A Successful Promotional Campaign Using Customized Promotional Items

In this economy, when most businesses are experiencing loss of sales & their revenues are down, it's difficult to think about putting money aside for advertising. Yet, it's during these difficult times that you need to think about promoting your company. Sure, everyone's cutting back, but people still need products & services. Even though the media is screaming recession,  you see advertisements on TV & people in stores with shopping bags. And that's why it's so important to get your name out there now & remind the consumer that you're around, ready to help them with whatever they need.

Promotional imprinted products are one of the most economical & successful methods to advertise your business. These advertising specialties are an efficient way to be seen by a slew of people everyday & to elicit a response from the public.

To achieve a successful promotional campaign you should have three goals:


1. Make sure your marketing message reaches your target group. Research & identify the needs of your audience. Are they a special interest group? Is age, sex or where they live a factor? Will you be giving out your promotional custom products to the public in general or to a certain sector? Windshield scrapers will be appreciated at a car auction in Maine, but not in New Mexico. Spiral notebooks are ideal for a high school or college fund-raiser, but if it's an elementary school then educational activity books would be more appealing.


2. Make sure your message is clearly understood by your target audience. This is so important because if your message is hard to read, you've wasted your money.  Customized promotional items shouldn't be a guessing game. If you pick a smaller item like a pen or letter opener, then don't try to say too much. You don't have the space & a company bio is not necessary. Your company name & contact info is sufficient. You can be colorful, you can make it fun, just don't make it crowded. Your objective is for someone to read your website or phone number easily. Have more to say? Then think about note pads, mouse pads, drinkware or bags. If you're mailing or traveling with these, I suggest you stick to the small & light-weight items & include additional information with attached printed material.


3. Make sure your message drives your target group to act. I've said this before & I can't stress it enough......make sure what you give out is useful, looks appealing & works as it's supposed to. You don't have to go for the most expensive items, but stay away from the least expensive because the promotional imprinted products you give out will define who your company is.  It's better to be known by a brightly colored pen that writes smooth than a .19 stick pen that skips. A cheap note pad with thin paper that is not glued properly at the top will only end up in the waste paper basket & you will be forgotten. But your competitor will be remembered if what he gives out stays on the desk & is used. Get the message? Now make sure your customer does when you give him your promotional wholesale items.


So remember, target your audience, then make sure your message is clear & it inspires the consumer to go to you when they need your product or service.


I hope this helps you & that your next promotional campaign will be a success. Good luck!

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

Ronni Sherman

Halloween Trick Or Treat Bags As Customized Promotional Items

Believe it or not, Halloween is just a couple months away so it's time to order your personalized trick or treat bags. You may be asking: why should my business order these? Here are a few reasons why customized Halloween bags make great promotional imprinted products for your company to hand out:

1. Imprinted Trick or Treat bags are inexpensive. The average price for these are .38 each.

2. There's a large imprint area. On a majority of the bags, the Halloween design is on one side of the bag & the other side is left for your company name, logo & your advertising message.

3. Your company name & logo will get lots of exposure. Halloween bags are protentially seen by hundreds of thousands of people. This gives you a great marketing return on your purchase.

4. They promote child safety. Most Halloween bags have safety tips for trick or treating. Your customers who have children will appreciate that & remember you the next time they need your services. And face it, everyone likes it when something is given to their kids. For added safety, look into buying the metallic reflective bags.

5. People love getting something for free. You can't deny that people like to get a free gift no matter how small it may be, just so it's useful & these definitely are. You can give out your personalized bags with each order or just have a "Free Take One" display. If you have a booth at a trade show, these are ideal to hand out. Does a local school have a Halloween event where you can leave them?

6. Halloween is the beginning of the holiday season. It is one of the most popular times for businesses to get promotional custom products, so don't be left behind when your competition markets during this period.

7. Attached coupons are an option that will bring you repeat business. You can get the trick or treat bags with a detachable coupon at the bottom so you can get repeat business from your customers & draw in new consumers with a special discount.

