The use of company swag to promote your business is as old as entrepreneurship itself. Give your customers something concrete to enjoy and share builds a good rapport with your customer base and shows off your logo and brand image to all their connections.
Does giving out promotional items still work in the highly digital age in which we live? Think about the last time a bank gave you a nice pen or a brand you frequent offered you a shirt. You likely used or wore the item and even talked to others about why you like the company.
How do I promote my company swag?
According to IBISWorld, the company's swag market is worth an estimated $20.8 billion with an expected growth of 0.9% per year. Companies still hand out promotional items to attract new customers and engage current ones.
Consumers expect free promotional items from the brands they do business with the most. Whether you add an extra item into their shipped order, or you pass out freebies at a local conference, your swag should always have a purpose. Do you want to increase brand recognition? What is the purpose of the giveaway?
How can you let the right audience know about your offers? Once you pass out freebies, how can you ensure you get the most benefit from the marketing endeavour? Here are some things you can do to promote your company swag and maximise your efforts.
1. Send an email or SMS
Let your current customers know about any swag you have to offer before offering it to those who don’t already purchase from you. Send out a quick email or SMS and tell them you have T-shirts they can pick up next time they’re at your store or office.
Up the odds of success by reaching out to those people who are already your raving fans. These are the folks who will wear your tee and tell everyone they know you gave it to them and why they like your brand.
2. Make it fun
Are you setting up a trade show booth to reach new customers? You likely have some swag to give away. You can make your presence known and create a lot of excitement by turning winning swag into a game that draws a crowd to your booth.
Add a carnival wheel, let them pluck a duck from a small kiddie pool with a corresponding number for the swag they get or have them draw a piece of paper out of a fish bowl. Make sure you collect their contact information before you let them play the game. They’ll be happy to win swag and you’ll have leads you can follow up with after the event ends.
3. Host an event
Are you in the middle of a new product launch? Host an event to give your customers and the media a sneak peak of the item before the general public sees it.
Give out swag bags with your brand logo and a few freebies to get people talking. The more attention you get via promotional items people use and wear, the wider your reach might be.
4. Choose the right items
Think about the types of products your audience base actually uses the most. If you sell pots and pans, you might include a rubber coated spatula as a promotional tool. Try to tie into what you do with your free item, so it makes sense for the industry you’re in.
While a general promotional item, such as a coffee mug, might be appreciated, something more related to what you sell makes the most sense. A tech startup might give out branded mouse pads, for example.
5. Encourage social media shares
Around 22% of customers choose a brand because of a strong sense of community. Social media is an excellent place to reach and engage both current and potential customers. When you give out company swag, you can encourage people to post an image utilising the free promotional item.
Ask them to use a particular hashtag or @ you so you can gather up all the mentions in one place. You’ll also have a chance to see what your loyal customers post and interact with them on the platforms they prefer.
6. Give talks
If you want to establish your brand as an expert in your industry, give talks to various groups. Pass out free giveaways while speaking to people. Ask them to tell others about what you do and offer them big discounts to sign up on a trial basis.
For many people, a new brand must prove itself. If you can get them to try your product or service, they’re likely to buy again or at least leave you positive reviews. In the early days of building a business, excellent reviews can spread the word about your company. If you’re already an established brand, you still have to prove yourself to people who haven’t heard of you before.
Consider your budget
When choosing the best company swag to represent your brand, you must first consider your overall marketing budget and how much you are willing to spend on giveaways. There’s never a guarantee a freebie will bring in new business, so decide what metrics you wish to measure with your efforts, such as brand recognition or more leads.
Never spend more than you can afford to lose. There are times when promotional giveaways fall flat. If you don’t make a single connection from the swag, you’ll at least be within your spending cap and can try something else next time.
Copyright 2023. Featured post made possible by Eleanor Hecks, founder and managing editor of Designerly Magazine. She's also a web design consultant with a focus on customer experience and user interface.