There are so many benefits to using promotional items to increase your business. They are a fantastic way to market your products and services continually at very affordable prices.
Advertising and marketing can cost a company a hefty portion of its budget and may not always reach their target. On the other hand, as we said on a previous occasion, wearable promotional items – such as customized woman pu tote bags for instance – turn users into walking ads and billboards for your business in the most natural ways.
Here are seven reasons why you should choose wearable promotional items as a form of marketing your business.
#1 Advertising
Of course, the main purpose of a promotional item is to get your name in front of potential customers. Nowadays, you have tons of promotional items you can choose from, such as canvas tote bags, T-shirts, pens, watches, baseball caps, USB sticks, mugs, notebooks, calendars and so much more. Depending on the item you choose, the ones who attend the event and receive the gift will continue to advertise your business for you by using the item they received. So, you really want to consider what promotional items will gain you the most exposure.
As a piece of advice, we would like to mention the fact that in this day and age, people don’t use many pens anymore, nor paper notebooks, as everybody has smartphones, tablets, and laptops that cover all their needs. In other words, you should address your tech-savvy clients or potential customers by offering promotional items that offer them even more comfort to work and live in this highly dynamic and technologized world:
Cool cyber backpacks that fit in laptops and other gadgets for the urban professional dwellers of our times;
Modern laptop-friendly messenger bags for the young generation of college students, professionals, and corporate workers who know how to mix style with functionality;
Cool lunch bags for stylish “eat at work” moments;
Duffel bags for the dynamic men and women who are always on the move, either for business or for pleasure.
Transparent bags and backpacks if you address a young audience that is a regular at concerts, events, some schools following the clear bag policy, and so on.
#2 Giving Back to Your Community
Being a part of your community is important. People will use your products or services if the business is an active part of their community. It's important to attend local expos, trade shows, health fairs, community service events, charity events, or fundraising events. This will help people realize you want to give back to your community and that will sit well with potential customers. Promotional items are the ideal thing to have when attending these events because the attendees will be able to take something home with them that represents your business.
Let’s say your brand organizes an event with plenty of attendees. Giving to your community means more than just offering them a learning opportunity or a few moments of entertainment. It means really giving something to them to remember you and promote your business in their turn because you made an impact.
Offering them goodie bags – branded with your logo or brand motto – is always a good place to start. Goodie bags for adults as promotional items at events are nothing new. The crucial aspect here is to fill up the goodie bags with stuff that is useful and outstanding. If you want more inspiration on this topic, we recommend you to read our guide on how to turn promotional tote bags into memorable goodie bags.
Moreover, if you are organizing a conference or a charity event – or you are one of the guest participants to such events – handing out conference bags filled with interesting items is a must. Unfortunately, people are not huge fans of paper flyers or outdated/cheap items nobody uses anymore. Instead, check out our guide for fun conference bags ideas that all attendees will love and take home, talking about your brand months after the event is over.
#3 Increase Customer Loyalty
Promotional items are a great way to reward your customers. You can give these items as rewards for things such as the number of referrals the client has given you or a certain amount of purchases they have made. This is a great way to reward your loyal customers and tell them to thank you for helping your business succeed.
Take an example from the sports/gym industry. Gyms and athletic centers have solid reasons for handing out promotional drawstrings bags to both established and new customers. Besides brand awareness and advertising, such promotional sports bags increase not only the brand’s reputation, but also allow customers to engage with the brand in a natural way.
When it comes to turning your clients into loyal returning customers and organic brand promoters, nothing beats tote bags. As part of sustainable marketing strategies, more and more companies – regardless of their industry or business department – offer organic cotton tote bags or recycled bags to promote their business.
Eco-friendly promotional products can boost a brand’s reputation tenfold. Besides the fact that we live in a time when eco-conscience is stronger than ever, fashion handbags are in full compliance with the global trend of ditching plastic shopping bags, for one.
Secondly, environmentally sustainable promo/advertising products speak of your company’s efforts to become eco-aware, use fewer resources, protect our waters and air, and address those who are an active part of the global green movement.
If customer loyalty is what you seek, and your audience is young and fiercely socially active, eco-friendly promotional items should become a priority for your business.
#4 Boost OfflineTraffic
Since you took the time to set up a booth at an event, it is always a good idea to provide some promotional items. This will help generate more traffic to your booth, and customers will be able to learn more about your products and services.
You should also think about the traffic you will gain at your actual place of business. Besides branded backpacks for your gym, you can also consider promotional bags containing whimsical items that will “convince” your audience to visit your hotel or eat in your café/restaurant. Do we even have to mention bookshops and publishing houses and their absolutely amazing promotional book bags?
Besides specialty shops, book shops, gyms, and other brick-and-mortar businesses, the hospitality industry is a trendsetter when it comes to offering promotional items with a flair of the unique and original.
Spreading the word on paper is an outdated marketing practice and the young generation frowns upon it – as we said, Millennials are the ones speaking truth to power when it comes to eco-friendliness, also being the ones willing to spend money on sustainable products or pledging their loyalties to sustainable brands. If this is your main audience, switching from paper flyers and notebooks to tote bags containing useful yet “green” items may take you one step closer to your business goals.
#5 Introduce/Promote New Products
Promotional items can really kick off a new product or service that you are offering. This is a great way to get some added exposure. You can give them to your employees, as well as customers who meet certain criteria such as being one of the first to purchase the new product.
When you are marketing a new product that can go in a bag, custom promotional canvas tote bags are your best strategy. Apart from making a powerful statement and being eco-friendly, canvas tote bags are the perfect versatile advertising environment for brand personalization – we talk about logos, embroidery, screen-printing/digital print of mottos, images, and quotes, and more. They are not just wearable, they speak volumes about your business building loyalty and constructing an unforgettable story.
#6 Show Appreciation for Employees
Let’s face it, your employees make up a large portion of your business. Promotional items make a great way to tell your employees how much you appreciate them. Provide gifts that are useful, such as lunch bags, water bottles, or T-shirts. You can present them at the company picnic or during the business anniversary. Small gestures can go a long way with employees.
One of the best and most affordable ways to thank your employees for their support and turn them into willing business promoters is to offer them branded messenger bags that fit their personality, job, and personal style. As long as you don’t brand the bags in poor taste, messenger bags for your employees are the ultimate marketing and promotion strategy. Not to mention a sign of respect and appreciation for your co-workers.
#7 Celebrating an Anniversary or Grand Opening
Promotional items are a great-added touch when celebrating a business anniversary or grand opening. Promotional items during these events will take on a keepsake role. It will mark that pivotal point in your business, and there is no better way than to give away an item for your customers to remember it by. It is also a phenomenal way to say “thanks for your business through the years”, or “thanks for supporting the opening of my business in your community”.
The perfect opening or anniversary event should include “welcome bags” or “thank you bags” filled with amazing and remarkable items that people will wear or use in the future to further boost your business’s good name. For some inspiration and cool ideas, check out our guide on some of the best welcome/thank you bags for memorable events.