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Promotional products is the only form of advertising consumers actually like. From mall kiosks to small businesses just starting out, we’ll help you find the right giveaways to help you grow faster.

ByLeo Victor

Profitable Small Business Marketing Ideas & Kiosk Promotions for 2024

Running a kiosk is one of the most promising and upcoming businesses for first time entrepreneurs. You really have no cost other than rent and product, which is why you should have plenty of budget to focus on small business kiosk promotions for 2024.

“Mall kiosks offer a unique way in which to operate a retail enterprise — all of the exposure to the natural traffic found in a shopping mall without the overhead of renting an actual storefront space.” – Houston Chronicle

Having a kiosk marketing strategy is key to be successful in this business. People need to remember you and what you do. Your success or failure will greatly depend on your marketing.

La Mancha Sims from Business2Community agrees, “The success of a small business depends on the business owner’s ability to market their products and services effectively,” writes Sims. “You may have a great product and stellar customer service, but if people don’t know your business exists, you are not going to have any sales.”

So now that you know the importance of marketing, let’s look at a few ways to market your new venture.

Mall Kiosk Design And Promotional Giveaways

Building A Kiosk in 2024 That Attracts Shoppers

You are going to be in a location with natural traffic. Think about it. You don’t need to run advertisements to get people to the mall. This is already done for you. You are simply taking advantage of traffic that is coming due to other advertisers.

Custom Vertical BannersRetailers and the mall owner run advertising to attract shoppers. You just need to reach out and grab their attention.

The first thing you need to do for your kiosk marketing strategy is get people’s attention. The way you do that is to have an attractive display.

The first is to make it clear what you are selling. Don’t clutter your kiosk with things that are not related to your business (pictures, flyers, etc.). People need to be able to look at your kiosk and immediately know what you are selling. If they don’t, you have a problem.

Another way is to have flashy décor. You need to draw people’s attention away from the other retailers and the only way to do that is to go flashy. Decorate with lights, glitter, or anything else that will grab people’s attention.

Keep things clean and stock plenty of items. If you only have a select few items, people really don’t have an inventive to stop. For instance, if you sell sunglasses, carry multiple styles and brands. If you are only selling one style, your kiosk won’t be attractive to those who can walk down to a big box sunglass retailer.

Kiosk Promotional GiveawaysFinally, consider employing video on your kiosk. All you need is a laptop and a television screen where you can show the variety of items you sell; or, have it show demonstrations of what you are selling. Which brings us to the next marketing strategy.

Demonstrations and Free Samples

Giving out free samples may seem like annoyance marketing, but it works. People will normally take anything for free, so you have the perfect opportunity to provide your product to thousands of people. They are more likely to look at the sample when they aren’t busy and may even be interested enough to come back and pay you a visit.

“Free samples can generate a lot of sales for you over time. In some cases, free samples can boost sales by as much as 2,000%.” – Shopify

Always be ready to demonstrate the products you are selling. In fact, having live demonstrations is a good way to attract people walking by.

An example would be people selling hair care items like curling and flat irons. When you see these at the mall, people are demonstrating on people right before your eyes. This is a great way to draw attention to your kiosk and should be incorporated as part of your small business kiosk promotion.

Kiosk Promotional ProductsKiosk Marketing with Promotional Items

Promotional items are what we know best. They should be the staple of your kiosk marketing strategy as they work. In fact, if they didn’t work as great marketing tools, we wouldn’t be selling them. However, we understand you may not want to take our word for it. As such, let’s take a look at some independent research.

The first comes from Promotional Products Association International, a non-for-profit trade association for the promotional product industry. In a recent study, they found that 89% of people have received a promotional product in the last six months. Out of those people, 90% remember the brand, 80% remember the marketing message, and 70% of them remember the call to action from the item.

As a kiosk owner, you should be aware that the same study found 79% of people researched the brand after being given a promotional item. 83% of the people in the study said they are more likely to do business with that brand because of the promotional item.

Still not convinced? Let’s take a look at a recent study by Advertising Specialty Institute. It shows that 85% of people receiving a promotional product have a favorable impression of that brand. It also confirms that people are more likely to do business with a brand the supplied them with a promotional product.

Custom SunglassesTraditional Kiosk Marketing Versus Use of Promotional Products

When it comes to advertising specialties, the cost per impression is lower for promotional products than most traditional forms of marketing.

The term cost per impression refers to what it cost you for each person who sees your ad. For promotional products, the cost is generally less than a penny per impression. The cost for other advertising is as follows:

  • Newspapers – 3.2 cents per impression
  • Primetime Television – 2.5 cents per impression
  • National Magazines – 2.4 cents per impression
  • Targeted Mobile – 1.0 cent per impression
  • Sports Radio – 0.7 of a cent per impression
  • Internet Advertising – 0.7 of a cent per impression
  • Ad Specialties (promotional items) – 0.7 of a cent per impression

Promotional Products Are the Most Effective Form Of Advertising

According to ASI, you should also expect no surprise increase in the cost per impression in promotional items. “The cost for advertising specialties is not expected to increase markedly in the next few years, making them a more stable, reliable and innovative way for advertisers to reach consumers.”

The cost per impression for promotional items changes depending on the item you use. For instance, promotional pens cost approximately 1/10th of a penny per impression. Take into consideration that many promotional items cost less than a dollar, you are sure to find a variety of items you can use to promote your kiosk.

As a retailer, one item you need to pay close attention to is promotional and customized bags. These are one of the most effective items to incorporate into your kiosk marketing strategy.

Bags get an average of 3,300 impressions throughout their lifetime, making the cost per impression approximately 2/10ths of a penny. If you are selling items at a kiosk, you must have branded bags with your logo and company name. This is one of the best ways to get people to remember you, while also advertising for you while walking around the mall.

Small Business Kiosk Promotion at its Finest

If you don’t already have a kiosk marketing strategy for your business, now is the time to start planning. Marketing is the most effective way of attracting customers and can make the difference between success and failure.

Kiosks need to be attractive to shoppers. Many are not at the mall for you in the first place, so you need to be able to divert their attention away from the big box retailers. Having a flashy and attractive kiosk is the way to do this.

Using promotional items is also recommended for promoting your kiosk. With the cost of impression less than a penny per item, you can make good use of your marketing budget. If you are unsure of which products to choose, check out iPromo and we can recommend some that work great for mall kiosks.