Everyone is talking about how promotional bags are just what you need to kick up your marketing. Customers love it and so do companies. It’s a win-win for both sides.

But wait!

How do we choose the right promotional product?

It can be quite tough when you are a beginner. You might feel lost in the world of promotional products where everyone is giving you different advice. Lucky for you, we have developed a set of easy-to-follow steps that will help you choose the best promotional products for your business.

The 7 Steps To Choose The Best Promo Gift

1. Decide Your Budget

Everyone would love to receive a free cellphone from a company and would remember you forever if you gave them one. But is this feasible? Of course not! Even the question is absurd!

Therefore, the first step of choosing the right giveaway is to decide on the kind of budget you can afford. However, remember that whatever you choose should have good quality and be affordable at the same time. It can be difficult to find the perfect balance between the two.

2. The Promotional Item Should Be Related To Your Business

This one is no brainer, but still, many businesses overlook this aspect. Your promotional product should be somehow related to your products or services. Otherwise, it will just be nonsensical to give out items that are not relevant to your business. For example, if you sell tech-related gadgets such as mobile phones, it would make sense to give out promotional headphones, chargers or power banks. Similarly, if you are a clothes business, it would make sense to give out promo bags.

So, to reiterate it, make sure that you connect the promo item to your business so that your customers remember your brand for what it really is.

3. Make Sure That The Promo Item is High-Quality

This one is quite easy to overlook. Many people argue that they do not want to spend thousands on promo products and hence end up compromising on quality. But they forget two things. First of all, the quality of your “gift” reflects the quality of your brand. It’s just as simple as that: If your promo bag wears out quickly, it leaves a negative impression in your customers’ minds. Of course, you would not want that. You want your customers to know that you truly value them.

Secondly, the quality of your promotional item is directly related to how long the receiver will keep it for. If the item is durable, the customer will be able to keep it longer. In this way, your gift will serve as a promotion for much longer.

4. Research Your Audience

The next step is to research your potential customers. The more you know about your audience, the easier it is to choose the right gift for them. You must know factors such as their age, gender, financial status, and occupation.

For example, if most of your customers are teenagers, your promotional item would be different than if they were business professionals.

According to the Advertising Specialty Institute, you must consider the following while deciding on the right promotional product.

• Females between the age of 18 and 24 are likely to have a promo bag with a brand’s logo.
• Younger adults and teenagers own more promo desk supplies.
• Men are more likely to own promo USB drives and logoed outwear.
• Rural and older adults are more likely to own custom calendars.

With these insights in mind, you can find the best item for your audience. Also, remember to keep a log of what works and what doesn’t. You can also get feedback from your customers in this regard.

5. Promotional Products Must Be Useful

When you are giving out promo products, don’t just think about how they will promote your business. Rather, you should consider the items’ usefulness for your customers. If it is something useless, the customers will just discard it. There go your dreams of setting up a promotional cycle.

On the other hand, if your customers actually enjoy using your promotional items, they will use them in the long run. This will increase the visibility of your brand and enhance its reach.

Furthermore, if your customers are happy with your promo gift, they will take to their friends, colleagues, relatives, etc. about it. Thus, it will turn into a cycle of promotion.

6. Mark It As Your Own

No matter what promotional item you have chosen, it must carry your mark. Remember, the purpose of your freebie is to have people remember your brand. If the promo gift does not carry your brand’s name, chances are that the customers will forget about your brand over time. Thus, it is absolutely crucial to have your logo imprinted on your promotional item. You can also further personalize the item with your brand colors.

7. Spread The Word

Your customers will not suddenly dream that your brand is giving out promotional products. You will need to tell them about it. And this brings us to our next step: Spread the word.

Make sure that people know that you are offering freebies or gifts. To spread the word, you can use other advertising tools such as email, TV, YouTube, etc. Once your potential customers know that you are offering free stuff, this will incentivize them to purchase from your business rather than someone else. In this way, promo products are already working to bring you new customers. However, the story doesn’t end here. Once your customers use your promo items, the advertising cycle will continue. This will increase the reach of your message by many folds.

Key Takeaway

If you plan your way through each step carefully, you will be able to find the perfect promotional item for your business. However, you must keep in mind that marketing your business with custom giveaways is a slow process. It will not bring you overnight results. So, if you are looking for quick results, promotional products are not the right way to go for you.

But the greatest benefit of giving out promotional gifts is its long-term marketing potential. It will boost your outreach and brand recognition slowly, but surely.