How to Win Over Customers with Promotional Materials

A brand can only be successful as its customer reach will allow it to be, so you need to be prepared to promote it.

Thankfully, promotional materials are one of the easiest ways to do just that, as long as you know which ones work for you and the customers you’re trying to influence.

Does a business need promotional materials? Any successful business has promotional materials working for them, whether it’s branded baseball caps or flyers and brochures.

Each business will have marketing materials like this that are specific to their brand, industry, and customers, and they should all feature your branding so they’re easily recognizable.

Using promotional materials isn’t as easy as picking something and slapping your business name on it, there’s a finer art to it than that.

We’ve created this quick guide to get you started with promotional materials so you can figure out exactly what will work for your brand and customer base.

What Are Promotional Materials?

What Are Promotional Materials?

Promotional materials or marketing materials are any form of published content that advertises a brand or company.

These materials can be as broad as marketing the company as a whole or for a specific deal that they’re offering, and there are a number of ways they can be published.

Among the list of promotional materials that your business can put to use are garments like t-shirts and caps, office stationery, stickers, mugs, business cards, and presentation folders.

They usually have some practical use and advertise the business at the same time, guaranteeing greater success with the people you share them with.

A business should incorporate promotional materials into their marketing budget in addition to their usual marketing ventures like advertising and social media management.

Every business will have unique features that make certain types of promotional materials more relevant to them and their customers, so figuring out the benefits for your brand is the best way to get started.

The Benefits of Using Them

The Benefits of Using Them

When you compare promotional materials to other forms of advertising and marketing, there are lots of ways they stand out.

Here are a few reasons why you might want to create these marketing tools for your brand and how they can help.

They’re creative

With the onslaught of advertising, we’re faced with each day, offering up something exciting and fresh in your promotional materials is key.

This creative marketing approach is unique, will stand out, and lets you do a little more when delivering your brand’s messaging.

They suit your audience

The key to a successful marketing campaign is creating one that reaches your audience and this approach is taken with promotional materials.

If you work with professionals in the white-collar industries then items like mouse pads and USBs are best, but for those in blue-collar industries, t-shirts or tote bags might be more effective.

Rather than trying to get everyone excited about a brochure, creating a specific product to suit your audience will garner better results.

They last

Paper can be easily tossed aside and digital ads ignored, and they will be.

Compared to promotional materials like mouse pads and coffee mugs, your advertising efforts will have longevity and continue to impact the people using them for years to come.

The higher quality of the materials you use, the more likely this longevity will be, which reflects positively on your brand as well.

They make an impression

Rather than handing out a boring business card or a flyer with the latest deals on it, these promotional materials are a standout.

Customers are more likely to remember the messaging on something if they use it every day and if it’s a little out of the ordinary, which is why investing in this format is essential.

They offer good ROI

The return on investment should be considered before making any business decisions, but it’s clear when it comes to promotional materials that the numbers are good.

Even entry-level options can make a lasting impact on customers and give you a good bang for your buck.

Create brand awareness

The likelihood that someone using your marketing materials will be seen by someone else is high, which is why they’re usually practical items like hats, notepads, tote bags, and coffee tumblers.

Whenever someone is using this item, they’re creating awareness for your brand and sharing your name with others.

Types of Promotional Materials

Types of Promotional Materials

Promotional materials can be anything used to promote your business or brand, including physical and digital items.

If you’re wondering what might be available for your brand, these are some of the more popular choices in marketing materials today:

  • Brochures: A brochure can cover the general aspects of what your business does or it can target a specific service or deal you’re offering. Although seemingly outdated, there’s still a lot of value in a carefully crafted marketing brochure or flyer.
  • Business cards: A business card is the best way to introduce yourself and remind others of your presence, even when you’re not there. It should feature your name, title, business name and logo, email address, website, and phone number.
  • Tote bags: A tote bag is one of the most functional pieces of promotional gear you can give to customers and clients. With your logo displayed front and center, they’ll advertise your brand when they’re not even thinking about it, and it promotes your brand as an earth-friendly one.
  • Key chains: Everyone has a set of keys in their bag and it’s an item we use every day. What better way to market your brand and keep your name at the forefront than with a clever keychain that shows off your logo.
  • Notebooks: A notebook is a piece of stationery that people rely on every day, regardless of the business they have. This practical piece of promotional gear can have your logo on the front of the pad so they always see it whenever they need to scribble something down.
  • Mouse pads: Although many people use their laptop mouse pads today, a branded pad could still be a smart piece of promotional gear in certain industries. Quality is important here as these pads can deteriorate quickly if they’re too cheap, and you want your brand to be front and center so it’s not forgotten.
  • Pens: A simple click pen is a cheap but effective way to share your brand with the world and it can be easily handed out if you’re attending a trade show or convention. Although the world has entered a digital age, we all still rely on having a pen handy in our everyday lives, so it will get used regularly by your customers.