8. It's a great way to promote your business--now & later in the year. You can put your other custom promotional items such as pens, note pads or a letter opener in the bags. This way your customers will have something with your logo on it long after Halloween is over.

Keep in mind, if you order the bags now, you won't get them for another three weeks--that's mid to late September & that's just when you should start giving them out.

Billions of dollars each year are spent on Halloween related items. In fact, it is the second highest revenue producing holiday. Make sure you are marketing your business during this festive, fun & productive time of year.
IT'S YOUR COMPANY......SHOW IT OFF!!!
Ronni Sherman

Integrate Advertising Specialties With Other Promotional Methods To Boost Your Business

There are numerous ways to promote your business but more & more companies, large & small, are turning to promotional imprinted products as one of their options. Customized promotional items have proven to be effective in enhancing brand recognition & recall. They have the ability to stay visible longer than any other form of advertising. This makes it possible for your name & logo to stay within the recipient's view for months on end.

But few, if any, companies will put all their eggs in one basket & just use advertising specialties as the only way to promote themselves. Promotional custom products can be incorporated with other promotions & used in conjunction with almost any form of advertising. So another benefit of using these items is they are versatile.

Here are a few quick tips on how to use promotional wholesale products with other means of advertising:
1. Face-To-Face Contact. Make sure you interact with your existing clients. Yes, it's easier & quicker to sent an email asking what you can do for them; but it's also impersonal. Calling on your loyal customer in their office or taking them out to lunch will do more for your business relationship than a quick email ever will. Remember when you meet with them, leave behind your business card & an imprinted item such as a pen, mouse pad or this time of year--a calendar.

2. Attend Trade Shows, Seminars, Conferences, Meetings, Fund-Raisers, Athletic & Political Events. It's even a good idea to conduct some of these events yourself. Whether you're attending or heading an affair, try to personally meet as many people as you can. Don't leave your place of business empty-handed......bring your printed material & promotional custom products to distribute among the crowd or as you network. Flash drives that are downloaded with your catalog showing your entire line are perfect for trade shows, seminars & conferences. Non-woven reusable tote bags are also ideal for trade shows & fund-raisers. Bookmarks, notebooks & neon markers work well at school functions. The main thing is make sure that both you, or a representative of your company, & your imprinted message are present at a number of these various events throughout the year.

3. Networking Using Social Media. Offer an incentive for people to follow you on one or more of your social network sites or to give you feedback on your website or blog. Almost everyone has a laptop today, but they don't come with a case to protect them. That's an extra expense many people don't want when they buy the laptop & choose to fore go getting it for awhile. A protective case with your logo imprinted or debossed in the lower corner would be a welcome gift. One company used beach balls to get people to follow them on Twitter & it was a huge success.

4. Mailings. I know they're expensive & time consuming when you can do the same thing over the computer. But sometimes a handwritten thank you note to a new customer or an existing one will bond them to your company. It's a sincere gesture that anyone would appreciate the time you took to write them a personal note. It will make a more lasting impression if you enclosed a notepad or a letter opener with your name on it. Mass mailings & newsletters still work for many industries & that notepad or letter opener will make more of an impact if it's enclosed. My dentist sends out a newsletter every three months with a flat container of dental floss. I find that to be a very effective way to use promotional imprinted products. Keep in mind, the items you mail out should be non-breakable, flat & light-weight.

So what are you waiting for? Start promoting your business today! Good luck!
IT'S YOUR COMPANY......SHOW IT OFF!!!
Ronni Sherman

Six Typical Mistakes When Buying Promotional Imprinted Products

It's been proven in study after study that customized promotional items are one the most effective ways of marketing. Most businesses, whether large or small, have used some type of advertising specialty at one time or another. A big majority of those companies have realized the benefits of promotional products & have appreciated how economical & effective this form of advertising is because it directly reaches their targeted audience.

Yet, as in all other fields, there is a small percentage of business men or women who feel it is not advantageous for them to invest in these products. It probably has nothing to do with using promotional items in general, but more to do with how they marketed them or what products they bought.

