The Dos and Don’ts of Using Promotional Products for Marketing

The Dos and Don’ts of Using Promotional Products for Marketing
Guest Post By Alex Subotich

Have you heard of promotional products and how they can turn your business around?

Now, you might be asking yourself: how can a simple gesture of giving handouts and items help your business? The answer is quite simple. They can help improve your marketing campaigns.

Yes – promotional items can be very effective marketing tools which you can utilize for communicating to your target audience and for brand recognition. In fact, many businesses all over are now using this strategy to increase their success rate and to further enhance their business.

Take note though: although handing out giveaways and free items is a good idea – there are certain things that you will need to take into account. And by doing so, you’ll be able to minimize or even eliminate unnecessary risks – and maximize benefits at the same time.

With that in mind, let’s discuss some of the dos and don’ts of using promotional products for marketing:

The DOs

Put Your Brand Name or Logo in Strategic Locations

Remember that the purpose of marketing is to make people know your company (or business) and what you are offering to them. That same rule goes when using promotional giveaways for marketing.

Print your company name or logo on the items you’re handing out. This is important, as it can help in your branding efforts. As much as possible, place your emblem (or name) on strategic locations, so that more people can actually see it. And the more the people who see your business name, the better will it be for your campaigns.

Offer Quality Items

In order for this marketing method to work, you will need to give people items that they can actually use. Don’t invest in cheap, low quality products, as it might not give out the right message for your intended audience. When you give out quality items, you are actually telling your audience that what you are offering (or selling) is of high-quality as well.

Of course, this does not mean that you should spend an unreasonable amount of money on your handouts. Promotional products such as pens, pencils, post-its, USBs, umbrellas and etc. aren’t really expensive items – but you’ll be surprised at how effective they can be.

Have Various Options

Chances are – your business will have various segments that you will need to reach out to separately. Being so, it would be handy if you had different types of products to offer to them. If possible, invest on products for women, men, teens, seniors – or whatever group that you will need to focus on.

The DON’Ts

Don’t Be Cheap

Consider promotional products as a worthwhile investment. If you are able to give out the right set of products to the right people – then the better the results will be.

So, don’t make price your only consideration. As much as possible, find products that may not really be that cheap – but are actually usable, interesting and will help spread good word about your business.

Don’t Forget to Do Your Market Research

Market research will always be important in your marketing efforts – whatever the method may be. After all, it is only when you are able to study and understand your audience that you’ll be able to connect with them.

In other words, you need to determine which products will be most viable for your market. Find out what your potential clients would like to receive and find ways to give them those products. Once you make this possible, then you can expect more people to appreciate the gesture – ultimately helping you reach your goals in the end.

Don’t Be Political

If you have particular religious or political views and beliefs (and are planning to apply them in the products you’re handing out) – please don’t. Otherwise, you run the risk of alienating particular genders, groups, ethnicities or segments in your target audience – thereby defeating the purpose of your marketing campaigns. To be safe, only use promotional products that are “neutral” – and usable as well.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alex_Subotich

Tim Somers
Bizarre Marketing