In a world where people have been talking about digital marketing, social media, PPC, search engine optimization or SEO, and content marketing, one thing about marketing strategies remains strong, and that is the power of promotional products.
The basic concept of marketing hasn’t changed through the years. Relevancy, usefulness to the customer and product quality remain to be the critical factors in encouraging consumers to do business with your brand.
Seeing how my clients leverage promotional products and branded apparel in raising and reinforcing brand awareness and in putting their brands in front of the people who matter to their businesses, there’s no doubt that promotional products and branded apparel have stood the test of time and have been thriving in this digital age.
To maximize the impact of your marketing efforts using branded apparel or promotional products, avoid these top three mistakes that most marketers make:
Mistake No. 1: Choosing items that are IRRELEVANT to their brand and to their target consumers
Before choosing promotional products to order, try to pause for a moment and rethink your goals for using promo items in your marketing campaigns.
Most marketers target brand awareness and brand reinforcement, which, in the long run, can convert to sales. A few would like to encourage repeat business. Many have more specific purposes including driving traffic to their website, generating leads through sign-ups, or increasing their social media follower base.
Whatever your goals are, go for promotional items that will help your target consumers recall not only your brand name, but also what you do every time they see those products.
You can leverage popular items like bags, mugs, pens, etc., but making them more relevant to what your company does will increase brand recall.
What do I mean by this? Here’s an example:
If you’re from a fitness club or organization, you can give away hydrating bags, instead of generic bags:
Check out more examples here.
Choosing promo products that are relevant to what your company or organization does will then lead you to a more tactical way of distributing your items to the consumers who need them — your potential customers!
Remember that when competition is tough, the most relevant items will win the hearts of consumers.
Mistake No. 2: Choosing items with the LOWEST PRICE to save money
If you want higher return on your investment in using promotional products in your marketing efforts, choosing the cheapest products is not the best option.
Photo by Fabian Blank on Unsplash
Quality usually comes with a price, and if you’re willing to spend a bit more for promo items that last longer, your organization will reap the benefits of using promotional products as a cost-effective marketing solution.
You don’t necessarily have to choose the most expensive items, but definitely don’t go for the cheapest.
Mistake No. 3: Choosing items that are NOT USEFUL to their target consumers
Some marketers choose giveaways as if they are the ones who will use the products. This is a huge mistake.
When deciding which items to give away, put yourself in the shoes of your target consumers. Are they going to use it? If not, your products will end up being discarded or kept until they’re forgotten.
And if you want to extend the lifespan of your promotional products, giving away useful items is key.
Conclusion
So the next time you plan to use promotional products as part of your marketing mix, here are the three top mistakes to avoid to ensure maximum returns on your marketing investment:
✘ Choosing items that are IRRELEVANT to their brand and to their target consumers.
✘ Choosing items with the LOWEST PRICE to save money.
✘ Choosing items that are NOT USEFUL to their target consumers
To avoid these common mistakes, make sure you have clear marketing goals, well-thought-out distribution plans and specific results expected.
Don’t make these mistakes — again. Contact us for advice on the most cost-effective promo products for your marketing or branding campaigns: [email protected]