Here are six of the most common pitfalls you should be aware of before you invest in promotional custom products.

1. Wrong item for your target audience. This is a huge mistake that a lot of business owners make. Make sure you know who your recipients are & what their needs are. Mouse pads are great promotional items but they are the wrong thing for the elderly in an assisted living facility. A deck of cards, a bookmark or a pillbox that is divided & acts as a daily reminder would be more appreciated. Find out if they are physically active. If so, then a pedometer might work. Believe it or not, gum is a good thing for a dentist to give out as long as it is sugarless. If the target audience is a conglomerate, then pens, note pads & coffee mugs are among the items that appeal to a diverse crowd. This may seem like a no-brainer, but you'd be surprised at how many people order an item because they like & they don't consider who it's going to.

2. Not identifying an objective for your campaign. What exactly do you want to achieve with your purchase of promotional items? Are you going for brand awareness & to increase your sales? Are you trying to promote a grand opening, a fund-raiser or a sporting event? Do you want to draw people to your trade show booth or are you using them in a seminar? Are these gifts to thank your loyal customers? These are crucial questions you must ask yourself before you buy promotional wholesale products. You need to define your targeted audience & your goal in distributing these.

3. Buying a cheap product. You've heard this saying: "you get what you pay for". It's especially true for the promotional items you give out. Don't buy a twenty cent pen & expect people to jump up & down with excitement. Especially when your competitor gave them a great pen just a week ago. A cheap item like that pen is likely to skip when writing, smear & maybe not even write at all. It will end up in the trash while the fifty cent pen is on the desk & being used. All you've done is wasted your money & given the consumer a bad taste about your company. They'll associate your products or service as cheap & useless just like the pen they threw out.

4. Being stingy. This is a favorite & something I don't understand. I have customers who buy promotional imprinted products all the time, but never give them out. Sometimes their sales reps are too lazy or they "forgot". But usually the items are stored in a closet & "saved" for "special people" or "special occasions". Unless you're going to invite the public to rummage through your closet, you won't get company recognition with the promotions you invested in. You've spent money on them, so now let them go to work for you & advertise your business. The average promotional item is viewed by many more people than just the recipient. Therefore, one product is a powerful marketing tool & can be seen in multiple locations.

5. No contact information. Having just your logo printed on items without contact information like your website, email or phone number is not usually recommended unless you're a national company that is recognized by your logo. Your letter opener or note pad should not be a guessing game.

6. Too much printed information. I've come across this so many times. Often someone will want their company name & logo along with a tagline, street & email address, website, fax & phone number. Unless you're planning on purchasing note pads, mouse pads or tote bags, you won't have room for all this information. Your business name, phone number & website--maybe an email address, if there's room--is sufficient on most customized promotional items. Do you really need a fax number or zip code on a pen or paper clip holder?

These simple, but costly mistakes can be avoided by using an experienced & qualified advertising specialties distributor......one who has the ability to make your next marketing campaign a successful one. I hope this will help you find the promotional items that are right for your business.

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

Calendar Desk Pads Are Ideal Promotional Custom Products

Highly visible advertising & large areas for your company's logo & information make desk calendars a great way to advertise your business all year long.

Add a little color to your customer's desktop with calendar desk pads. At the same time, they offer your customers an effective way to organize their time & their appointments. With little effort, your clients can keep track of their schedules, deadlines, meetings & special engagements.

Six reasons why these make ideal promotional imprinted products:
1. They have a large imprint area & can show off more than your company name, logo & website. They have the room to display all your company information in a fun, colorful & creative way.
2. They are popular with just about everyone from professors & academic office staff to office personnel in any field......insurance, real estate, medical, accounting, automotive, to name just a few.
3. They are an ideal way for your company to be constantly noticed. This is a customized promotional item that will be used everyday. Your name will always be seen because they sit on the desktop, not in a desk drawer.
4. They are useful & needed. There's ample room to jot quick notes as well as the blocked off dates to write down important engagements & appointments.
5. They're economical. For only a few cents a day, your name & company's information will be in front of your client all day, visible all year.
6. They make nice appreciation gifts to your loyal customers. And they have a much longer life span than a box of candy.

