Here’s Why Your Small Business Needs Promotional Products
Are promotional items appropriate for small businesses? What kind of question is that — of course they are! You might not have as much money to spend on marketing as some of the bigwigs in your industry, but that doesn’t mean you can glean a significant return on your marketing investment by handing out promotional gifts.
Promotional products are a very popular form of advertising among consumers, who are 2.5 times more likely to look favorably upon a company once they’ve received a promotional gift from it. And when compared with other forms of advertising, customers strongly prefer to receive a promotional gift rather than watch, read, or listen to an advertisement presented without the lure of a free gift. Promotional items are extremely cost-effective, great for your reputation, and invaluable in terms of expanding your customer base. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why your small business needs to invest in promotional products.
Customers Love Free Swag from Their Favorite Brands
Who doesn’t love getting something for free? Promotional products might be decorated with a branded message, but customers are more than willing to help you advertise your services by using and carrying around branded promotional merchandise.
It doesn’t take a rocket surgeon to figure out that customers appreciate getting something back from their favorite brands. Today’s consumers expect their favorite brands to cater to them, and promotional products fit into that, because they offer customers reusable goods that meet their needs or reflect their interests.
Of course, there’s a caveat — you can’t just buy the cheapest box of engraved pens in the supplier’s catalog and call it a day. Low-quality products might turn customers off by making it seem like you’re not willing to go the extra mile — and spend the extra money — for a travel mug that actually insulates your beverage or a custom pen that doesn’t dry up or leak. Choose a higher quality item that will last a long time — recipients will be happier with them, and you’ll get more advertising bang for your buck out of the extended lifespan of the item. Don’t be afraid to offer completely personalized items, like custom pencils, to maximize the appeal of your promotional gifts.
Promotional Products Are Cheap and Effective Advertising
Did you know a branded writing instrument has a cost-per-impression of just one-tenth of a cent? Other kinds of promotional items are similarly affordable. The low cost-per-impression might not seem obvious at first, when you’re looking at prices for those sustainably produced thermal travel mugs or high-end sports apparel emblazoned with your branded messaging. But the long lifespan of promotional items, which sees them getting used repeatedly each day for at least several months but often for years or more, means that you’re getting the cheapest form of advertising there is. Every time the recipient writes a check with your branded pen or fills their travel mug with coffee for the commute to work, they’re getting exposed to your brand messaging. They’ll remember it, too, in nine out of ten cases, and the vast majority — about 83 percent — say they’re more likely to shop with a brand after receiving a free promotional gift from them.
Your Brand Message Will Cast a Much Wider Net
It’s just your gift recipients who will see the branded messaging on your promotional items. Every coworker, family member, or next-door neighbor who sees your customer sipping from a branded coffee mug will get that messaging. Every jogger, gardener, school child, and passerby who encounters your customer as they carry your branded tote bag down the street will see that messaging. It may be a more subtle form of advertising, since many promotional items don’t carry a call to action, but that exposure is still boosting brand awareness and spreading your brand messaging throughout the community in ways that traditional advertisements cannot. Think of it as turning each customer into an ambassador or a walking billboard, because that’s precisely what you’re doing when you hand out promotional products.
When you have a small business, you have to do everything you can to bring in more customers and minimize costs. Promotional products can help. They’ll appeal to your customers and could help you save money on advertising, while still enjoying more leads and conversions. Start shopping for your bulk order today.
