The aim of promotional products is to find clever ways to simultaneously add value to your customers’ lives and get your brand into their everyday lives and awareness. Your branded merchandise serves as a constant reminder of your company’s existence and awesomeness. But not just any product will do. You have to choose the right promotional product to represent your brand and suit your prospective clients. 

Related: Best Brand Name Promotional Products You Can Give

Choosing the Right Promotional Product

Here are some considerations for choosing the right promotional products:

Do Your Research

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of promotional items available. This can make choosing just the right products an overwhelming circumstance. So, do your research. What are your competitors offering? Which items have the highest success rate? Answers to these kinds of questions will indicate what people are interested in and what’s likely to be popular. 

What’s the Point?

Determine what you are trying to do with the product. How will it suit your marketing strategy, and what should it say about your brand? Considering questions like these will help you map out a plan and make the most of your marketing budget. It will also ensure the product is appreciated by your clients and captures the curiosity of potential clients.  

Determine Your Budget Strategy

You’re dealing with a limited budget, and you want to make the most of it. Do you want lower-priced promotional products to give away at tradeshows, or are you looking for luxury items for your current customers or corporate gifts? So whether you have loads of money to spend or only a small amount, it can be wisely dolled out if you know your strategy. 

Be Relevant

The promotional products you choose should be relevant to your company and industry. While it may be tempting to spend your marketing budget on the latest on-trend items, they may not make the statement you want.  

Keep it Fresh

While it’s great to have ‘signature items,’ you still want to keep it fresh. It’s likely that everyone – current and potential clients, already has the items (from several occasions) and doesn’t want more. If the products are too familiar, they won’t work as well to bring brand awareness. 

Determine Your Target

Knowing who you’re targeting will guide you. 

• What is their age demographic?
• What is their gender?
• What are their values? For instance, if they’re about sustainability, they won’t appreciate plastic trinkets. 
• What are their interests?
• How much do they earn?
• What jobs do they hold?

Now that you know your target audience think about what they use in their daily lives. You will be able to offer promotional items that are beneficial and won’t be discarded. 

Related: 10 Unique Corporate Branded Gift Ideas That Bring Purpose 

Give Purposefully

Don’t offer your promotional items to just everyone. Even within your target group, be selective. Giving to everyone will cheapen your products and ensure that many go to waste or are thrown away. 

Distinguish Between Current and Potential Customers

In choosing your promotional items, consider specifying products to go to one of two groups. You can give your current customers items that express appreciation for their continued patronage, and you can provide prospective customers a different promotional item to encourage their engagement. 

Give and Receive

As you give out your promotional items, be sure to take the contact information of every recipient. With email addresses, you can continue your promotions. This is an excellent way to find new prospects. Giving them an item in return for their contact information is a fair trade – you both gain.

Are you a marketer who values your brand? We provide creative, curated solutions to extend your brand message on quality products that encourage engagement and brand loyalty. Check out 1338Tryon to learn more. 

Find Useful Items

The more often a prospective customer uses your promotional items, the better. As you consider types of products, ensure they will be used as often as possible, for as long as possible. 

One study showed that:

• 87% of people kept promotional items for a year or longer.
• 56% of people said that their impression of brands improved after receiving a branded item.
• 69% of people could recall the brands of items they received within a year.  

Offering high-quality promotional items is an excellent way to ensure that they are kept and used for as long as possible.   

Remember a Call To Action

You have chosen a great promotional product to give away. It is high-quality, functional, and relevant to your business. Although this item ticks all the right boxes, it could still miss the mark if you don’t remember to include a call to action. Giving your potential client a means to contact and engage with you is a step not to be skipped. 

The call to action could be in the form of:

• Logo
• Website 
• Tagline
• Phone Number
• QR Code

Quality is Important

Keep quality in mind. Giving away useless, cheap items won’t help you to reach your marketing goals. While people love to get free things, they don’t appreciate things they might view as junk. When you get proofs from the vendor, ensure you check the details of the item for flaws. It matters. Make sure that not only is the spelling correct, but that all the information is correct – website, phone numbers, etc. 

Related: Creating and Growing Your Brand Vision and Mission 

Choosing the Right Promotional Products in a Nutshell

Whether your business is large or small, your promotional strategy is essential to its continued success. It’s an excellent idea to be selective about what you put your logo and company name on. Avoid cheap or poorly-made items that your recipients won’t keep around long enough to make a positive impression. Ensure that your choices are relevant to your company, that they will be useful to your target audience, and that you remember to get contact information from prospects when you give away your items. 

Are you looking for tangible business drivers? We provide personalized service on your terms. Our team of responsive, knowledgeable experts will get to know your brand and messaging to create smart, strategic promotional programs for your business. Contact 1338Tryon for more information.