Starting a business is a big decision that you need to think through. You will need to save up some money to use as the startup capital to rent office space, register the business, buy some few pieces of furniture, get some inventory into your shelves, and invest in marketing. If you look at the statistics on the survival rate of startups, you may be discouraged because over 90 percent of startups never make it past the 5-year mark. If you get everything right from the start, however, you could be among the 10 percent that make it and among the few that will make it to the 10th anniversary. The use of promotional products from the Promotions Warehouse can help you market not only your brand, but also the products and services you offer.
Guide to Using Promotional Products
Before you can use promo products to market your business, you’ll first need to identify the different types of promotional products to use. After that, you’ll need to find the right supplier of the promotional products. Thirdly, you’ll need to know how best to issue those products.
i) Types of Promo Products
The most widely used promotional products are key rings, t-shirts, calendars, bumper stickers, pens, mugs and baseball caps. However, you can also decide to include umbrellas, coffee mugs, wristbands, bags, reusable water bottles and refrigerator magnets among others. It is crucial you purchase a wide range of branded promotional products. The cheapest products, such as bumper stickers, key rings, refrigerator magnets and pens should come in their hundreds or even thousands, depending on the scale of your business. On the other hand, umbrellas, bags, water bottles, coffee mugs and other promo products that are more costly should be fewer in number.
ii) Find the Right Supplier
It is crucial to note that there are many suppliers of promo products, so it is recommended you do some research to find the perfect supplier for your needs. In this regard, there are numerous crucial factors to be taken into consideration when conducting your research. One of them is the cost of products. The cheaper the better. However, you need to pay attention to the quality of the products hand in hand with the pricing. This will ensure you get value for money. Quality is a key factor of consideration because nobody wants to carry low quality products, even if they got them for free. The quality of the freebies you offer is a reflection of the quality of products and services your business offers. The ideal supplier should be able to supply the promo products you order within the specified turnaround time and within budget.
iii) Learn How to Issue the Promo Products
As noted earlier, costly promotional products, such as umbrellas and bags should be fewer than cheaper products. Therefore, you need to instruct your staff to issue costly freebies to customers who spend more money. Parents with toddlers can use an umbrella during a hot sunny day, so be sure to keep this in mind. Key rings and pens should be issued to every customer, so you need to have an ample supply of branded pens and key rings. Knowing how to issue promotional products is the key to success when using freebies to market your brand.
Benefits of Using Promo Products
i) People Love Freebies
Everybody loves getting free merchandise. Imagine getting a baseball cap that you never expected as a reward for buying something at a local shop. This is sure to put a smile on your face. Every time you see that cap, you’ll think of where you got it from. People love freebies and that is why the use of promo products for marketing purposes always works.
ii) Incentive to Buy
Before spending money, most people would want to know what’s in it for them. Are they just going to get what they pay for or there is something extra? People are likely to line up at local shops that offer something more than what they pay for. Knowing you’re going to get a gift hamper for spending over $100 at a given shop can give you some motivation to visit that shop.
iii) Cheap Marketing
When you hand out branded quality merchandise that people can use on a daily basis, you can get impressive returns on your investments. Things like branded caps, bags, t-shirts, and wristbands are like moving billboard advertising. They can help you attract more customers to your business.
iv) Build a Loyal Customer Base
There are many other businesses in the neighborhood that offer similar products and services, so why should a customer come to you and not go to the competition? What is in it for them? Well, the promo products might just answer this question for them. You can easily build a large customer base by giving customers promotional products every once in a while. Make it a habit to offer freebies whenever you have a seasonal or clearance sale. People will come to you because they know they are going to get something more than what they pay for. This means more value for money for them.
To find a legitimate online promotional products business, there are a couple of things you need to consider. For starters, you have to check their reputation. Only highly rated companies with many positive reviews and a lot of testimonials should be accorded any special consideration. It is crucial you check out some of the branded merchandise previously supplied by the firms you come across. This will help you decide whether or not they are the best for your needs. The prices they charge and guarantees they offer can tell you whether or not they are legitimate.
