Do you want your business details to be remembered and stand out from the rest, or are you content to be one of many business cards gathering dust in plastic boxes in offices across the country? Here at BusinessGiftUK.com we know your answer to that question, but the key issue is acting on it. So, here are 7 reasons (there are many more, but we know you’re busy!) why you should be using promotional gifts to promote your business…
1. Build Your Brand
Your brand and its market position must be regularly reviewed and promoted – simple fact. This doesn’t need to involve costly marketing campaigns – the drip feed of building your brand through promotional gifts can be just as effective, if not more so. By customising products that are used by your clients and prospects in their daily business lives, they have a constant reminder of your logo, who you are and what you can offer. What’s more – your contact details are extremely easy to find so there is more chance of a spontaneous call if they don’t have to go digging in that plastic box.
2. Targeted Marketing
When you have a stock of promotional merchandise you can choose who to send it to and when, so your marketing becomes targeted, and therefore cost effective. It’s a highly effective way of making a first impression, which in turn leads to longevity because if you use the right product, your target prospects will keep it for a long time to come. Most promotional gifts have a much longer life span than other media and marketing formats. You may also want to buy particular customised gifts for a specific exhibition audience profile, knowing that the kind of businesses you want to attract will respond to a relevant promotion. By thinking ahead and keeping it targeted you can open many doors that might otherwise remained closed.
3. Happy Clients Stay Happy
Of course it’s not only new clients that appreciate a promotional gift. As a high percentage of business comes from existing customers, giving them gifts is a wise investment. Remember the three R’s – Repeats, Referrals and Recommendations! A promotional gift can act as a wonderful prompt for a happy client to recommend you to their associates. Again, your contact details are easily available because they’re printed on the gift, so referring your services doesn’t take much effort. Keep it varied too – with so many different types of gifts available, you’d be missing a great opportunity to stand out if you stuck to the same gift each time. Using promotional gifts to promote your business in this way is flexible, relevant and highly effective.
4. First Impressions – We All Love A Freebie!
Let’s be honest – we all love to get value for money, but even better to get something for free. It’s also good for the soul to give, so using promotional gifts creates an all-round feeling of bonhomie which shouldn’t be underestimated in forging new business relationships. When interacting with total strangers – maybe at Expos and Trade Shows – the goodwill of offering promotional gifts is a great ice breaker and makes a memorable first impression.
5. Company Incentives
Within the workplace promotional gifts can be used to incentivise staff. This can be done in two different ways. Firstly gifts can be used for targeted incentives or awards for effort. Secondly they can be used to create team spirit and company pride with the likes of branded clothing, desk items and corporate stationery. Recognition leads to a sense of fulfilment, inspires company loyalty and creates a workforce that feels appreciated. This all helps the bottom line!
6. Incentives To Buy
Promotional gifts can be used more blatantly to entice people to buy. This is particularly effective in retail point of sale, but also used in less “sexy” areas such as insurance and banking where customers are often offered quality pens, originally done so to help fill in proposal forms. Historically it has been proven that the offer of a free pen can significantly increase the number of quote requests. The practice of giving an incentive in return for the opportunity to quote continues today, despite the fact that all the information required is now more likely to be given over the phone or entered online.
7. Buy Time
Whenever a gift is given and received there is an opportunity to talk and network. Everyone pauses to receive a gift, and in most cases simple politeness stops people from simply walking away. This is your chance to say a little about what you do and then listen carefully to what they do, triggering your radar for opportunities, referrals and buying signals. This is all made so much easier when offering a relevant promotional gift and works with all types on encounters, not just formal networking events. Has anyone got a pen…..
Using customised gifts to promote your business is a fantastic way of maximising your marketing mix. Gifts are the catalyst to other activity. Well targeted advertising promotional gifts enhance and support all other marketing activity. They’re also an effective way of bypassing the competition on Google by keeping it simple and direct.
For more information please go to www.businessgiftuk.com, call our experienced team on 01772 42911 or email us at sales@businessgiftuk.com.
