The second largest consumers of promotional products are office supply companies – and it’s little wonder. Since most stationers and office supply retailers offer the same range of products, there are only a few ways to stand out. The most important way, of course, is in establishing and maintaining excellent customer relationships. Those relationships should be based on providing the very best customer service possible – but promotional products also play a valuable part in making those relationships personal.
Since so many promotional products are products that are offered for sale by office supply companies and stationers, there are many choices of promotional products that are appropriate for your type of company. The ones that you choose will depend on the purpose of your promotion. Any promotional products or marketing gifts should be part of a carefully planned and considered marketing plan. Some considerations in choosing the right promotional products for your company are:
Purpose of the Promotional Gift
Marketing professionals use promotional products in many different ways – often within the same campaign. One campaign might include a mailer sent out by direct mail with a pad of sticky notes and an offer of a free mouse pad with an order of more than £25. Your company might decide to institute a loyalty programme with promo points and different levels of rewards for purchases. Choose promotional products that are appropriate to the purpose of the gift.
Value to Cost Ratio
Once you know the purpose of the gift that you’re giving, you can assign a value to it. If you’re sending out direct mail flyers and expect a response of 1 out of every 300 mailers, the cost of three hundred mailers is your cost to acquire one new customer. You can reduce that amount by increasing the response to your mailers with a more valuable gift. The gift that you choose to give your most valued customers should be of higher value than one that you hand out to a customer who may make one purchase every two or three months.
Increase sales of particular items
Want to increase sales of one of your high profit margin items? Offer a promotional gift with purchase and you’ll see sales soar. Choose promotional products that coordinate with the products that you want to sell. Better yet, choose a product that is complemented by the product on which you want to increase sales. Is your intent to increase sales of a particular size of sticky notes? Include a free refillable note dispenser in the right size for that line of sticky notes.
Timing of your Promotional Campaigns
Pay attention to the timing of your promotional campaigns. There are certain types of items that will make a big impression at particular times of year. Calendars and desk pads at the turn of the year, account books just before tax time, loyalty gifts at holiday time – these are all well-timed promotional gifts. Other promotional campaign ideas are timed in the life cycle of the company or of your company. Anniversary promotions, office opening gifts and the like are all great ways to recognize your customers and increase your name recognition at the same time.
For additional information on promotional items, business gifts and marketing promotional products why not check out the market leading online suppliers where you will find a massive range of items to choose from and also get exceptionally low prices combined with highly professional fast service levels.
Gareth Parkin is the co-founder of Ideasbynet, the UK's leading online promotional products and promotional items company based in the north of England. Established in 2001,
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