Small business owners spend significant time, money and effort in attending the business fairs and events. When done right, these events do provide you with targeted audience who is there for the purpose of learning about new products and services. The challenge for any small business owner is to stand out in the crowd of other businesses who are also there for the same purpose. How do you attract people to come to your booth? And once they do stop by how do you get their attention and ensure they remember your business long after the event is over? This is where promotional swags can help. Promotional items provide an avenue for business owners to remind people about your business after they have gone back home. For promotional items to be effective you need to give careful consideration to the type of items you give away so that people don’t end up forgetting them, or even worse, tossing them in the trash. Here are some tips on what type of items will be remembered by your potential customers.
The Directly Relevant Items
Think of the event’s purpose and the people who are most likely to attend. The promotional swag you give away that is relevant to the purpose will always be popular. For example, for a healthy living expo, give out a bag or container of healthy snacks. Pair snacks with an item that will last a long time and the customers can continue to use at home, like a food storage container.
Alternatively, take the day’s expected weather or the event’s location into account when choosing an item. If it is an outdoor event, pass out reusable drink bottles or sunscreens. If it is going to be chilly, give out knit hats, mittens and scarves. For rainy season, look at umbrellas. Having something that is immediately useful will draw crowds to your booth.
The Always-Useful Items
You can also think of an item that will be useful on a daily basis long after people have gone home. Put your logo or message on durable items with timeless appeal, such as:
- Tote bags – Consumers will continue to use your tote bag when they shop long after the event is over.
- Pens – The more themed for the event— for example, a syringe-style pen for a medical expo — the better.
- Mobile device chargers – If consumers have run out of battery at the event, your product will prove immediately useful.
- Reusable bottles – Skip the one-time-use-water-bottle and give consumers a reusable metal or plastic bottle with your logo on it.
The For-a-Cause Items
The image or message you put on the promotional item is as important as the item itself. After all, people who particularly care about certain cause will want to show it to others and that will spread your name through word-of-mouth. Highlight a special cause your business supports on your promotional swag, particularly one that is relevant to the event.
For example, if you have a booth at a charity event for a disease you can design a logo showing your support for the charity. Your business name and logo might be followed by a phrase – “Donates 10 percent of Product Y sales profits to Charity X each year,” or something relevant. Include the charity logo, like a pink ribbon for breast cancer or an illustration of a tree for an event celebrating Earth Day. Make the promotional swag as attractive and inspiring as it is useful and relevant, and customers will keep it forever.
The New York Times reports that American businesses spend $20 billion on promotional merchandise each year. A large fraction of those products wind up in landfills because they fail to connect with consumers. Make sure you design your giveaways such that people will keep it for a long time and will want to show to others.
Any other ideas you have successfully used for promotional merchandise?
About the Author: Gary Austin is the founder of Gary Austin Advertising. He suggests you visit http://www.thepenguy.com for your promotional swag needs.