Ok, so now I told you the reasons these make such good promotional wholesale products, you must be wondering why I'm talking about them in July. Believe it or not, this is the time to order them.
* You can take advantage of the early bird pricing.
* Calendar companies are in their busy season. You need to allow for the time it takes to get your desk pads printed & shipped.
* October is a good month to distribute them. The holidays are already in full bloom by then. So be the first. If you wait, your competitor will get to your customer before you do.

Remember desk calendar pads will keep your name in front of your clients on a daily basis all year long.
IT'S YOUR COMPANY......SHOW IT OFF!!!
Ronni Sherman

Advertising & Promotional Custom Products--Questions & Answers

I get questions all the time about promotional wholesale products & successful advertising campaigns. Here are a couple that were asked of me recently.

Why is someone always trying to sell me a .50 pen over a .25 pen? Why should I spend twice as much when they both do the same thing?
That's just it......they both don't do the same thing. The .25 pen will not write as well as the one that costs more & if it isn't going to write smooth, then it won't be used. The last thing you want is for it to be thrown in a desk drawer or worse yet, a waste paper basket. Then you've really wasted your money.
Also the pen, itself, will look cheaper than the one for .50 & again, people will reach for the more colorful, trendier one. The whole purpose of buying pens as promotional imprinted products is to get your name out among the public.
I'm not saying you need to buy the most expensive pen to get your message seen. Buy one that stands out so hopefully your company will be identified by it--in a positive way. It shouldn't blend with the dozens of others in that cup that holds pens. Besides writing smoothly, it should be comfortable to hold & the mechanism needs to be easy to use.
Anything with your name on it represents your company & who you are. That also goes for an ordinary pen that doesn't write well. Is that the message you want to give out? I'd rethink this, especially since your competition probably spent .50 on the pens he distributes.

Can social media co-exist with traditional marketing?
Definitely! Social media doesn't replace other forms of marketing, especially promotional custom products. They should work together. This is known as integrated marketing. But before you do anything, whether online or offline, there are four things you should define first:
1. Know & identify your brand. This takes a lot of thought & planning, but if you do it wisely you'll be more successful in your marketing venture.
2. Know your target audience. You'll waste your money if you're not reaching the people you need to reach. Learn who they are, where they are & what their needs are.
3. Know your budget. Don't get into a bind & not carry through with your marketing campaign because you ran out of money. Also don't start your campaign only to realize later you have to cut corners--you'll give out a different message than what your business is all about. That spells disaster.
4. Know your strategy. Make a detailed plan for your long term & short term goals regarding your marketing. Review it often to see if your goals are being met. If not, figure out what went wrong & set up a new agenda.

Do you have any questions you'd like answered? Send them to me & I'll be sure to post it in a future article. In the meantime, do everything you can to keep your company name & logo visible.
IT'S YOUR COMPANY......SHOW IT OFF!!!
Ronni Sherman

Customized Promotional Stress Relief Items

There seems to be no way to avoid it......stress is all around us & has become a part of our lives. Whether it's at home, at work, trying to juggle busy schedules or family or health issues, stress & tension is there.

Most of us live with it, but have also found outlets for it......the gym or another form of work-out, a favorite sport, hobbies, shopping, hanging out with friends. Yelling, hopefully not at someone but in the privacy of your car, can also be a release & some experts claim a pretty effective one at that.

Circumstances, uncomfortable situations & people are all triggers for the stress we feel. This is never more evident than in the work place. Offices are confined & don't have the space to work off steam when tension builds. Maybe you could get punching bag into your cubicle or do yoga during your lunch hour; but start yelling at the top of your voice from your desk & you might find yourself out of a job.

