Promotional products are affordable for local businesses to advertise and attract customers. The most common promotional items that business owners give away are pens, mugs, key chains, and umbrellas. Whether you’re trying to get the word out or thank your loyal customers, creating a unique promotional product that people will use is the best way to achieve these goals.
1- Choose the right product.
There are thousands of different promotional products available on the market, which means it can be difficult for a small business owner to choose one that will fit their brand perfectly. Before picking out your product, think about how it will be used and where it will be seen. For example, if you own a restaurant in Hawaii, customized beach towels may be a more efficient option than pens that visitors can take home. If you want to reinforce your brand identity, consider giving out items like T-shirts or water bottles with your logo.
Plus, customers love useful items they can use daily. What’s the point of a promotional item if it doesn’t get used? If you’re handing out pens at an event, for instance, make sure they write well and that you have plenty of ink on hand so people can’t complain about them not working. You can also choose rulers and other items with your company logo, but consider items like water bottles or flashlights that they’ll be more likely to use every day. You should also steer clear of items that might be offensive to some people — such as T-shirts with slogans on them — or things that don’t make sense for your business, such as water bottles at a financial institution.
2- Communicate with Your Customers Regularly and Early Enough
The key to making an impact with any marketing is consistent communication. Select a provider of email marketing software. Email is an ideal way to do this. Email marketing campaigns can easily segment customers into specific groups, such as VIP buyers or new subscribers. For example, if someone has been a customer for more than a year, send them a coupon code for 20 percent off their next purchase in honor of their loyalty. Or send a voucher good for free shipping to new subscribers after making their first purchase.
You can also send postcards, flyers, or newsletters before you run a sale or start offering a new product gives potential buyers time to think about what they need and start asking for it instead of just reacting to an offer or a new product on the shelf. This is especially important if you have seasonal offerings that come around only once a year — give people time to prepare!
3- Write an Elevator Pitch and Know Your Audience
This short statement summarizes who you are and what you do. You never know when you may meet someone who could become interested in your services or products, so have this short statement ready at all times to share with potential customers.
Tailor your approach based on your customers, where they live, and what they do. For example, if you own a bakery in downtown San Francisco, target patrons looking for high-end desserts — not those wanting a sandwich before heading home after work. The same strategy for promotional products: Know which ones will resonate with which audience. The wrong product can make a customer feel misrepresented by your company or simply unappreciated.
