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.