One thing that any successful business must master is how to effectively market itself. With the level of competition out there, it really takes the fittest, and the known, to survive and then begin to thrive.
There’s a common saying in advertising that has been credited to Steuart Henderson Britt, a version of which says “doing business without advertising is like winking in the dark. You know what you’re doing but no one else does.” No matter how great your product is, if no one knows you or your products, it’s no use. You can learn more about Steuart Henderson Britt here.
Despite the increased dependence on digital marketing, one age long marketing tool has continued to remain relevant and that is promotional products. This tool can be used in many ways to enhance brand identity, increase brand visibility and even create customer bond and loyalty.
In this article, we shall explore the benefits offered by this tool and also offer tips that can help businesses get the best results from this marketing strategy.
Why Promotional Products Are Essential for Businesses
Having laid the general foundation, we now want to dig a bit deeper into the benefits that promotional products can offer businesses.
Let’s get started.
1. Increased Brand Recognition
Being physical products, they offer a permanence that digital ads cannot offer. With branded products like mugs, tote bags, pens, t-shirts and others, recipients are always reminded of your brand. You basically place the image of your brand in front of them every time they use the item.
This creates a connection that the user may not even know exists. However, this connection, though seemingly understated, can affect the choices that they end up making.
2. Cost-Effective Marketing Strategy
Adverts – TV commercials, billboards and other traditional media, can cost a whole lot. While they do have their rightful place, the impact that these products can have at a fraction of what tradition advertising will cost is impressive. When done well, the return on investment is often well worth it.
3. Enhanced Customer Loyalty
These branded items are often given as gifts and we all know how people love gifts. As recipients receive these gifts, they appreciate it and it enhances a sense of loyalty in them. Once a customer feels appreciated, they are as good as hooked. You are almost certain that they will continue to do business with the brand that made them feel good.
Choosing the Right Promotional Products for Your Brand
Giving out promotional items as gift is great. However, to achieve maximum impact, it is important that some thought is put into the type of product that is chosen for this purpose. To ensure that the products that you are choosing are right for your promotional drive, there are a few important factors to consider.
Let’s look at a few of these.
1. Relevance
Promotional products should be chosen based on their relevance to your company, and by extension, your target audience. It would make no sense for a car company to give out kitchen spatulas.
If a tech company were to give out USB drives, or other computer accessories, it will be relevant to their target audience and they would appreciate it. This should be the first thing to consider.
2. Customization and Branding
It will make no sense to give out these items without reaping the rewards they should offer. You should therefore ensure that you can conspicuously brand your company’s logo and details on whatever product you choose.
Remember that you’re not just giving out a “free” gift. It is a gift that is meant to lead back to you. Learn more about the importance of branding here: https://www.brandingmag.com/.
3. Quality
The quality of the item you give out can have a significant impact on the results you get from the campaign. Giving low quality gifts to high-ticket customers can be insulting to your brand and the customer. You should therefore be sure that you consider the social status of your target customers when choosing the products to use.
The Impact of Promotional Products on Business Growth
If you get your product choice right, there are numerous benefits that you can expect. Let’s quickly look at the top impacts that it can have on the growth of your business.
1. Strengthening Customer Engagement
Customer (current and prospective) engagement is a great way of increasing business and attracting fresh patronage. By giving away promotional gifts at events or simply as a reward to loyal customers, you encourage existing customer to continue to do business with you while showing potential customers that you care for your customers – a move that will increase their chances of doing business with you.
2. Boosting Sales and Conversion Rates
Studies have shown that people who have received gifts from a given company, are more likely to do business them. Your promotional gift can hasten their journey down the sales funnel to becoming paying customers.
3. Word-of-Mouth Marketing
If a customer receives a reward of gift item from your business and they are proud of that gift, they are most definitely going to brag about it. Anyone who asks about it will receive a full dose of adverts for your company. Remember that no advert is as effective as word of mouth and you will be getting loads of it.
Where to Find High-Quality Wholesale Promotional Products
Now that you know just how important it is to have the right promotional product, the next thing is to find a reliable supplier. There are three important points to consider here and they are:
- Cost
- Quality
- Reliability
While you are encouraged to get good quality items, you also do not want to get them at steep prices. This is why going for wholesale promotional products will always be your best bet. The fact that you are purchasing from a seller who sells in bulk means that you will be getting it at a cheaper price.
You should also ensure that the seller has a reputation to protect so you can be sure that they are reliable. You do not want a seller who will disappoint you at the last minute.
Conclusion
As far as marketing and brand building are concerned, promotional items will remain a very important tool. It is effective, its impact lasts for a long time and it doesn’t cost as much as some other options.
In this article, we’ve briefly looked at the benefits that this marketing strategy can offer you and how you can get the most out of it. It’s now up to you to take that step and get started building your company’s brand.
