EFFECTIVE INEXPENSIVE MARKETING TOOLS

Small businesses are, for the most part, on a limited marketing budget. Part of a marketing goal is to create an impression so that the person you are targeting will remember your name and your product or service.

I want to address the benefits of promotional items as an inexpensive way of being remembered.

• 54% of consumers say that receiving promo items from a specific brand increased their loyalty to that brand.
• 9 in 10 people who receive a promo product will recall the brand name.
• Nearly 8 in 10 people who receive a promo item do further research on the company it is from.
• The average life of a promo item is at least one year.
• Products kept the longest on average include USB drives, bags, water bottles and mugs.
• The number of impressions is a key marketing term. A promotional item will make anywhere from 5 to 20 or more impressions on a prospect. Every time that item is used and your name and message appears it makes an impression.

There is more to it than just ordering a promotional item. A promotional item should have not only your company name and contact information, but a “promise” (your tag line) and a call to action. That means that the item has to have enough space to deliver your message and at the same time be something that a prospect will keep and use.

Make a promo-item plan!

Giving a promo item away that just has your company name and contact information, does not tell the person receiving it what you do and does not have a call to action.

The cost per item will vary with its use. At a trade show, you want to keep the cost as low as possible because you are not targeting your prospect. If you have a group of ten prospects at a meeting, then you can increase the value of your gift.

To maximize the effectiveness of a promotional item remember to have the following information:

• Company name
• Your promise (tag line)
• Website
• E-mail
• Call to action

I recommend working with a graphic designer to help you with the layout of your message. Even if you have to spend $5 to $20 per item, if you deliver it in person to a qualified prospect, it is still cost effective.

Rise up. Start fresh. See the bright opportunities in each new day.

Tips & Advice by Nick Petra – CFP, Mentor, and founder of BizQuack and Strategic Duck