Bottom line, there really isn't an outlet for stress during the work day. Tension is one of the leading causes of decreased work productivity & absenteeism. There is a quick fix though & that's giving out stress relief items as your next promotional imprinted product. Putting your logo on one will not only keep your name visible but you could be associated with good health in the work place. Because the primary health issue in the office is stress, your customer will use these more than you think.

Customized promotional stress relief items are effective. The stress ball is the most popular for squeezing away anxieties. Picture an executive leaning back in his chair squeezing it while on the phone, a receptionist absently gripping it while reading something on the computer or a sales person throwing it around while on a short break. They provide a release for someone without taking up valuable work time or space.

Most important, they're good advertising for you. Stress relief items are often found sitting on a desk, book shelves or a computer monitor which means your company name is visible for everyone who walks by to see. They're fun promotional custom products & ones you can be creative with.

You can choose a style that best represents your business......globe, square cube, convertible, plane, tennis racket, golf club, computer mouse, molar, hard hat, stop sign, dollar sign, cell phone & every kind of sport ball, food & animal you can possibly think of.

Whatever shape you choose, stress relief items are novel & effective ways to put your name in font of your client or prospective customer.
IT'S YOUR COMPANY......SHOW IT OFF!!!
Ronni Sherman

Promotional Wholesale Products & Your Image As An Expert

There are so many blogs & articles written about company recognition & brand identity. In a previous blog, Will The Real Definition Of Branding Please Stand Up (May 2010), I tried to define what a brand is & how to obtain it.

After establishing your brand & revealing it to the public online & with offline advertising like catalogs, fliers & promotional imprinted products you need to make sure you, as a person, are also giving out the same message.

If you are an interior decorator & you've presented your company as daring, creative, out-of-the-ordinary......a business that pushes the envelope & comes up with astonishing results; you'll lose your customers if you, personally, come across as being traditional & playing it safe. Being someone who is not part of your branded image will give mixed messages. This is one of the worst things you can do to win over a customer.

First impressions can make it or break it for you. How many times have you heard that? I can't stress enough how true it is. Therefore, when you meet your client & hand him your business card & promotional custom products with your company name on them, make sure you, yourself, are part of that total picture you are trying to portray.

When you present yourself to clients as a representative of your company, it's important to show you are an expert in your field. Your expertise should be part of your brand.

Experts receive respect & have an edge over their competition. They're in a better position to attract loyalty from the consumer & interesting business opportunities.

Which of the following kinds of expert portraits work for your capabilities & your competitive marketplace?

* THE WHIZ--someone who has an unusual degree of skill & is able to accomplish tasks far more capably than others & usually with greater speed.
* THE BRAINIAC--someone with an unbelievable amount of knowledge at his or her command.
* THE SUCCESS--"I reached the mountaintop & now let me teach you how to do what I did."
* THE SAGE--someone who offers wise answers, effective advise & has a balanced range of perspectives.
* THE REBEL--someone people enjoy following because he or she reliably puts forward contrary, unpredictable ideas that make sense.

You can combine two of these types, but pursuing three or more of these kinds of qualities clouds how people understand your strengths & stretches your credibility.

When meeting that all-important client, put your best foot forward & foster your expert image--an image that fits your brand. Your image should be just as important to your brand identity as the customized promotional items you give out or the words describing your business in your mailings, your blogs & on your website.

Good luck the next time you meet your client. I hope this helps.
IT'S YOUR COMPANY......SHOW IT OFF!!!
Ronni Sherman

Customized Promotional Products Will Get You Noticed!

Look around you. Everywhere there is an item with a company's logo & advertising message on it. It could be a paper cup from Burger King, a note pad for a car dealership or a baseball cap flashing the title of a TV show. Now look at the pen you're writing with......who's name is on it? It should be yours. If it was, think how visible your company would be all day--everyday.

Promotional imprinted products are powerful marketing tools that target your audience & potential customers who might be interested in the product or service you're offering. I explain just how important & effective they are in my first blog: Why Use Promotional Imprinted Products (March 2010).

