With the end of the year just around the corner, planning your marketing strategy for 2015 should be near the top of your list. Your marketing strategy plays an important role in business growth. Here are ten ways that you can include promotional products in your plans.
- Work with a trusted promotional consultant who has vast product research resources. Rather than settling for the first product that comes up in your research; let a promotional consultant find it in the perfect color, size, shape, material and price range.
- Consider advertising and sponsoring at events. You and other area businesses can share the spotlight (and costs), with each of your logos imprinted on mugs, apparel, totes and more.
- Consider experiential marketing for your business, giving your customers an “experience” in addition to promotional items. Have you ever hosted an open house? Done an after-hours tour? These type of events, along with promotional products, could lead to memorable experiences for your customer and increased business.
- Always consider your target demographic when choosing giveaways. A Millennial might like a tech item, but a Baby Boomer may prefer a calendar around the holidays.
- Don’t settle for the cheapest item. A promotional consultant can give you options and show you good-better-best items to help you see the difference. Your promotional consultant will help protect your brand, as if it were their own.
- Consider adding pet products to an upcoming event, even if you’re not a pet-related business. People love their pets and will love you for thinking of them, too. Businesses such as auto dealerships, IT firms and companies often look for pet-related products.
- Implement a customer loyalty program and reward your customers with gifts of various price ranges depending on number of visits, types of items purchased, or other metrics.
- Surprise customers with unexpected gifts at unusual times of the year – Christmas in July, for example. Everyone who visits your establishment could get a logoed ice cream scoop or a tumbler.
- Don’t wait until the last minute to order your products. You can get better pricing, a wider choice of products and decrease some of your costs if you prepare well in advance.
- Finally, consider your promotional consultant to be a member of your marketing team. Call them in for regular planning meetings on promotions, events and projects coming down the pike. These professionals have firsthand knowledge of what other businesses in your industry, niche or area are doing to promote themselves and will counsel you on how you can stand out.