Using Promotional Products To Market Your Business
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Using Promotional Products To Market Your Business
Author: Molly Mathis
Date Added: Friday Apr 02nd, 2004
Category: Web Marketing
Using Promotional Products To Market Your Business
By Molly Mathis
Pens, fridge magnets and key chains are just a few of the thousands of promotional items that businesses use to get their names in front of consumers. Most promotional items are inexpensive and designed to be seen over and over again. There are many ways you can use these promotional items to market your business.
Be unique and consistent
Most businesses hand out promotional pens and fridge magnets, but there are literally thousands of items to choose from. By handing out something unique, you\'ll be better remembered. And by changing your promotional items on a regular basis, you\'ll have a bigger impact. While the upfront investment can be large, broken down \'per item,\' it\'s a relatively small advertising/marketing cost.
Promoting goodwill
Are you involved in your community? Do you exhibit at trade shows, cultural events, charity golf tournaments, and fundraisers? If so, you need to provide your audience and fellow exhibitors with a tangible reminder that you were there-for the good of the community as well as exposure for your company.
Advertising your services
Attending trade shows relative to your industry is a given, but what about those events that are not mainstream to your company\'s business? Insurance companies, for instance, could sponsor safety events at schools and provide promotional items for students, making the reminder for safety and health appropriate to their age. For high schools, emphasize car safety or provide information on peer pressure, smoking, drinking and drugs. Take things to your local police, fire and social service departments for them to give out to the kids in the community. They will appreciate your consideration. Rarely do they have the budget to spend on goodwill tokens!
Increasing customer loyalty
Do you want to thank customers who have been with you for many years, given you referrals, or made a substantial purchase at your business? Giving them a promotional item would be a great way to thank them for helping your business to grow!
Building trade show traffic
Participating at a trade shows is one thing, getting people to your booth is quite another! Have something interesting that visitors will not only hang onto, but others will see and say \"Hey, where\'d ya get that!?\" I did a promotion for one of my customers that was inexpensive and brought numerous clientele to their booth. We took Polaroid pictures (with a flash) of the folks who came to our booth. The flash brought other onlookers who wanted to get a \"keepsake\" that was unique and meaningful to take home. It was a inexpensive and \"flashy\" promotion.
Celebrating an anniversary or grand opening
Just starting up? You better have a budget for your grand opening to show people you\'re serious and intend to stay in the community. Anniversary gifts are a great way to say \"Thanks for your business through the years.\"
Thank your employees and customers
You didn\'t get where you are all by yourself-your employees helped. Give them a tangible thank you gift on their anniversary or your fiscal year-end. The annual company picnic is wonderful and fun, but something employees can take home is a real perk! Tee shirts, jackets and caps are excellent clothing items that employees appreciate and promote your business at the same time. Make sure they reflect your quality and image. Loyalty is built on such small gestures.
Providing safety incentive programs
Has your company been injury-free? Have workmen\'s compensation claims and suits dropped or diminished? Your employees will work even harder to provide a safe environment for your workers if they are rewarded for their efforts.
This also holds true for quality control. Promotional gifts for meeting deadlines, zero customer complaints and quality service is good for the employee, the customer and the company.
Introducing new products
Check out how the pharmaceutical companies do this ... they have their name on more things then you can imagine. Next time you go to your health care provider, take a look around the office. Drug companies advertise new products on calendars, artwork and consumer information brochures. Use promotional items to advertise your new product lines or services.
Promoting your company\'s URL
Do you have a new Web site? Who knows about it? Why not include something small (such as a magnet) with your billing alerting customers to your new url? Make sure your Web site is interesting enough to make visitors want to come back |
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