Let’s say you’ve decided you want to use branded, promotional products to expand your business. Great idea! Custom promotional products can increase brand recognition and boost customer loyalty in a way which is also highly cost-effective. Promotional products translate into ROI!
So how do you get started?
Here’s a 4-step plan for launching and growing a marketing campaign that includes custom promotional products for your business.
Step 1: Stay Real About Identity
If you have a small business and a vision for the future, you have a brand. Often, though, we don’t understand for ourselves what it is customers connect with, about our business. It’s easy to think we know (after all, it’s your business), but what we think doesn’t always line up with the reality of our customers (or potential customers).
Fortunately, there are professionals. Marketing and branding experts can take a business through valuable branding exercises as a process of uncovering and naming the essence of what is working about your business.
Then you build on what’s working.
Modern consumers value transparency. Furthermore, 72% of consumers say they want a brand which reflects their own values.
So when you create custom promotional products, you don’t want “cheap stuff with a logo on it.” You want something that reflects both your brand identity and the values of your customers (or potential customers).
The rewards of a successful promotional product marketing campaign are better exposure, increased brand recognition, and a boosted bottom line. So it’s worth the work to get your brand identified just right, and then cost to get quality goods created, reflecting that brand correctly to your ideal new customers.
Step 2: Get Social
Brand consistency matters, across all platforms.
In order to buy from you, customers need to recognize you. On average, it takes 5-7 brand impressions to lead to a purchase. As mentioned above, the quality of those brand impressions matters.
Furthermore, your customers want to feel appreciated. Modern consumers like to interact with brands. So, in order to spread word-of-mouth, get those customer promotional products out there visibly on your website, your social media channels, etc.
Don’t just print a t-shirt. Show your employees, customers, and brand ambassadors wearing a custom t-shirt while living real life.
Step 3: Stay on Top of Trends
Dated is not retro. Retro and vintage can be cool. But “dated” just means not now. Savvy consumers get excited to participate in the latest trends, and you can capitalize on that with your business promotional products.
Keep in mind that most people are also inundated with advertising on multiple devices, all day (sometimes multiple devices at once!). So, you want to stand out. Being on that front edge of the wave of the now keeps you relevant.
When you look good, customers will want your merch. Merch means sales.
Step 4: Don’t Be Afraid to Try New Things
There’s one thing that might be even less appealing than a dated look and that’s a brand that’s trying too hard. Trying too hard is never cool.
So, how do you stay on top of trends without coming across as, well, Basic?
The key is to be true to your brand, but also willing to try new things.
Trust your team. Trust the interactions you get from customers. Examine feedback and how something plays out “in the real world.” Explore new trends. But if you stay true to your brand and values, there’s still room to be innovative.
The brands which forget to be creative lose customers. The innovative gain sales.
Let T-Shirt Labs Make You Look Good
At T-shirt Labs in the Tampa Bay Area of The Sunshine State (AKA Florida), we specialize in custom t-shirt printing. We know how to make you look good. We love helping a brand design and create their perfect custom promotional shirts. Then, we can help guide and inspire your distribution process to get your brand out in the world!
Our in-house, award-winning design team also values comfortable, real, and genuine. That’s why we love t-shirts! Nothing says “good ol’ American realness” like a comfortable t-shirt.
Contact us and let’s talk about how to implement a custom promotional products marketing strategy to boom your brand!
