags available, in a variety of colors and styles. Be sure to choose something that's unexpected.

The 4 Secrets for Getting New Customers with Promotional Items

Using promotional items to promote your business can be easy. Of course, that doesn't mean it always is easy. With promotional products marketing, you can just as easily fall in to the same traps that you've got with traditional marketing. And before you go and spend money on printing your logo on a bunch of t-shirts, you want to make sure that those shirts are going to be worn, and seen, by the right people. So check out my 5 tips for a successful promotional items campaign:

• Don't Be Boring: Sometimes a simple custom hat or few pens can do the trick, but sometimes you need to go big if you want to stand out! Those sort of tried and true items are great for existing customers, but you need something really special to differentiate your business and bring in new customers. Instead hand out a guitar shaped USB drive, or glow in the dark golf balls. Something that demands the attention of potential customers.  
• Focus on a Niche: If you try to be everything to everyone, your campaign will not be successful. Sure, certain products could appeal to everyone, but you'll have much better success focusing on one type of customer and choosing a product based on their needs. Identify the customers who are most likely to convert, then find a product that works for them.
• Know Where to Hand Out the Items: Here's the thing- If you're looking to generate new customers from this campaign, DO NOT hand out the products to people who walk in to your storefront. They've already come to you, so handing them a product at that point is a waste of money. Instead, you need to go where your niche market will be. If there's a big event in your town, or perhaps a popular park, set up nearby and start handing out the products. Remember, in some instances you may need permission from your city before doing this.
• Track Results: You've handed out all your custom tote bags, but your campaign is far from over. You're doing your business a disservice if you're not tracking how many new customers you've generated with your campaign. By caculating the number of new customers you've gotten, as well as the average value of those customers, you can then measure the success of your campaign and make adjustments as necessary.

How Do Promotional Products Measure Up to Other Marketing Tactics?

No marketing campaign exists in a bubble. If you're considering running a promo items campaign for your business, you've got to consider how it's going to effect the rest of your marketing efforts. Unfortunately, you've got a a finite budget, and if you're spending X amount on promotional products, then that's money you can't spend on radio, newspaper or pay per click.

The goal when you're setting your marketing budget should be to devise a tactical plan that alows you to get the most impressions, and thus, most opportunities for a conversion. So which tactics will get you the most bang for your buck?

Well recently I came across a great article from Techzulu, giving us the cost per impression for several marketing tactics. Here's a paraphrased version of their list:

Newspaper = $.75 per impression

Television = $1.80 per impression

Radio = $.50 per impression

Direct Mail = $.80 – $1.00 per impression

Social Media = $.30 per impression

Promotional Products = $.12 per impression

As you can see, the cost per impression for promotional items is significantly lower than all traditional forms of marketing, and is less than half of social media impressions. But the Inforgraphic takes it a step further, adding that 50% of Americans have used a promotional item, and 87% of those users remember where that promo product had come from.

The difference is that promotional items are like a hybrid of billboards, business cards and word or mouth marketing. When someone uses your tote bag or pen, it acts as an endorsement of your business, plus that person using your product remembers your business every time. Promotional items can exist just about anywhere, and thanks to this versatility, it continues to be a viable part of any marketing mix.

Timing is Everything: How to Use Big Events to Increase Sales

Good timing can be the difference between a marketing campaign that is a runaway success or a complete dud. There's a ton of examples of poorly timed marketing campaigns. Usually unwitting marketers are forced to pull ads do to unforeseen (and sometimes tragic) events. The flip side of that coin is that marketers can use upcoming events or recent news to their advantage. Remember Oreo's fast thinking during the Super Bowl blackout this year?

