Nine Reasons To Use Promotional Imprinted Products

The main question is: Why buy promotional custom products?
The answer is simple: Promotional merchandise really works!

Are you interested in growing your business? Do you want to land new clients? Keep your existing ones? Increase brand exposure? Attract attention?

Promotional products are one of the most proven marketing strategies, yet they aren't used by a surprising number of businesses. They are great marketing tools. The idea is to provide the buying public with something in addition to whatever it is they purchase from you. The items should have some perceived value & tie into the overall theme of your company.

1. They open lines of communication.

It's a law of business that the more you give, the more you receive. Promotional products are a perfect example of how this works.

Having a branded item on hand gives you the perfect conversation  started, "Here take this pen." Once you give someone something, awkwardness & tension seem to ease away & the door is open to better communication.

2. They attract attention.

Have you ever seen the lonely table at the trade show with little or no visitors? Well, good news, if you have promotional products on hand it won't be your table. At trade shows, people are attracted to two things: food & freebies. I would pass on the food & go for the promotional merchandise, like a bag with your logo boldly displayed.  Food is expendable, but something like a bag travels the show drawing attention to your company & booth. People may stop someone & ask, "Where did you get that?"

It's not just a trade show that a promotional imprinted product will attract attention for you. Wherever your logo is seen, it will draw people to notice your company. a coffee cup on an office desk, a t-shirt at the park, a water bottle at the gym, a beach ball on the beach, a pen at a seminar, a tote at the airport........the list is endless.

3. They stick around.

Advertisements come & go but tangible promotional products stay. They are easily used everyday, allowing for an increased chance of retention by the receiver.  Items like mousepads, pens & note pads stay with someone for a very long time because they are useful to the recipient.

Promotional products take your cost per impression & drop it drastically compared to traditional advertising. Less advertising expense & greater impression numbers--what more could you ask for in an advertisement?

4. They elevate brand recognition.

A large part of brand recognition is exposure to that particular brand. Very few individuals will remember who a logo belongs to or what a company does if they are only exposed to them once or twice. With your promotional products, potential customers will be exposed to your company & your clients will be reminded of you, all on a regular basis.

Not only will your clients & potential customers be constantly exposed to your brand, they will also develop a favorable impression of your company over time.

5. They expand your company's exposure.

You see your competitor's brand all around you but your advertising is not getting the exposure you want. Well, you too, can get better & wider exposure. Promotional custom products can expand your exposure as well as reach out to potential customers who may not currently be seeing your advertisements. Whether your promotional item is one that changes hands like a pen, or one that is an active billboard like a t-shirt, you can be assured your company is being promoted.

Promotional products often show off your company, brand or logo in a variety of places that traditional advertising has a hard time reaching. These places could include the inside of a boardroom meeting, a gym or even an educational environment like a school or university.  You never know where your customers might be so why not utilize a marketing strategy that allows you to advertise non-stop in even the most unconventional of places.

6. They increase company goodwill.

People who received a promotional product tend to not only remember the company behind the promotion but also think highly of the company who gave it to them. This person will then be more likely to recommend your business or product based on their positive experiences with you.

Promotional products can also be given to employees as rewards for working hard or achieving certain goals. They tend to be great incentives.

7. They travel........they go places you don't.

Often times "re-gifting" is frowned upon, but not when it comes to promotional imprinted products. It's not called "re-gifting" but rather continuous advertising. Passing along a promotional item from one person to another will expose your brand to a vast network of people to whom it had previously not been accessible. A pen travels from hand-to-hand almost like a dollar bill goes from hand-to-hand.

Promotional merchandise doesn't have to go from one person to another to "travel". One customized promotional shopping bag will be used approximately 9 or 10 times a month. That means it will be seen by 1,038 people in that month........1,038 people in locations where you or your advertisements are not present. Now multiply that by the number of bags you gave out in that month. That's a new, huge audience in places you've never been before.

8. They enjoy wide appeal.

Most advertisements & products are created with a target audience in mind. While the idea of a target audience is beneficial to various types of marketing, the limitations may or may not apply to promotional products. Advertising specialties often satisfy a universal need for a large group of individuals. This means that items like pens, stress balls & note pads can be appreciated by anyone. This also means that they can easily land in the lap of a potential customer who was six degrees separated from your company.

The more people who are exposed to your promotional products, the more potential business you will receive.

9. They generate referrals & new sales.

The entire purpose of purchasing & distributing promotional merchandise is to bring in money for your company. This is exactly what advertising specialties accomplishes. Promotional products can often begin the sales process without you having to do any work!

As promotional items are used & passed along, they create brand recognition in addition to a positive association with your business. This leads to individuals who are more likely to recommend your company to others by as much as 22% over businesses who didn't take advantage of promotional products.

So the next time you're writing with a pen with someone else's logo on it or you're looking at an imprinted shopping bag being used in the grocery store, don't just think "wouldn't it nice if......" or "I wish I could afford......"  You can afford it--actually you can't afford to overlook this economical, yet effective means of advertising.

IT'S YOUR COMPANY........SHOW IT OFF!!!

Ronni Sherman