As a small business marketer, you can’t underestimate the importance of swag bags and branded items. Not only do 80% of people like receiving promotional products, but 70% of consumers actively wish that they received them more often.
However, sending out these items is only half the battle. You need to invest in promotional items that people will actually use. That’s why we’re here to talk about the most effective promotional products on the market today. Read on to learn how to help your business soar to new heights of success!
Include Brand Information
In order for your promotional products to be effective in any way, you need to make sure that they’re reflective of your brand. This means including your brand name and logo, of course. However, it also means making items featuring the colors and text fonts that you’ve chosen for your business.
A cohesive branding strategy is essential to being memorable. People will immediately associate these features with your brand and think of you when they see other items related to your logo. They’ll also subconsciously think of your products when they see the colors and fonts that you use in other locations.
You also need to make sure that your promotional product (and your brand’s appearance in general) is visually appealing. Use bold text, minimalist logos, and well-liked colors (such as the most popular color, blue) when creating your products. Make sure that nothing is uneven or clashing.
Pick Something Inexpensive
You’ve seen good promo items before: nothing can beat branded and personalized coffee mugs, high-quality tote bags, and comfortable cotton t-shirts. While these are amazing ways to get the word of a more established business out there, they might not be a good investment for a small startup.
Your primary goal right now should be maximizing your ROI, so picking cheap promotional products is a good idea. Things like pens, bubble stickers, and plastic cups make for great gifts that you can buy for virtually no money.
After you get some clients, you can move up to offering hoodies, Fischer space pens, and other really cool things in addition to your tried-and-true smaller items!
Make Sure They’re Usable
While choosing inexpensive products is essential when trying to grow your small business, it’s equally important that you pick items that people will actually use. Preferably, you want them to be something that people carry with them in public.
When someone signs a form with a pen that has your brand name on it, all those around them learn your name. This means that more people may look you up to see what you’re about, especially if they like the pen’s design!
String backpacks are inexpensive and often carried to grocery stores, libraries, and even out on shopping trips as reusable alternatives to plastic bags.
Similarly, bubble stickers often get put on laptop lids and taken to business venues. This advertises your product to others in the industry that you target, which makes these stickers an amazing investment! The same goes for notepads and inexpensive spiral-bound notebooks.
Also, 79% of people choose to pass along promotional items they no longer need. Giving them to others rather than throwing them away extends your reach and helps more people to learn about your brand. Make sure that this secondhand recipient can also use your product!
Are They Easily Sent Out?
You also want to make sure that it’s easy to send out the promotional products that you choose. You might be interested in sending swag straight from the people who print it and send it out.
However, it’s generally better practice to have items shipped to you in bulk quantities and ship them out yourself. This way, you can include a personalized note or letter in addition to a flyer discussing what you’re all about.
You don’t want to spend an exorbitant amount of money on shipping costs, so until you grow as a business, make sure that everything is small enough to fit into a padded envelope. You can print your brand information and logo onto this envelope, too, so it’s a win-win!
Communal vs Personalized Promo Items
You also may want to consider whether you want to send out communal promotional products or personalized ones. There are pros and cons to each of these promotional item types, so it’s crucial that you have all the information. Read on to learn about both of these options!
Communal Options
Communal products refer to branded pens, coffee mugs, and other items that everyone can use in the workplace. They aren’t targeted to one specific individual and therefore are shared among everyone.
These products are best when you’re engaging in B2B marketing and want everyone in the company to know about you. Since these communal items will be passed around, literally everyone will have the chance to interact with your brand.
Communal items are also inexpensive and easy to order and send out in bulk quantities.
Personalized Alternatives
Personalized promotional products — those that are sent to a specific person and include the name of your target individual — also have their own merits. People identify deeply with their names and are more likely to become attached to a product that was made just for them. Additionally, they are likely to feel special that you sent them a gift specifically.
However, they are more expensive. They also can’t be passed on to other people when they no longer are useful. Still, this may be worth it if you’re targeting one executive who can make the call as to whether to invest in your services for their entire business.
Beyond the Most Effective Promotional Products
There are many ways that you can ensure that your business marketing strategies take off. However, none are nearly as awesome as sending out the most effective promotional products.
Check out more of our business articles to learn more about how to make your startup flourish. We have tons of information about how to promote your business to your target audience, increase your ROI, and maximize your potential.
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