Promotional Products: Do They Still Work?

We all love a bargain, and freebies can be even more appealing! But do people actually use promotional products, or do they just end up throwing them out? The answer lies in the quality and choice of the marketing product and its value to the customer or client's life.

When choosing a promotional product to use as an advertising gimmick, the savvy business owner needs to weigh up the pros and cons of the item of choice and decide whether it will add or detract from the business image as well as deciding whether that product is actually relevant to the business. Promotional items that look cheap and are of limited use to customers will soon end up in the bin, resulting in a negative business image and a wasted marketing budget.

Great Ideas for Practical Products

While pens, pencils, calendars and key rings may immediately spring to mind when choosing marketing gifts, these are items that tend to be chosen by businesses time and time again. And to be frank, if a calendar is not relevant to a recipient or a key ring looks cheap or uninteresting, these will soon be tossed aside or thrown out with the rubbish!

Choosing promotional gifts means selecting products that will stand out from the crowd and be used time and time again. This will ensure that a business name or logo will be foremost in the user's mind every time he or she uses that item. Choose products that are current, useful and desirable, such as protective mobile socks or mobile wrist straps, ideal in a world where mobile phone usage increases daily.

Ask the Customer

Finding out what customers may appreciate as promotional gifts would have been time-consuming a few years ago, but now, as social media usage has become a popular means of communication, businesses will find that they have a quick and simple way of finding out what customers want. For example, opening a business-related Facebook page is simple and allows direct contact with those who are interested in what the business has to offer.

Utilise the popularity of 'Facebook giveaways' by asking customers what they consider a useful promotional gift, and use the responses to make choices. A popular way to encourage social media interaction is to invite page followers to 'like and share' a promotional giveaway, spreading the page's reach towards a wider audience. And, of course, remember to reward those who have participated by giving them a gift as a thank you from the business.

Avoid Gimmicks

Every business owner, whether large or small, must focus on attracting customers to use their services or buy their products. Using gimmicks to attract business can backfire, leaving customers feeling tricked and annoyed and generating a negative feeling toward the business concerned, which may cause irreparable damage to a small business trying to survive.

Choose promotional products with a value to those receiving the gifts. Gimmicky products may convey a cheap business image and, while they may be inexpensive to purchase as part of a marketing strategy, will not be received with enthusiasm!

Why the Use of Promotional Products Makes Perfect Sense

Every business, no matter how large or small, wants to stand out from the rest. While customer satisfaction, word-of-mouth recommendations, and good reviews will always help a business to attract customers, sometimes it takes just a little more effort to become the business that everybody wants to use. And while quality products and service are what make a great business, sometimes ‘going the extra mile’ to please customers is what makes them remain loyal.

So what can a business do to ensure that a company name or brand springs to the customer’s mind every time he or she requires a certain product or service? By ensuring that customers are continually reminded of a business throughout everyday life, that business will become the first place a customer visits when they decide to make a purchase or use the company’s services. And the best way to focus customer attention on a name or brand is to use good quality and useful promotional products.

How Do Promotional Products Work?

Most of us see promotional products in use every day. Some may be extremely useful everyday items, such as pens, pencils and pads, and the more they are used, the more a brand or name will become prominent in the user’s mind. Recipients of promotional gifts often tend to make a connection between the gift given and the quality of the company, so a useful gift will produce a favourable association with the company that provided it.

Another reason that promotional products are so successful is that many recipients feel honour-bound to give something back to the gift provider, especially if the gift is of good quality. Existing customers will feel valued when they receive a promotional gift while potential customers will be drawn to the quality of the product and the business philosophy. This is why it is enormously important to choose promotional gifts wisely and also to use the services of a trustworthy promotional printing company that produces good-quality products.

Choosing Promotional Gifts

Using carefully selected promotional products can help tell potential customers about the company and the way it operates. Offering promotional products that are in line with a business makes the recipient feel that extra care has been taken in choosing relevant gifts, rather than just sticking a logo or a brand name on a free product without any thought behind the action.

Be choosy about selecting promotional products, and aim to choose items that fit what the business does. For example, branded keyrings make a great promotional gift from a garage or car salesroom, but are not relevant to a florists or beauty salon. Studies have shown that most people receiving a promotional product can remember where they received it several years later, so choose items that will give a business a boost.

So What Are the Best Promotional Gifts?

The size of a company and the budget available for promotional items will often dictate the sort of products that can be bought. Small items such as pens and pencils can be purchased in bulk and are often the types of products that small businesses will use as promotional gifts. Silicone wristbands are hugely popular with younger customers while older clients may appreciate items such as handbag-sized calendar cards or promotional notebooks.

Larger companies that require staff members to wear ID cards will find promotional lanyards provide an excellent way to advertise a business, and these are incredibly useful products. Security card holders are perfect for holding ID cards, passes to events, and other cards containing useful information, and simply attach to lanyards when required. Other useful products include promotional sweatbands, ideal for gyms and sports centres, while branded mobile phone accessories appeal to recipients of all ages and from all walks of life.