Today every business is doing its best to attract the attention of customers by allocating advertising budgets. These budgets should include advertising specialties because they have the ability to keep your logo visible for years to come. They should not be considered an expense, but rather an investment since their goal is to increase your revenue.

Investing in promotional wholesale products will be a long-term & wise decision. The cost of advertising on promotional items is remarkably low, yet the number of consumers exposed to your advertising message is exceptionally high. They can reach any & all targeted audiences you are going after.

The Advertising Specialty Institute conducted a survey & reported that people who receive promotional items keep them for an average of seven to nine months. This provides repeated & consistent exposure to your company. Have you given a bag to someone lately? Chances are, they'll use it more than ten times a month & your logo on that bag will be seen monthly by 1,038 people. That's just one bag......now multiply it by the number of bags you ordered & gave out in that one month.

Since your message is the medium, items with your name & logo on them will stay with your clients & potential customers. They will be within their sight as long as the promotional custom products are being used. Consumers will be reminded of you every time they write with a pen that has our name on it, drink from a coffee cup with your advertising message, hit a golf ball with your logo or drive behind a car with your website on the license plate frame. T-shirts & recyclable bags are walking billboards for your business.

IT'S YOUR COMPANY......SHOW IT OFF!!! Let your name stand out in front of the public at all times.
Ronni Sherman

Water Bottles--Hot Summer Promotional Imprinted Products

Summer is the perfect season to plan your promotional campaign. Because of the weather, people are more active. Daylight savings time makes it convenient for people to stay out longer & to go to more places than they do during the winter months. This also the time for family vacations. All of this helps in expanding your customer reach if you choose the right customized promotional item.

One of the best promotional imprinted products to give out at this time are water bottles. People plan their outings during summer vacations & prefer to carry water bottles wherever they travel......whether it's to a local beach, the gym or an excursion to a further destination.

Ok, I know what you're thinking......the ones that were made of soft white plastic & were stashed away in a forgotten place or rolled around the floor of your car. Not so--that water bottle is as out-of-date as a console TV. They've come along way in the last few years. Look around you when you're out in public or take note of what's being sold in the stores.

They're now available in various sizes, shapes, colors, patterns, materials & designs. They're generally transparent hard plastic bottles in brilliant colors that will make your logo & advertising message pop. Bio-degradable bottles as well as aluminum & stainless steel bottles are also very popular. The best thing about all of these......they no longer retain tastes or odors like the old fashioned white plastic ones did. And they're BPA free & eco-friendly.

Most companies either focus on other promotional events or run their own where they can hand out water bottles as useful advertising specialties. These events can include anything: grand openings, golf tournaments, team sponsorships, marathons, office functions & charity or political fund-raisers. They also make great thank you & customer appreciation gifts. One of my customers, a large new & used car dealership, leaves one in the cup holder every time a car is brought in for servicing.

Colors for these bottles are vibrant & they can go along with your company's color & logo. There's a large imprint area that allows space for your logo, company name & advertising message. In most cases, both sides of thee bottle can be imprinted for the same price.

Due to the various sizes & materials used, water bottles are one of the most versatile of all promotional custom products. For instance a sporting goods store that's celebrating a grand opening may give out large stainless steel bottles that carries sufficient water to keep someone hydrated. While a pediatrician or a toy manufacturer will probably hand out smaller brightly colored plastic bottles that would attract the kids. A company sponsoring a local soccer team may fore go their colors on a water bottle & give the players & their families bottles that are in the team colors--one side showing the team name & the other, the sponsor's information.

As far as the summer season is concerned, giving away promotional water bottles is the perfect item for any business in any industry since they're so adaptable. The main thing to remember is water bottles travel & wherever someone carries them, they are carrying your logo & message. This makes them a great marketing tool to connect you with your clients & prospective customers.

If anyone has any other ideas about imprinted promotional wholesale products to give out during the summer months, please let me know. In the meantime, I hope this helps you decide on a practical yet fun promotional item for your next marketing campaign.

Good luck!
IT'S YOUR BUSINESS......SHOW IT OFF!!!
Ronni Sherman