We take it for granted, but there was a time not long ago when the only places that had personal computers were government offices and very success technology-dependent businesses. Things are different now. On any given Main Street in any given town, nearly every business, office, library, and home has at least one desktop computer. The advertising business owner can use this fact to his advantage -- and to the advantages of all the people who could benefit from his service or product -- by advertising his business on promotional mouse mats.
The mouse mat is an inexpensive, extremely effective form of advertising. To make the most of your mouse mats, there are a few things you should keep in mind.
Think of mouse mats in terms of the real estate market: they are all about “location, location, location”. First, give out the mouse mats in your store or business, or send them to existing or prospective clients. The current customer will see your promotional mouse mat daily and will keep your business in mind. The next time he needs the service or product that you provide, he will come to your business. When it comes to marketing to prospective customer, think about the way in which most home computers are used. Most home computers are kept in a central area, and are used by an average of four family members in a given day. Your promotional mouse mat will remind spouses, partners, or roommates about your business service. When Susan is in need of a product you provide, she may not think of your business, but perhaps George will remind her, saying, “Isn’t there a business that sells just that right over on Elm Street?” Now you have a new household of customers.
The business owner should also consider distributing mouse mats in locations with computers and a high rate of traffic. If you offer to provide mouse mats for the new insurance company down the way, you’ve not only saved them some startup overhead, you’ve likely reached the attentions of hundreds of potential customers. If you donate your mouse mats to the local library or internet cafe, your business name will be displayed for every person who walks in to use those computers. That is a highly effective strategy at a very low cost to your business.
When choosing a promotional mouse mat, pick something in a solid color. On a gray or black mouse mat, your business will be prominently displayed, and it will always look neat and tidy. Your mouse mat will get a lot of use -- which is a great thing -- so don’t choose white or another weak color that will begin to show its age and use quickly. The business owner should also choose a soft, thick, fabric and rubber mouse mat as opposed to thin plastic. Thick fabric mouse mats strike people as being useful and permanent -- and these are good connotations for your business. We’ve all received those cheap plastic mouse mats somewhere, and most often they land up in the garbage for being just about as useful as the hard surface of the desk on which they sit.
