5 mistakes to avoid with promotional products

No matter what kind of business you run, promotional products can help you engage your customers and increase sales. According to Contemporary Communications, promotional items increase brand recognition and reach many customers at a low cost. This type of marketing offers a lot of versatility, so there are many options, making it easier to make mistakes. When using promotional products for your business, avoid these five pitfalls:

1. Not defining your objectives
Prior to handing out promotional products, set the objective. From keeping top of mind with prospects, enhancing customers’ perception or increasing awareness within a defined group, promotional products can achieve a range of objectives. Being clear about what your objectives are will allow you to select the most effective promotional products.

2.  Ineffective information
Since most promotional items don’t have much space, you can’t print a lot of information on them. According to MarketingProfs, you want the information to clearly tell your customers how they can purchase your products and services. For example, if you want customers to buy your products off your website, there is no need to list your phone number on the items.

3. No distribution plan
Before ordering promotional products, determine how you want to distribute these items to your customer base. For instance, if your goal is to attract new customers, consider handing out promotional products at a trade show or at another type of relevant industry event. When you have a booth at a trade show, many attendees will see your products and may do business with you in the future.

4. Boring design
If you hand out promotional products that contain nothing more than your company logo, you are unlikely to attract many people. Your promotional items will not stand out from the rest, so potential customers may not even remember your company. Take the time to create a unique design for your promotional products that will set you apart from other businesses. An eye-catching image or pattern will grab people’s attention and get them talking about your company.

5. Ordering at the last minute
It is a good idea to order your products at least a few weeks before the promotional campaign. If you wait until the last minute, you will have to pay more money for rush orders. You also will have less time to deal with any problems that may come up during the shipping stages.

In order for your promotional products to succeed, you must plan ahead and focus on quality. If you give away promotional items your customers will like, you will get a return on your investment.