There's a reason why so many companies use promotional items at local events. A targeted, perfectly timed promotional items campaign can be a huge boost for your business, and increase sales. Using promotional items as a marketing tool is a whole lot more than just slapping your business name on a t-shirt then handing them out as people walk by your storefront. You've got to understand your audience. Who are they? What are they interested in? What kind of promotional item are they most likely to use? The real advantage promotional items have over traditional advertising is that people will use that item for months (and sometime years). Basically, they're walking billboards for your business. But first and foremost, you need to make sure the promotional product they choose is something they'll actually use.

Here's an example- Let's say you run a vintage record store. Right there, you know that your customers are music lovers. And with Summer coming up, you know that there's going to be a bunch of live concerts (many of them free and looking for sponsorship). So you know how to find your audience, now it's a matter of choosing the right product. So sticking with vintage record store, a perfect promotional item for a Summer concert would be a custom hat featuring your business's name and address. Or if you want to go a different route, try giving away an imprinted beach ball (people love to pass those around at music festivals).

Promotional items campaigns don't just need to be tied to seasonal events. Recent news stories can also serve as inspiration. Think about what your audience is interested in and what they're talking about (if you're not sure, online forums and blogs can help you get some of this info). For instance, many people are excited about the NBA Playoffs. If your audience is made up of basketball fans, try using something like a mini basketball and hoop. But remember- When choosing events avoid anything controversial or tragic. Customers could be turned off by this, and frankly, it's not right.

Promotional items can have a huge impact on sales, when the timing is right. Remember, the first step is understanding your audience. Next, use the news and upcoming events to start a conversation with your audience. With a perfectly timed promotional items campaign, you can easily spread good word of mouth and increase sales.

5 Custom Wedding Favors & Gifts

You probably know that June is the most popular month for Weddings, but do you know why? The answers range from the practical (June generally signifies the start of warm weather) to the superstitious (June is named after the Roman goddess of marriage, Juno).

Understandably, brides and grooms want everything in there wedding to go just right. From the flower girl making her way down the aisle, to the bouqet toss. Customized gifts are especially popular (as wedding favors, bridesmaids and groomsmen's gifts, or both) as they add a personal touch that can make the day one that your guests and wedding party will never forget. Here's a list of 5 of our most popular wedding gifts, and be sure to check out our site for more custom gifts for weddings.

•  Confetti Poppers: Throwing rice at a wedding so so outdated! Instead, give your guests these color, fun and unique confetti poppers. The brightly colored confetti will really pop in your photos, plus the canisters can be customized to feature your colors, text and images.

• Fortune Cookies: Works great as wedding favors or bridal shower gifts, these fortune cookies are baked with all natural ingredients and can be dipped in chocolate, caramel, peanut butter and more! Plus each cookie can be adorned with candie hearts, weddings bells, rosebuds or flowers.

• Wedding Pretzel Rods: Nothing says true love quite like....Pretzels?? For a truly unique wedding favor, these pretzel rods are hand dipped in white chocolate than decorated to resemble the bride and groom (complete with an edible tuxedo and wedding dress!). This is one favor your guests will not forget!

• Flashing Necklace: Start handing these out after dinner when everyone's hit the dance floor for a fun an d festive night! Each necklace can be customized to feature your names, the date of the wedding or anything else you would like!

• Wedding Bubble Chums: This cute, handcrafted married couple are not statuettes- they're gum! Both are made from Double Bubble Gum and can be customized to meet your needs.

PLAY BALL! 5 Baseball Themed Promotional Products

Major League Baseball is in full swing! And baseball themed promotional products are an excellent way to celebrate the start of the season, plus generate new customers for your business. Baseball themed products are especially great for businesses that are Summer seasonal, or virtually any business that is looking break out of the Summertime blues. In addition to businesses, corporate softball teams and little league teams can order their custom apparel or even customized trophy's from us too! The team at Lorraine Gregory is so excited about baseball, and here's 5 baseball themed products we sell online:

• Baseball Yo-Yo Bungee Stress Reliever: A baseball-themed yo-yo with a twist- The elastic string and velcro strap means the ball will always come back to you. A great toy to use as a giveaway for meetings and trade shows, or as toys for kids.  

