27 Mar Using Promotional Products to Strengthen Your Brand

Your brand image is vital to the success of your business. A common misconception with small business owners is that only big businesses need a brand image. The truth is EVERY business IS a brand. Your business name is your brand. Now, the challenge is creating a compelling brand in the eyes of your customers and prospects.

One extremely effective way to promote and strengthen your brand is through the use of promotional products. These marketing items have been used to promote companies for decades and the industry is bigger than ever, topping $19 billion in 2014.

Do you honestly think businesses spent a combined $20 billion for something that doesn't work? Not a chance.

However, you must be strategic in the promotional products that you choose. You must choose useful items and the more unique, the better. You don't always have to choose items that are related to your business, but doing this frequently will strengthen your brand from the recipients' perspective.

Psychology Behind Giving Out Branded Products

When you gift an item to a person, whether a customer or not, you create a situation of instant gratitude. That recipient intrinsically feels a deeper connection to your company. It's true that person may not need your services right then, but when they do, you can bet they will remember you.

Loyalty is typically gained through several successful transactions between your business and a customer; however, just with the simple act of giving, you have laid the groundwork for future loyalty. After that, it's your job to grow that loyalty through amazing service and added value.

Thanking Your Top Clients With Promotional Products

Every business has top clients that spend a lot of money with them. They obviously are happy with your service since they keep coming back to you. However, simple thank you gifts are excellent ways to strengthen that relationship thus strengthening your brand. Choose premium promotional items that are worthy of saying "thank you." This isn't the time to go cheap or you will risk insulting your top spending clients. Your gifts will be highly appreciated and each time they use the item, your brand is further solidified in their minds.

Promotional Products As Door Prizes

I attend a lot of networking events through my local chamber of commerce and one of the biggest marketing mistakes I see is the choice of door prizes given away by businesses. Many of these networking events have hundreds of business owners and professionals in attendance. Businesses can give away door prizes at these events as way of being recognized in front of the entire audience.

Too often, though, I see businesses give away non-branded items as their door prizes. Giveaways such as gift cards, cash, or other gifts that lack their own company logo. These type of gifts are won by the recipient who then promptly forgets who gave them the gift. However, imagine if you gave a useful item with your company logo on it. Then, the recipient sees your brand every time they look at the product.

Give Out Promotional Products Just Because

I very frequently give out promos to those I come in to contact with at meetings, networking events, customer visits, etc. I don't wait for big events or big sales. Actually, people I come in contact with have come to expect these giveaways. They get excited to see me coming due to their own curiosity about the promos I might have for them that day!

This investment in these branded products has created a loyal customer base that helps sustain and grow my business year after year.

Be generous and you will create loyalty. Be creative and you will be remembered. Be strategic with your promotional products and you will strengthen your brand to build a rock solid business.