During these strange times, most business are challenged due to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it is paramount to #KeepPromoting your business in the face of adversity and continue with your marketing efforts to sustain visibility within your industry. It seems more important than ever to remind people that you are still holding on and that their custom means the world to you. After 10 weeks of being dormant now is the time to really rise up, grab hold of the opportunity and reignite your marketing campaign.
Using promotional products and merchandise only boasts advantages, it drives sales, develops connections and opens up possibilities of finding new customers. Let’s face it, this pandemic is not going to last forever, so it is important to look positively to the future in these uncertain times and remind people who you and what your business does.
So… what are the top 3 reasons why people should utilise promotional merchandise in their next marketing campaign.
#1 It is a way to increase brand awareness
This is the most obvious reason. If people do not know about you and your business, why would they buy from you? Putting your logo and brand out there amongst people is an extremely powerful marketing tool and a highly effective one at that! Promotional products provide a huge number of impressions on a regular basis. Take the example of the promotional printed pen. Pens are the number one promotional product worldwide. It is said that the average pen has 6000 impressions during its life span – pretty awesome really and what a fantastically cheap way to get brand recognition. Even if you don’t make a sale, major exposure has been made!
Here at Hotline, we highly recommend the Biofree Ballpen. A popular pen during these unprecedented times as it is specially formulated using silver nanoparticles to promote a safer working environment. Not only does it help to #StopTheSpread it also provides continuous anti-microbial and anti-fungal protection – seriously how cool is that?! It also boasts a large print area and is available in a wide range of colours. You can’t go wrong with a promotional pen… they are low cost, there is a humongous range to choose from and they are a great way to build a base for customer loyalty.
#2 It’s a great way to interact with your customers
Promotional products can also act as a talking point. We all know that first impressions are everything and what better way to ‘break the ice’ then sending a customer some branded promotional merchandise. Promotional products can help to get over that initial awkward hurdle of starting a conversation as you now have ‘something to talk about.’ Also, if it is a practical or useful product people are more appreciative and are more likely to listen to your sales pitch. The Mood Saver Bundle is a great way to reach out. Your clients or potential customer will receive a printed bottle, notepad and pen, all branded with your company logo. If the pen alone has 6000 impressions in its life time, imagine the impact of all three products! Take a look at the different colours available. Why not upload your logo now and see what it would look like on these fantastic giveaways?
If you are looking for something a bit quirky and outside the box, why not send your clients something a bit more thoughtful. Our Promotional 5 Stick Seed stick flowers will certainly spark up conversation.
These unusual promotional items have become quite trendy over the past year. Everyone seems to be invested in sending out eco-friendly promotional products which reflect their company’s green credentials and the importance of sustainability. You can choose from a range of Poppy’s, Wildflowers, Love in a Mist and Forget Me Knots. Your logo will be printed in full colour on the matchbook style packet. Take a look here to browse our range. Sometimes it’s nice to set your company apart and do something different. From the feedback here at Hotline these products have gone down really well.
#3 Promotional products improve Customer and employee retention
It’s true, promotional products can dramatically improve the relationship that you share with others whether they are customers or employees alike. Physically giving something to someone means they are more likely to remember you, and let’s face it everyone likes to receive something for free! We now live in a world of e-shots, newsletter and pop ups and sometimes it’s just nice to get back to ‘old school’ and receive something in the post and physically hold it. It cuts through all the e-chatter and helps you to rise up above the crowd.
During the British summer it’s always nice to giveaway something that people will use. With the wonderful warm weather that we have been experiencing, printed water bottles are a ‘sure thing’ where customer satisfaction is concerned. Here at Hotline we LOVE the Skyline Bottle. This 800ml water bottle looks fantastic once printed with a company logo and is a practical option for everyone with its pop-up straw and sip mouth piece for easy drinking. Unlike some other promotional products, they are less likely to be stuffed in a draw as people recognise their value. Also, with households consuming an average of 480 plastic water bottles a year (and over half no being recycled), a sustainable water bottle is a no-brainer and is the perfect giveaway.
Putting it simply, if you provide exceptional business service and you invest in a quality promotional gift, it will return dividends in the future, creating brand advocates and further business referrals.
So, there you have it…
…three reasons why you should reignite your marketing campaign NOW and get people talking about your business again. In the words of YAZZ (that really does show my age!) The only way is UP!