Small businesses often struggle with small budgets or strong limitations on what they can spend on activities like marketing. This is unfortunate for many reasons. The first is that a business of any size must always look for new clients as well as maintaining the existing base. The second is that building brand awareness is crucial to competition and success. The third is that marketing is the only way to get to know the needs of your entire base in a way that nothing else offers. You gauge the reactions to certain campaigns or offerings, and you adjust your methods or product lines to accommodate the findings.
And while you read that and think, “Well, obviously.” That doesn’t expand your marketing budget to the size needed.
The good news is that advertising budgets don’t need to be enormous in order to be efficient, and this is particularly true when well-chosen promotional products are put to use.
How to Choose the Right Small Business Promos
First things first – choose the kind of products that have actual, long-term value to your audience. Experts say that even the most useful and attractive promo goods will be used for a period of seven months or less. That means you have only a short window of time to expect that promotional product to do a lot of marketing for you.
So, what are the ideal choices for small businesses? Think “everyday use” to ensure you get the returns desired. We suggest:
Calendars – Whether paper wall calendars, handsome bound desk calendars, or even magnetic calendars for a refrigerator, when it is designed and chosen well, it will be used daily and force the recipient to think about your business in a positive way.
Bags – Reusable shopping bags are always handy, but you can take things beyond the basics and go with printed calico bags, canvas bags, all-weather bags, or even specialty bags that will be used in front of other potential clients. For example, an insulated tote to be used by someone in the building trade, a canvas bag with lots of pockets for art or craft supplies, and so on.
Flash Drives – What could be more useful than a high amount of portable memory? A flash drive is something that almost everyone uses and if you design something unique and durable, your clients will think of you every single time it is put to use.
Towels – Cooling towels, and smaller gym towels have endless appeal to most recipients and if you choose the ideal size, colour and logo placement, you are sure to come to mind regularly. The avid exercise enthusiast will thank you when they wipe down gear at the gym. The people attending the outdoor event on a hot day will love receiving the towel, and the car owner who likes to hand dry the vehicle after a wash will love it.
Pens – Almost every business has used a pen as a promo good. The point, though, is not to just pass out a pen, but to hand out one that the owner won’t want to leave behind because it is such a reliable, appealing pen. This doesn’t mean handing out fountain pens; it simply means finding the best pens for your budget. Choose the right colour and size, and be certain that your logo appears clearly and that contact information is printed large enough for others to see.
What else might you use for a small business (i.e. small budget) promo product? We would say that unique keychains, magnets, phone grips, fidget toys or stress balls, water bottles, and t-shirts are all great options. Just remember the cardinal rule about them all: Never go with the cheapest route and always think of what your audience will experience using them. If something is flimsy, it conveys flimsiness with your brand. So, choose well and see great results.
Promotional products are also one of the best advertising mediums for Local Area Marketing
Also, check out our blog on How Promo’s can Pay for your Marketing