• HUGE Selection of Baseball Caps: No matter what the occasion, we've got custom baseball caps and hats that will meet your needs! If you're a business, try handing these out on a really sunny day, then any one who wears them will be a walking billboard for your business! 

• Inflatable Baseball: Bring it to the beach, or toss it around at the ball park- This custom inflatable baseball is a fun and affordable way to bring in more business this Summer.

• Baseball & Softball Apparel: Whether you're trying to find affordable uniforms for the little league team or need custom t-shirts for the corporate softball, look great in these high quality shirts and jerseys. 

• Jersey beer Cooler: Nothing quite says baseball like an ice cold beer or soda. And these hilarious coolers will help keep your drink cold all season long!

5 Promotional Products to Increase Sales this Summer

Spring has Sprung! Which means it's time to start planning your Summer promotional products campaign. Certain businesses that do especially well in the Summertime can expect a huge increase in sales thanks to a seasonal promo items campaign. When your business is seasonal, a customized gift featuring your logo and contact info can be a great way to remind customers of when you reopen, or alert them to a Summer sale. A perfectly timed, well executed branded merchandise campaign can be a great way to build brand awareness and increase sales. Here's 5 fun products to help you increase sales this Summer:

1. Beachcomber Hat: This fun, straw beachcomber hat is a great choice for restaurants, bars or stores near the beach. Always a popular item in any beachside town!

 

 

2. Foam Lobster Toy:  Kids (and even some adults) will love this lobstery novelty toy! A great giveaway for picnics, outdoor festivals and grand reopenings.

 

 

3. 50's Cat Eye Glasses: Our site features dozens of style sunglasses for men, women and children, but these 50's style cat eye sunglasses are so unqiue, it's a great way to make your business really stand out!

 

 

 

4. Breezy Lounger: Just imagine it- A beach full of people sitting in these chairs, each featuring the name of your business! These sturdy and foldable lounge chairs are great for a trip to the beach or lake.

 



 

5. SPF 30 Sunscreen: Sunscreen bottle featuring your business's name? It's a no brainer!

 

 



 



Want to see more? Click the link to browse Summer Promotional Items

Do Promotional Products Really Increase Sales?

It's a question I've heard many times before. Everyone from small and medium sized businesses to nonprofits and schools use promotional products that feature their logo, contact information and tagline. The majority of them love how their promo items turn out and see an immediate return on their investment. But there are a small number who try one campaign and say it simply doesn't work. Yet, there's one thing they all have in common - None of them bother tracking their campaigns. They don't send out surveys to their existing customers, they don't offer a specific coupon code with their promotional product so they can track those results, some of them don't even bother asking new customers how they heard of them. So how can they know promotional items don't work?

Just to give you an idea of what customized merchandise can do for you, here's a few fast facts from the Advertising Speciality Institute:

• 83% of customers polled remember the advertiser from their promotional product.
• The average promotional product is kept for 5 months or more.
• 80% of customers will take a survey for a promotional mug.
• On average, Promotional tote bags are kept for 4 years.

So we know for a fact that promotional products as a marketing tool is very effective. But if you're still on the fence about promotional items, here's a few steps you can take to ensure a successful campaign:

1. Set a Goal: Do you want to build brand awareness? Get more customers? Increase the average value of your existing customers? Set a goal before all else, then use it to dictate every aspect of your campaign.
2. Consider Your Audience: Pick a promo gift that makes sense for your customers. For instance, if your customers aren't particularly tech savvy, the last thing they'd want is a custom USB drive.
3. Does Your Gift Make Sense Right Now: A promotional item should be relevant to your business and your audience. But you should also take seasonality in to account. For instance, if you're a dermatologist, giving away a branded bottle of sunscreen is a great idea! But if it's the middle of January, maybe you should wait a few month to run the promotion.

Want to learn more about how Promotional Items can help you? Click the link to browse thousands of promotional items online.