Tips for Creating Engaging Promotional Materials

Tips for Creating Engaging Promotional Materials

As a big chunk of your marketing budget, you want to make sure you’re choosing gear that will engage with your customers. Follow these tips to make the most of your marketing materials:

  • Have an objective in mind: What is it you’re trying to gain by handing out this promotional gear? Do you want more customers? Are you advertising a certain deal? Make sure the marketing materials you choose will meet this objective.
  • Put yourself in their shoes: Think about why your customers come to you and what services or goods you supply. Put yourself in the customer’s shoes and think about what would be worthwhile or practical for them to have.
  • Go with popular choices: There’s a reason why certain promotional materials sell better than others, and that’s because people actually use them. This isn’t the best time to break outside of the box, so figure out what’s popular and opt for those pieces instead.
  • Quality of quantity: Spend a little extra to get good-quality gear that won’t break or fade. Cheaper goods and poor quality will only reflect negatively on your brand.

How to Buy Promotional Materials

How to Buy Promotional Materials

Once you’ve decided on the type of promotional materials your brand needs, you’ll need to find the right ones.

These types of materials should be of good quality, reasonably priced, and from a reputable brand, so that they reflect positively on your brand and last a long time for your customers.

Many brick-and-mortar stores create promotional materials today, and some people prefer this personal touch when buying theirs.

The salespeople will be able to give you advice on what’s trending at the moment and help you find materials that align with your brand’s messaging, so having a real person to talk to can be beneficial.

The internet is home to countless companies that create marketing materials and they can be reasonably priced.

You usually get a wider range of products to choose from and they’re created fairly quickly, however they can lack the personal touch that some people are after.

Whichever method you choose to buy with, it’s important to spend some time shopping around and comparing what else is out there.

These businesses are usually happy to price match or may offer discounts on certain products, and there’s the possibility to save a lot of money if you do it right.

How Much Do You Need?

How Much Do You Need?

There’s no one size fits all approach in marketing, especially when it comes to the size of the promotional materials order you’ll make.

The most common reason for ordering promotional gear like this is because there’s an event coming up like a trade show or conference, but there’s no harm in ordering them just to keep on hand at your place of business.

If you are ordering these materials because you have an event coming up, you’ll need to ensure there’s enough to go around.

Ask yourself these questions to ensure the event will go off without a hitch:

How many attendees?

The event organizer will usually be able to give vendors an estimated attendance rate so that they can plan accordingly.

You’ll want to make sure you have enough items for each person at the event plus an additional 25% of materials just in case. Even if you don’t use them all here, there will be opportunities to share them with customers later.

Will you be pairing promotional gear?

A common approach to distributing promotional materials, especially at shows and conferences, is to pair some items together.

Consider whether you’re just ordering one type of item or having a few things combined like a mouse pad, USB, and lanyard.

What setup do you have?

The space you have been allocated at the conference and the size of your booth may dictate how much you’re able to store there.

Consider where you’ll keep the extra supplies and whether there’s a storage area that you can access if you need it.

What’s your budget?

Your budget will dictate many things when purchasing promotional materials, including the quality, type, and quantity of gear you can get.

Find ways to work within the budget you have and don’t use your entire marketing quota just for promotional gear, as you’ll get greater success when you diversify.

Are there events planned for later in the year?

Many distributors of marketing materials will have discounts for bulk orders, so if you think you’ll be using more of them at later events, take them up on this offer.

Avoid buying too many items under the assumption that you’ll find somewhere else to use them, as businesses can change their branding and services

Promoting for Profits

Whether you’re trying to gain new customers or spread the word to your existing ones about what your business is up to, promotional materials are the tool for the job.

Spending some time creating a plan for your marketing materials will guarantee greater success, so slow down the process when you’re promoting your brand.

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