Thanks in part to the hyperconnected digital world, it seems that every entrepreneur is trying to break through into the spotlight. As yet another small business, how can you compete?
It all comes down to creativity: Can you be unique in your advertising efforts?
Fortunately, marketing gifts and branded promos are trending today. Here’s how you can get a little slice of the promotional pie while standing out.
1. Advertise An Event With Promo Items
How do you spread the word about your events?
Why not do so with a promo gift? Try giving away free merch ahead of your scheduled event. No matter what the occasion, if people like your promo gift, they’re more likely to show up to the event.
Pro Tips:
Encourage guests to bring their promo merch to the party you’re hosting. Emphasize that those who attend can celebrate your brand with the promo merch. This way, you drum up some noise over your upcoming party, and you get free advertising out of it.
Also, make sure to pick the right promos for the event. It’s important to match the gift not only to your brand, but also to the season and theme of the gathering.
For instance, if you’re promoting a party in San Diego, you might want to put your logo and a cool design on some fiesta medals. They’re Authentic and well-loved in the San Diego area, they’re popular with tourists, and they’re durable. So as long as a party guests keep their medal as a souvenir, your company name and logo stays with them.
2. Say Thank You With A Meaningful Promo
Are you ever stuck wondering what to give to a business associate as a “thank you” gift?
It’s so cliche to write a card or note, and no one ever appreciates the overpriced, generic gift baskets you can order online.
So why not put your brand on a tasteful promo product and send that as a gift of thanks?
You can adjust your promo gift according to the client or associate you want to send it to. For instance, a casual business acquaintance can do with a branded pen. If you want to woo a potential client or even a prospective employee, you can thank them for the effort with an insulated mug or another practical and trending promo gift.
3. Ad Promo Gifts To Goodie Bags
Promo gifts aren’t only good in gratitude.
If you want to get creative, you can fill favor bags with promo goodies after events or during open houses.
Remember the idea of prepping for events with a promo gift? You can use your left over promo merch as party favors. This way, you can reach an even wider audience with your branded message, and your favor bags stand out from the rest.
Pro Tips:
Party favors are very versatile. If you have room in your marketing budget, you can give away one of the currently trending promo gifts, such as healthy snacks or small portable electronics. If your gathering is simple, feel free to match your promo item to the event: Give away promo pins, hats, or flash drives. As long as your gift is practical, people will view your brand favorably.
4. Offer A Branded Product Up For Charity
If you want your brand to have a heart, pull in some recognition through a donation to charity.
Plenty of nonprofits gladly partner up with small businesses to raise a bit of cash for their cause. As a small business, you don’t have to give away your services for the charitable cause; give away some useful and unique promo items.
For instance, if a charity is having an online auction, offer up a promo sweatshirt with your brand visible on it. Blankets, thermal tumblers, and other unique promotional giveaways will do as well.
Pro TIP:
Since you have to use up business revenue to create the promo gifts, try to write that expense off as a charitable donation for tax purposes. This way your charitable promo gifts can serve as free advertising with an extra financial perk.
5. Give Incentive Marketing Gifts
- Are you interested in a membership model for your business?
If so, don’t hesitate to make that lucrative business move. After all, the subscription service eCommerce market grew more than 100 percent between 2013 and 2018. Everyone from large corporations (like Amazon) to small family-owned businesses thrive on memberships from hundreds of thousands of loyal customers.
You can easily transition into the membership space using promo gift incentives. Offer your first 1000 subscribers an awesome branded gift that your audience will want, and wait for them to flock to your subscription.
Pro Tip:
Make sure to tailor your promo gifts to your target audience. If your primary customer is a female millennial, you won’t entice her with a DVD player. You may, however, snag her interest with a branded gym bag.
Take a careful look at the profile of your target customer when matching your promo items to their interests. The more your products or services have in common with your promo incentives, the greater your customer conversion rate will be.
6. Create Branded Contest Giveaways
Who doesn’t love a fun contest?
Certain consumers enter sweepstakes as a regular hobby.
Use irresistible promo merch coupled with a challenging contest premise to pull in a captive audience. For best results, focus on universally-loved gifts, such as sneakers or other apparel.
Pro Tip:
To make your promo gifts even more enticing, consider partnering with a well-known brand when choosing your gift. For instance, many companies customize merch from high-profile brands like Nike. The beloved brand draws customers who, by chance, associate the new brand with the well-known one.
7. Give Out Trade Show Swag
Are trade shows part of your marketing strategy?
If not, they should be. Even small local trade shows or vendor events are a great opportunity to shine some light on your business and make a small profit.
To make your trade show booth even sweeter, you can give away branded items with every purchase. If you have a large interest in your booth, you can even run a contest right there at the trade show. Since most consumers love free stuff, branded gadgets are a great way to entice a purchase.
Are Promo Items For You?
Don’t assume that branded items are overrated as a marketing strategy. In the age of brand loyalty, consumers are all too happy to lift your brand by wearing or using your promo products.
Which unique idea inspires you to choose marketing gifts as a way to advertise your brand? Share your thoughts in the comments below.