By Tilloshin Popp | Printed Shirts
Small business owners have a million things to worry about at once—and taking advantage of cost-effective advertising strategies is always near the top of the list of priorities. Traditional marketing methods like print and television can be cost-prohibitive, and it can also be difficult to accurately measure their effectiveness. Stretching advertising dollars is something every business owner must master to stay in the red in today’s ultra-competitive marketplace.
Customized promotional products are one of the best ways to get a lot of bang for your advertising buck. They are affordable and effective, and help you build a relationship with your existing customers while simultaneously attracting new ones. Most people enjoy getting free gifts of any kind, especially if they are functional. The beauty of this method is that these items can be purchased in bulk for considerable discounts and easily handed out to customers. The simplicity of this mode of advertising is what makes it so attractive to small businesses trying to make a name for themselves in their niche.
There are dozens of good promotional items to choose from, even more, so when you consider niche-specific items (like bottle openers for a microbrewing company). Below I have listed five of the most popular promotional gifts businesses use to get new customers on the cheap.
1. Pens
It should be no surprise that pens show up at the top of the list. Promotional pens are like traveling salesmen who get passed around from here to there, advertising your business along the way. Customized pens can be purchased in bulk for a song and passed out to customers, salesmen, related businesses, and anyone else who might spread them around. Pens may change hands three or four times before they run out of ink, so you’re getting maximum exposure for minimum investment.
2. Promotional T-Shirts
Promotional t-shirts have been used for decades, and have earned their number 2 spot on the list. People wear t-shirts all the time, and they are always happy to get one for free. Some companies can even get away with selling promotional t-shirts to recoup their initial costs. People wear t-shirts to the gym, the grocery store, the mall, to restaurants, and in a lot of other areas where lots of eyes will be on them.
3. Glassware
You might be surprised to see this on the list, but glassware has become an extremely popular promotional gift. Think of all the branded beer glasses, wine glasses and shot glasses you’ve come across. These items can be a bit more expensive, but are still quite affordable. Glassware items are attractive and elegant, and every time a host pulls them out to serve a guest they get a new pair of eyes on them.
4. Tote Bags
Customized tote bags have become quite popular, and are used for groceries, gym bags, and for light travel. Tote bags make good promotional products since everyone can find a use for them.
5. Coffee Mugs
Most people drink coffee or tea, so coffee mugs make great promotional items. They are a mainstay in the marketing arsenal, and will likely continue to be for some time. Just look in your cabinets to see how effective promotional coffee mugs are.
Tilloshin Popp is an author/blogger from Winnipeg, Manitoba who often writes about promotions and marketing topics. For more information on promotional products and how they can work for your business visit printedshirts.ca.
Contact your local Promotional Products Specialist for more trends.
One reason many products work great as corporate gifts is that they offer practical utility to the recipients while promoting your brand. Products with functionality are retained and used for a long period of time; e.g. advertising gifts like mugs, folders, pens and other stationery products.
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