How Promotional Products Can Get You Noticed
There is definitely a place for adverts, but you have to be aware that most consumers will tune them out most of the time. Promotional items, by contrast, can be an excellent way of getting a consumer’s attention. Here are some tips on how to make the most of them.
Start by Defining Your Goal
Your goal will define the audience you need to reach and hence effectively determine the best way to utilize your budget. For example, if your goal is just to raise awareness of your brand then you could spend your entire budget on promotional items to give out.
If, however, your goal was to reach your target audience (like visiters to your website), then you might divide your budget between your main promotional item and a selection of higher-value items. You’d use your main promotional item to get the recipient’s attention.
You’d then use the higher-value items as prizes for a competition hosted on your website. This would give recipients an added reason to do what you wanted them to do while continuing to promote your brand.
Decide if You Need a Call to Action
If your goal is to get people to do something, then you’re going to need an effective call to action. An effective call to action is short, sweet and simple. The easier you make it for someone to act, the likelier it is that they will do so.
Ideally, you want to make it possible for the customer to act “in the moment” and usually the best way to do this is to make your call to action “smartphone-friendly”.
For example, if you want to guide someone to your website, you could put a QR code on the packaging so that they can go straight to it. You would, however, also put the regular text address as a backup.
Think About the Practicalities of Distribution
As a rule of thumb, the larger and heavier an item is, the more confident you need to be that your target audience will absolutely love it. Fragile items are usually best avoided except perhaps for a very special occasion. Even then you generally want to limit their distribution.
For the most part, you generally want to stick to items which are easy to pop into a bag if not a pocket. These items also tend to be easy to post. This can be a convenience even without the pandemic.
Choose the Right Promotional Item
A promotional item needs to appeal to your audience while also conveying an appealing message about your company. This message can be about your products or about your values (or both).
Whatever you choose, it needs to have some sort of emotional appeal. Basically, the entire point of promotional items is to trigger a positive emotional connection with your brand. There are lots of different ways of doing this with options to suit all budgets.
For example, you could go for a practical gift, but choose a bright colour and an inspiring message. Alternatively, you could choose a fun gift or a self-care item and package it with your branding. Some gifts can be both fun and practical, such as confectionery in a reusable container.