Your advertising budget doesn’t have to be huge to promote your business efficiently. Even the largest corporations use promotional items as a way of keeping their names fresh in customers’ minds and attracting potential clients.
The first step in choosing the right promotional item is to consider what you will use. Try to think of a product that your customers will use every day and tie it to your business if possible. For example, one yoga studio in China gave out flexible straws with a picture of a person bending.
Also, choose a useful product that customers will keep in their homes or offices. People love to get something for free, especially if it serves a purpose. Here are 15 ideas for promotional items you can use in your small business.
Calendars
In the fall, start passing out calendars to your clients for the new year. Most people use calendars but would rather not pay for one. Customers will hang one on their walls and see the name of your business every day.
Choose a theme that is universally appealing, such as local landscapes or puppies, and if possible, tie it into your business. For example, a mechanic might offer a calendar with pictures of classic cars, or a travel agent might use images of beautiful destinations.
Canvas Bags
You give your advertisement extensive exposure when you print your business logo on something people will use in public. Many people carry their shopping bags to stores today, and canvas bags are useful for toting necessary supplies like notebooks or crafting materials. Giving away bags allows potential customers to see your business all over town.
Chip Clips
The chip clip is an example of an item that customers will keep and use in their homes. People are always reaching for something that will keep a bag closed and secure. Why not take advantage of the opportunity for them to see your business’s name each time they do?
This choice is a particularly good one if your business sells something that comes in a bag.
Cooling Towels
Pass out your towels at a local parade or other public activity in warm weather. People will appreciate the gesture and remember your business.
This item is an excellent tie-in for a gym, coaching facility or other business that involves physical activity.
Flash Drives
Nearly everyone has at least one computer at home or work, and flash drives are convenient gadgets for transferring information like documents from one computer to another. They are also great for storing pictures and other special memories. If you are a photographer or computer repair person, have your company logo printed on flash drives.
Fidget Toys
Kids and many adults love something they can absentmindedly play with to divert their energy while they are working or concentrating on something else. Fidget toys have become especially popular in the past two years and are still a must-have item for many people.
Place your business name on a fidget toy to remind people of your business as they move their fingers. This medium is most suitable for any business where parents are clients.
Keychains
Keychains are one of those items that everyone uses. The customer may already have a keychain for their everyday keys, but it’s practical to keep an extra one for spare keys. Kids also like to decorate their backpacks and school bags with keychains.
Print your business logo on a keychain for people to keep around the house. If your company caters to children, consider a brightly colored or fuzzy keychain that will attract a child’s attention.
Magnets
Magnets are excellent promotional items for just about any small business because they tend to end up on the refrigerator, which is central to family activity. Your clients and customers are likely to see your magnet every day.
Choose a magnet as a promotional tool if your business requires people to call for appointments. If you are a hairdresser or a pet groomer, for example, a magnet will keep your phone number handy when a client is ready to make a call. Clients will be more likely to call you instead of searching for someone else’s contact information.
Pens
Pens are a favorite promotional item and for good reasons. Most people like to have a pen handy and try to keep one in their bags, cars, and pocket. People often leave their pens in public places or lend them to strangers. Putting your business name on a pen makes a lot of sense because you are likely to get a great deal of exposure. Using a bright color or pattern for your pens will bring even more attention.
Phone Grips
Nearly everyone has a phone at all times. Grips that stick the back of a phone allow the user to hold it more securely or to stand it up for better viewing of videos and other media. Many phone grips are collapsible and can be pressed down into a small circle that takes up minimal space.
This handy gadget is excellent as a promotional item because people will see every day. It’s a good choice for a business that involves technology.
Samples
The most successful promotional item for a business is the free sample. Once a potential client gets a hint of what you have to offer, the chances are that they will be back for more. If your business involves food or crafty creation, consider giving away something small. If you provide a service, you can offer a free class or a half-hour of your expertise.
Shaker
Shakes on the go for nutrition and weight loss are trendy today. Help support the shake habit by offering clients a plastic bottle with a shaker ball inside. Users just add milk and powder and then shake the ingredients into a frothy drink.
Consider shakers if your business promotes fitness or weight loss. This item is perfect if you sell nutritional supplements.
Stress Balls
Stress balls are fun, squishy, and virtually irresistible, and people are likely to bring it to their desks at work. These balls are an excellent place to put your company’s name, especially if your clients are other business people or if you provide a service that decreases stress in your customers’ lives.
T-shirts
The classic T-shirt is probably the most prolific promotional item of all time because it is appropriate for any business. Not only are T-shirts practical, but people also like them. Buy light T-shirts in a variety of colors and sizes, and turn your clients into walking billboards for your company.
Water Bottles
Many people take a water bottle everywhere they go, and most people know that a reusable bottle is better for the environment than a disposable one. Water bottles are handy because people carry them on bike rides and hikes, at the playground, and in their lunch bags for school and work. Hand them out to your clients, and your message will appear almost everywhere.
Distributing free promotional products is an efficient way of advertising your small business. You can make the benefits even more significant by choosing products associated with your business or items that you know your customers will keep and use.
If you can’t afford to give away a lot of stuff, then you could instead promote a raffle for a basket of items to be awarded to one customer each month or each week. This method has the added benefit of providing you with contact information you can use for advertising later.
If you have a small business, consider a strategy using promotional items. This list of 15 great options will get you started.
